One successful Zagreb company has been exploring outside of the Croatian market and has found a plethora of opportunities and interest on foreign markets.
As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of March, 2019, thanks to its long tradition, identity, high quality, attractive design and practical accessories, the Zagreb-based company Mediaform has been positioning in Croatia for over twenty whole years as a market leader in the field of the production of top of the range diaries made from some of the highest quality materials.
The company was founded back in 1997 by Nedeljko Šukurma, who is currently working with numerous other companies and designers. They have been selling their company's products for years through retail stores such as Narodne novine, Školske knjige (School books), and others. However, Šukurma didn't want to just stop and stay on the Croatian market alone, but he, with a dose of success and an excellent idea, decided to dip his toes into foreign markets.
"Over the past few years, we've been trying to break into the European market in the segment of office and school materials with notebooks called Keyboard in two groups. The first group are premium notebooks - such as Moleskine, Lanybook and the like, while the other group are school notebooks. The Keyboard notebooks were successfully sold in the bookstores of the former Algoritam company, but even after its closure, customers were still asking after Mediaform's notebooks,'' explained Šukurma.
This was just another incentive for Šukurma and his Zagreb company to try out their products overseas where his company came across very positive reactions and a lot of praise.
"To be able to position yourself successfully on the global market in a segment that has long been covered by world-renowned brands, you need to do something innovative, something interesting and specific. With our new collection of Keyboard notebooks, we have been able to attract a great level of interest from foreign distributors and bookstores. On the front page, the notebooks are simple and minimalistic, but the design is impressive. The letters on the embossed, styled keyboard on the notebook's covers form an inspirational message - Handwriting beats a keyboard, which promotes handwriting as one of the timeless ways through which people can express their personalities,'' stated the founder of this successful Zagreb-based company which is clearly going from strength to strength.
Therefore, in addition to the business side of things, this Zagreb company's notebooks also feature an aesthetic function that will attract anyone who is used to using laptops and the like. For two consecutive years, Zagreb's Mediaform has been expanding its product group at the world-renowned and specialised Paperworld fair in Frankfurt, Germany. At the end of last year, they first exhibited their products at the Insights-X fair in Nuremberg for the German market and at the Big Buyer fair in Bologna for the Italian market.
"At the last Paperworld fair in Frankfurt, the organisers officially drew attention to our Keyboard notebooks. At this fair, there's also a separate space that acts as an exhibition gallery called Trends. When it comes to [exhibiting there] the fair organiser selects the most innovative and creative articles that should have particular emphasis drawn to them, with the focus being placed on excellence. Our Keyboard notebook found itself among this group of the world's top manufacturers,'' said Mediaform's owner.
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Click here for the original article by Lucija Spiljak for Poslovni Dnevnik
Excellent news for one Zagreb company as its success leads to the opening up of yet another office abroad, this time across the Atlantic in no less than the Big Apple - New York, USA.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of February, 2019, the key person and the manager of the Zagreb company's brand new American office is Mick de Meijer, a former executive director of several marketing agencies and a person with very strong experience in two key areas - project management and business development.
Zagreb's Q IT software company, which is one of the fastest growing IT companies in Europe according to Deloitte, has been operating at a new location since the beginning of this year. Their sixth global office was opened in New York, the digital hub of the eastern coast of the United States. The office is located in the very centre of New York, more precisely in Manhattan, and in addition to this location, this Croatian company still continues to operate from Zurich, Oslo, Belfast, Los Angeles, and of course from Zagreb, where the company's headquarters are located.
In his twelve years of hard work in the field, Mick de Meijer has successfully consulted more than 100 companies and worked directly with a variety of enormous and highly respected brands such as Victoria's Secret, Trojan, and Heinz.
So far, this Zagreb company has successfully helped a number of American companies with their technology development, of which, companies such as the United States Postal Services, Facebook, Walmart and Coca-Cola should definitely be mentioned. They have worked in different manners for these gigantic American companies, ranging from genialising their employment process to dealing with the system that employees use in their daily work.
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Bjelovar breaks the mold and creates a unique fitness product that has caught the eye of not only the nearby Hungarians, but the world.
