Strength of mutual success - New section for cooperation of Serbian and Slovenian companies set up

Optimism, big and direct openness in relations and bigger market are the three things on which we can envy Serbian businessmen, Tomaz Berginc, GM at ETI B at the first panel of newly set up section "Industry" at the Slovenian business club".

In his answering the question "Why Serbia?", Damjan Klajnsek, procurator at "Bimex explained that one of the reasons they picked up Serbia for business is the fact there is a large number of young experts for the field they operate in but that the first words they learnt in Serbia were "We’ll do it easily, there is no problem" which influenced decision-making. Still, he says It was not that easy at all, there were problems but they succeeded and they are satisfied today.

Berginc added his company, traditionally, since its set up has been operating in Serba, and with their partner, "Plamen" from Indjija they expanded business since this is the biggest market with the highest potential, there is strong technical culture and they expect strong growth in the years to come.

One of the participants at the panel called "Strength of mutual success ", Ninko Tešic, GM at "Impol Seval" from Sevojno, in his explaining how arrival of Slovenian Impol influenced business, said that then annual production then totaled as monthly production now and it was clear something had to be done.

- "Impol" came to Sevojno in 2002 and I think it is one of the most successful privatizations, not only in Serbia but region – Tesic said. He added that the reason is that buyers were from the same industry and for the fact that they could understand problems in the rolling mill of aluminum which now exports products totaling between EUR 95 and 100 m.
Dragan Bocanin, head of "Tehnoplast" says it is clear that there are slight differences in production in some sectors in Serbia since we “have a hole 10 years long” which is why we leg behind others and we have a lack of expert staff so expert staff from Slovenia which he sees as a bridge towards the West Europe, is welcomed.

-Cooperation with Slovenia was a starting point for business of Plamen company as well - the company head, Marko Krtolica, says.

- We were among the first ones who bought a Slovenian company which was the biggest producer of equipment and it supplied all ex Yu-republics. With this investment, we got quality and technology and succeeded in increasing export from 10 to almost 80% - Krtolica says.

Aca Zlatic, head at "Grah Automotive" says the wish to find foreign partner which will hire people who lost their jobs at Zastava has always existed and they succeeded thanks to old business contacts and it was very important that there were no language barriers.

All panelists agreed that for business and export product quality is the most important. Quality is condition of a buyer and it must be ahead of price.

-Quality demands are very high but we produce in five countries at one level so we export goods produced in Serbia as if it were made in Sweden - Damjan Klajnsek says.

Slovenian and Serbian businessmen agreed that more successful cooperation takes fees decrease, faster goods flow and materials at the customs and education of governmental and local governance.

Slovenački poslovni klub Beograd

ETI B doo Beograd

PROEL A.D. BEOGRAD

BIMEX d.o.o. Celje

Plamen Inđija

Ambasada Republike Slovenije Beograd

Impol Seval-Sevojno

Ministarstvo turizma i omladine Republike Srbije

Tehnoplast d.o.o. Stari Banovci

Grah Automotive d.o.o. Batočina

ndustry" at the Slovenian business club

Tomaž Berginc

ETI B

Damjan Klajnšek

Bimex

Ninko Tešić

Impol Seval

Dragan Boćanin

Marko Krtolica

Aca Zlatić

Stevan Nikčević

Ljiljana Figar Ferne