A METRO Cash&Carry distribution center was opened on Wednesday in the commercial zone west of the Ibarska main route in Belgrade. A total of 220 people have already got jobs at the 13,500-square-meter facility worth EUR 21 million.

- Metro in Vidikovac will offer professional buyers over 25,000 food and non-food articles of renowned foreign and domestic manufacturers and suppliers at favorable prices and help small and medium-sized enterprises in this part of Belgrade and surroundings to improve their operations - reads the company's statement.

The new distribution center will be procuring about 80 percent of all food products from domestic manufacturers and suppliers, thus backing the domestic industry.

Veronika Puncheva, chairman of the Managing Board of METRO Cash&Carry Srbija, stated that the company had invested EUR 141 million in nine facilities in Serbia to date and that it would keep investing in expanding the business.

- We will focus on the partnership with our customers and help them as much as possible to improve their operations, mainly by offering them high-quality articles, favorable prices, education and joint projects - said Veronika Puncheva.

Puncheva pointed out that Metro's new business concepts would be presented at the new wholesale facility, such as an assortment of products produced by HACCP standards, a concept presenting a good solution for all customers engaged in the production of "food to go" and fast food, and there will also be a new concept of Rioba cafe.

Christian Hylkema, a member of the Managing Board for customer relations, said that Metro had been satisfying the needs of clients over the previous seven years.

Hylkema stressed that Metro would continue to invest in trainings and education for employees, based on the partnership with the Culinary Federation of Serbia, as well as to organize HACCP training programmes.

As he explained, Metro will keep doing everything it takes to be the leader in the business and wholesale trade and satisfying specific needs of its clients.

The new distribution center of the company Metro Cash&Carry Srbija was built by Gemax construction company.