Continental Croatia is, aside from its tourism potential, usually in the news for all the wrong reasons. Although it has gradually started to spread, the Croatian demographic crisis has bitten harder in that area of the country than it has elsewhere, and with residents leaving in their droves, it often comes as a pleasant surprise to read about innovatation and opportunities arising from there, despite the fact that there are several.
As Goran Jungvirth/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of February, 2019, the winner in the category of best project idea at the first Bjelovar Startup 2018 competition confirmed to Poslovni Dnevnik that the prototype of their product is ready, and that it has attracted the interest of people from all over the world.
"We've already had over twenty queries, and our partners from Hungary have just visited us. The whole world is interested in our product,'' said Vedran Presečki from Ferrodus d.o.o., the creator of a non-motorised running belt with a ferrofluid brake.
His company has been in existence since back in 2013 and produces fitness equipment which is then exported to many countries across the world, not only to other European countries such as Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Great Britain, Spain, Portugal, and France, but further afield and across the Atlantic, all the way to the United States.
Otherwise, this Bjelovar-made product is the very first non-motorised running beld with a ferrofluid brake in the entire world. Despite that fact which is already impressive enough, Ferrodus' innovative Vedran Presečki plans to conquer the whole world with this new invention.
"The fitness industry is continuing to grow steadily. Our "Predator Hunt" running belt is the first in the world which uses ferrofluid technology, and it's unique owing to that. Running on it is natural, it's as if you were running on an embankment. Existing running belts (such as common treadmills) don't boast that natural resistance and don't allow for the alteration of running intensity like our belt does,'' stated a rightfully proud Presečki for Poslovni Dnevnik upon describing the uniqueness of this Bjelovar-made product.
After applying this technology to the running belt, Presečki is planning to extend it yet further, to other fitness related products such as bicycles and the like.
To brieflt recall, Presečki won last year's Bjelovar-based competition, which gained him a very welcome 100,000 kuna cash. This year, that same competition will open once again for startups that are working to produce innovations in the area of Bjelovar.
Presečki told Poslovni Dnevnik that his award helped him greatly in terms of product development, especially in speeding up the development of prototypes, which is of crucial importance for the overcoming of potential competitors who came up with the same idea.
"We accelerated and definitely managed to get a one-year head start owing to this award, because we're a small company," he noted.
But Presečki emphasised the fact that his prize meant more than just money because it meant recognition and brought about great enthusiasm for his team.
"That was a great incentive for us," he said.
The Bjelovar company exports 90 percent of its products and currently has just three employees, but it will need a lot more man power when launching its totally unique running belt production.
"We have a recruitment plan for when the product goes to the market. We'll have to substantially reorganise the business,'' Presečki stated, for whom, despite gaining some truly invaluable business experience, the real work is yet to come.
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Click here for the original article by Goran Jungvirth for Poslovni Dnevnik
Good news for respected Croatian General Ante Gotovina as his tuna company signs a contract with a Metro, which will now result in his company's top quality fish ending up exclusively on Croatia's shelves for the hotel and catering industry.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 6th of February, 2019, with a presentation of the methods of the processing and the preparation of the popular bluefin Adriatic tuna, visitors to the Adriatic Gastro Show will get acquainted with the famous culinary presentation of the well-known "Batelina" chef David Skoko.
At today's Adriatic Gastro Show held in the Dalmatian capital of Split, Metro will introduce the newest product on its already very rich shelves to caterers, hoteliers and all those who work in the field - the Adriatic bluefin tuna.
As Slobodna Dalmacija reported, Metro and Pelagos net farm, the company belonging to General Ante Gotovina, have now signed a cooperation agreement for the sale of the sought-after fish. Metro will offer bluefin sushi/sashimi quality tuna, which will be distributed and made readily available to professional Metro customers in wholesale centres throughout the Republic of Croatia, meaning that it will be being sold exclusively on the Croatian market.
''We're proud that Metro can boast of [this type of] cooperation which makes us the exclusive supplier of Adriatic bluefin tuna from Pelagos net farm for the Croatian HoReCa market. Metro cooperates with numerous restaurants and hotels all over the Republic of Croatia, so we're continually trying to improve our range to offer them the best products according to international culinary trends.
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''We need to give young people the ability to learn and improve, to be informed about the measures implemented by the EU through EU funds and self-employment,'' stated the mayor of Virovitica.
As PD i VL native tim/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of February, 2019, Virovitica is the fourteenth Croatian city in which the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds organised an informative-educational event entitled Regional Days of EU Funds, with the aim of informing the general public about the possibilities of financing from EU funds and strengthening regional development, as well as the possibilities for overall social and economic growth of Croatia which derive from EU fund availability. The event was held at the Virovitica Cultural Centre, which, ironically with the help of the EU funds, is about to be reconstructed soon.
Since Virovitica is mainly made up of agricultural land, its projects are mostly reported by small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and farmers, and according to the latest statistical data, Virovitica-Podravina County is among the best in Slavonia and Baranja in terms of EU cash withdrawal for rural development funds and for micro and small enterprises - up to 3,400 kuna per capita. "EU funds concern everyone, we're working on public projects in the public sector to set standards, and it's important to utilise them and improve business," said Ivica Kirin, Virovitica's mayor.
National development strategy
Virovitica-Podravina County Prefect Igor Andrović presented some statistical data according to which the VIDRA Development Agency in 2018 carried out 194 projects for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs and farmers, totaling a massive 450 million kuna.
"We've started on projects which concern Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, such as the renovation of the hospital, the construction of a network of entrepreneurial incubators, the construction of a technological innovation centre, the hall for the Viroexpo fair and the energetic renewal of the cultural centre.
This year, we expect the realisation of about 150 projects we submitted last year,'' Andrović said, pointing out that with the new division in the four statistical regions, small and medium entrepreneurs in their area as well as in Sisak-Moslavina and Karlovac County will receive up to 75 percent of support from the EU funds, as opposed to the previous 45 percent.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Velimir Žunac, reminded attendees that by the year 2020, the seven-year financial period during which Croatia learned, made mistakes and matured will end, and more opportunities in the next financial period of 2021-2027 will come.
"EU funds are our reality - this county and this city are a good example of how European Union money can be used, as statistics show. In January 2017, Croatia was [withdrawing] under 9 percent of the contracted funds and by the end of last year, that number was more than 62 percent, or 6.6 billion euros of contractuality, we've made a significant step forward. In Croatia, 80 percent of public investment comes from the EU and it's important to maximise its use," Žunac pointed out.
He announced that the Croatian Government is ready and that the budget is stable for the new cycle and financial period from 2021 to 2027, recalling that the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia is under development up until 2030, with twelve thematic and working groups working intensively.
An interesting panel discussion was then held, entitled "The development of Virovitica through European Union funds", involving representatives of various institutions as well as local entrepreneurs with experience of using money provided by EU funds. At the very beginning, Mayor Ivica Kirin emphasised that in the near future they want to identify the strategies and priorities that Croatia needs to develop which will create faster and better economic growth.
"We need more staff, especially those who will write projects. At the same time, we must give young people the ability to learn and improve, to be informed of the measures that the state is implementing through EU funds and self-employment," Kirin said.
The results were presented by Tihana Harmund, Director of the VTA Development Agency, who works for all institutions in Virovitica, companies, institutions, as well as for entrepreneurs and farmers, to whom she offers advice and assistance in writing up and implementing EU projects.
"We have prepared the documentation for all projects, including Pejačević Castle worth 82 million kuna, the improvement of Virovitica's water and communal infrastructure of 150 million kuna, as well as the renovation of schools, kindergartens and other institutions. For smaller projects, we provided the necessary funds to farmers, entrepreneurs and civil society organisations,'' stated Harmund.
Cooperation between the city and the county
''Services and institutions were networked for the preparation of projects, and the cooperation between the City of Virovitica and Virovitica-Podravina County is excellent,'' said Neda Martić from the VIDRA Development Agency.
"An entrepreneur can now get a valid building permit in two days, and in addition to being a regional coordinator, our agency is working on strategy and writing up infrastructure projects. We currently have 245 projects related to the economy,'' Martić added.
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Click here for the original article by PD i VL native tim on Poslovni Dnevnik
As we reported recently, the enfeebled Croatian flag carrier, Croatia Airlines, will undergo privatisation, with the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, having confirmed that the process is ongoing.
As Suzana Varosanec/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of February, 2019, fairly soon, the Croatian Government will decide on the appointment of a required commission to deal with the finding of a strategic partner for the burdened domestic airline.
In response to Poslovni Dnevnik's question on the matter, the response from the competent ministry was that Croatia Airlines has a tender which is currently in its final phase dedicated to finding a financial advisor for the development of the company's needed recapitalisation and the finding of an equally needed strategic partner, but as the initiator of the entire process Croatia Airlines is currently undergoing, it isn't in a position to comment on the details until the end of the procedure.
By the force of a decision made by the Croatian Government back on the 4th of January 2018, Croatia Airlines was returned to the list of companies of strategic and special interest to the Republic of Croatia. On the 26th of April 2018, the Croatian Government adopted the national program of reforms for the year 2018, which suggests ensuring further development and the strengthening of competitive advantages and positions on the air transport market through a quality strategic partnership should be the main goal for Croatia Airlines.
As an indicator of the results, the expansion of the domestic airline's transport network has since been established, as has as the increase in its market share and its recapitalisation.
Back in September 2018, in order to conduct a tender, a limited two-stage procurement procedure was initiated for the "financial advisor service to develop Croatia Airlines' recapitalisation model and finding a strategic partner".
Unofficially speaking, there does appear to be some serious interest for Croatia Airlines, but we're yet to see how that will manifest.
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Click here for the original article by Suzana Varosanec for Poslovni Dnevnik
With more and more Croatian brands earning international respect, the founder and owner of the Croatian brand Carwiz reveals his plans to set Croatia's newest rent-a-car company on the path of the global market through franchises already agreed with five European countries.
As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of January, 2019, the newest car rental service in Croatia, Carwiz, is also the first to start a franchise business outside of the Republic of Croatia, with ambitious plans for the coming three years to be present on at least twenty markets across different parts of Europe, as well as in Africa and Asia.
At a recent press conference, the first five markets the Croatian brand Carwiz will take to this year were revealed, and Poslovni Dnevnik got to hear all the details of this important move and the current situation on the domestic market, which were revealed by Krešimir Dobrilović, the founder of the completely Croatian brand Carwiz, who has been in this business almost twenty years.
Which are the first markets you plan to go to with the franchise, and how have you decided on such a step?
I've been in this business for a long time and with the Carwiz project, I've been trying to apply all of my acquired knowledge, experience, and my business relationships, but also introduce an innovative approach, and the emergence of the global market is in line with such thinking.
I have significant support from the team we've gathered together for Carwiz there, and in 2018 we began to develop a franchise business in cooperation with partners who are already doing car rentals, but have the ambition to make a step forward in their business as well as increase their traffic. At this time, we have five signed franchise agreements with partners from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Serbia, Latvia, and Cyprus.
How does your model differ from those already on the market and what do you offer to your partners?
All models in Croatia are imported franchises, and our concept has been fully developed in Croatia, in cooperation with our team and our partners such as Vip Data who have developed our software. With this front desk product, the company which will be ''under our cap'' will also have a website, a main one and a local one, as well as a brand with the entire brand book and everything that goes with it, from the standard look to employee uniforms.
However, it's crucial that, with the whole philosophy of our business, we get access to our foreign partners who will fill up the reservations.
That was the key step in the preparation of this project. It was crucial to find out how much foreign partners are willing to accompany the realisation. That's why we've carried out research and received extremely positive feedback from all the partners we're working with.
Why is cooperation with foreign partners so important, and why do they need you to get that approach?
This [foreign] cooperation is very important because there are a number of good rent-a-car companies that can't make a breakthrough to the largest number of bookings, which can only be achieved in cooperation with global online partners, which makes up about 80 percent of our business. It isn't the case that just anyone can go to Rentalcars [website] and just ask them to put them on their web platform. Building trust with such partners takes a long time and is demanding.
Through all the projects I've been through, I've continued to build the relationship that we're continuing on with Carwiz, and that's the strongest asset we can offer through the franchise. Carwiz is, on the Rentalcars site and on the American website Autoeurope, recognised as the best rent-a-car in Croatia. That's what we want to convey to our franchise partners. In addition, we offer them a price strategy, a fleet strategy, plans, tracking, and so on. Moreover, at least in these close markets such as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, we'll also be able to help our partners with the purchase of vehicles.
How did you find partners? Can we expect any further franchise expansion?
So far, they've mainly been finding us. We're additionally teamed up for a stronger search for new partners, but we're careful about who we give the franchise to.
We check companies and their business, so we have refused some of them. This involves different markets, from Greece, which thanks to tourism has a highly developed fleet market of about ten thousand vehicles, to Latvia which isn't as developed tourism-wise as Greece is, but offers other aspects of opportunities with significantly smaller fleet vehicles.
By the end of the first quarter of the current year, we will finalise the signing of agreements with partners in Morocco, Romania, and Kosovo, and we plan to be present with our brand in more than twenty countries over the next three years.
How realistic is the prospect of doing that?
We saw that it's very realistic last year at the WTM London Tourism Fair, where we were the first Croatian rent-a-car brand to have our own stand. We talked with potential partners from a total of nineteen countries, including Morocco, Poland, Vietnam, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil... I believe that in a year's time, we could close the complete Baltic region, we also have indications for Russia.
What are your plans for this year with regard to new investments?
We concluded 2018 with 48 million kuna in revenue, with a profit of around 600,000 kuna, which would have been even bigger without the major investments [we carried out] in business development, primarily for the franchises. This step, along with the increase in the number of fleets, should increase this year's [revenue] to more than 65 million kuna, with a projected profit of about 3 million kuna.
Because of that, we want to increase the availability of our services in continental cities, our fleet is fairly large in the winter, consisting of more than 600 cars. During peak season last year we had 1,400 vehicles, and for this year we plan to have about 2,000 cars operating during the summer months. Therefore, we're planning new employment, and we expect to reach over 80 employees in the peak season.
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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of January, 2019, at this stage, the Croatian production company Dilj d.o.o. is set to invest significant resources in the overhaul of the plant, and the plan is to put additional resources in the next phase to raise and expand the capacity of their brick factory.
This Vinkovci-based Croatian production company is a manufacturer of brick, tile, grout and special roof elements, which exports 70 percent of its production to both European and non-European markets. Dilj d.o.o. rescued a small brick factory from Našice, which was in the process of going into liquidation. In the very process of bankruptcy, the move saw it successfully renew its production.
In addition to saving production, they saved fifty grateful employees from certain job losses, which would have meant that nearly fifty families would have been left without income. The director of Dilja d.o.o. Dražen Ivezić recalls that the Slavko IGM Našice brick factory went into bankruptcy at the end of 2014 due to problems that were the result of the crisis, which was felt the most by the construction sector, and as material producers, they were hit hard.
As Glas Slavonije writes, at the time of bankruptcy, about fifty workers were employed at the plant, manufacturing a production line of about fifty million units of normal sized and more than ten million block bricks.
The Croatian production company asked the bankruptcy trustee to take over the factory, hire the current workers and continue on with production, and got approval from the creditor council for that step.
''On May the 18th, 2015, we signed a lease contract and continued production. After less than a month and a half, as soon as July the 1st, production continued and everything went smoothly.
Production continued over the next three years, and at the end of last year, Dilj d.o.o. proposed to the bankruptcy trustee and the creditor council to complete the bankruptcy proceedings with the creditor settlement and to take over Slavonia's IGM. After the creditors accepted the bankruptcy plan, in late 2018 Slavonia IGM formally went bankrupt, meaning the preservation of production with a long tradition, as well as the preservation of jobs in the processing industry in Slavonia, which is of particular significance,'' stated Dražen Ivezić, the director of the largest tile factory in the Republic of Croatia with a 95-year-long line tradition of production, unbroken even during various wars.
He added that after the winter renovation phase, the plan for Slavonia's IGM is to be at full capacity by the end of this year, and they are planning to sell everything they produce.
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To briefly recall, Gredelj's bankruptcy began back on October the 1st, 2012, and an encouraging letter of intent from an Austrian railway company is a possible path to its end. Could an Austrian acquisition be the end of Gredelj's long list of problems?
As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes on the 23rd of January, 2019, the Austrian company OBB-Technische Services GmbH operating in the Austrian Federal Railways has provided a letter of intent on expressing an interest in the possible purchase of Croatia's TŽV Gredelj d.o.o., which is in bankruptcy.
This information has now been officially confirmed, as have the decisions made by Gredelj following it, the company promptly authorised bankruptcy trustee Tomislav Đurić to initiate some preliminary talks. As the Austrians are, at least formally, the only interested party, perhaps this is the way for Gredelj to finally claw its way out of the dark tunnel of bankruptcy. Despite its issues, it wouldn't be right to exclude its importance, or that other interested investors, including those which are already familiar with the situation won't pop up at the last minute, the same can be said for the potential of Russian capital suddenly knocking at the door.
The first meeting between the aforementioned Austrian railway company and Gredelj's bankruptcy trustee should be held this month, but the final position on this possibility, which has suddenly been opened up as a possible solution to Gredelj's acquisition, will still have to be waited on for a certain period. This delay is key to assessing the viability of investing in TŽV Gredelj, but is also the determining factor on how to complete the bankruptcy proceedings which commenced back on the 1st of October 2012, Most importantly, this order of things needs to take place because of which the process which is being conducted - the plan to settle the company's bankruptcy and provide a final resolution to its creditors.
This manufacturing company and ex-component of Croatian Railways will not be sold below the asking price, but will also not be liquidated through the sale of large tangible assets. "TŽV Gredelj, with its 410 employees, is the only company in the region that can carry out all [types of] repairs on locomotives and wagons, both those that are simpler and those which are more complex," stated Đurić, dismissing the worrying Gredelj liquidation scenario.
Several meetings with representatives of the Austrian railway company are expected to be organised. Other important aspects, such as all the data on Gredelj's technological and production capabilities, first became known to the Austrians on the basis of their recent collaboration with LocoTech.
Just how things will proceed between the currently interested Austrian railway company and Gredelj is yet to be seen and the enfeebled Croatian company is far from out of the woods it entered back in 2012 yet. However, a concrete expression of interest from the Austrians, who are typically very serious in such matters, is a step in the right direction.
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Click here for the original article by Suzana Varosanec on Poslovni Dnevnik
The Varaždin-based Croatian company Varteks has been producing dresses, coats, jackets and other clothing for specialised purposes, including uniforms for the Croatian Army, the police and the like for 101 years now.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of January, 2019, in three production plants in a complex of red brick buildings in the centre of Varaždin, several hundred workers are working daily in one shift on quality garment collections. In Varaždin's Varteks, 24sata journalists were welcomed and hosted by Nenad Bakić, president of Varteks' administration. He took them through all three production facilities. That day, designers who came to Varteks presented Bakić and his associates the new women's collection - business elegance.
''First, we do prototypes of the clothing, then after consultations they go off for additional finishing should that be necessary. After that, we make a collector's sample, a hand-made version that is produced in a small number of copies. If there are no more changes to be made, we make and launch the product,'' explained Bakić. Currently, Varteks is launching its latest elegant collection made with younger people in mind, called Varteks Young.
''We can split production into several phases. Everything begins with the tailor, from the threading and onwards. There, the machine cutter does almost everything itself according to the instructions on the screen. After that, sewing begins. All the parts from the cutter are picked up and people connect them in smaller segments. Then everything is shifted into the assembly, the middle part of production, where some segments are assembled and come to the end with finishing and the final ironing. After that, what's most important to us is quality control. If everything is fine, the goods are sent to the warehouse and are made ready for shipping, to our stores or to our customers,'' explained Miljenko Vidaček, production manager at Varteks. He adds that it takes about four hours to make a suit.
Varteks produces a very wide range of merchandise, its production manager emphasises the fact that Varteks is among the most flexible companies in this part of Europe as a whole.
''We were coming to the end, pre-bankruptcy. We're incredibly grateful to Mr. Bakić for the fact that we're still here,'' Varteks' grateful employees conclude.
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