Aleksandar Despotovic, director of B.M.R. - Conquering energy sector in Serbia

Aleksandar Despotovic

B.M.R. from Sabac, one of leading companies in the field of industrial installation of all kinds of pipelines and metal structures, not only in Serbia, but also in the EU, has been hired, together with the Italian company SIM from Siracusa, to install a pipeline as part of a big modernization project in Pancevo Oil Refinery, which will require the engagement of 450 workers.

The Sabac-based company this year already worked on the installation of a pipeline at a steam power plant in Austria, and it is also active in the markets of Germany and Romania. B.M.R. employs about 300 people in Serbia, whereas the whole company has about 600 workers.

Aleksandar Despotovic, director of B.M.R. Šabac, speaks for eKapija about the operations of the company that has recently celebrated its 25th birthday.

eKapija: How did you enter into cooperation with the Italian company SIM from Siracusa?

- SIM SpA from Sicily is a company specialized in executing this type of works in refineries, they have plenty of experience in working on similar projects, which is why B.M.R. and SIM have formed a consortium that is strong and quality enough to meet the specific requirements of the project in Pancevo Oil Refinery.

Aleksandar Despotovic

eKapija: B.M.R. and the Italian company are hired to install a pipeline as part of a big modernization project in the Refinery. A total of 450 people will be carrying out the installation works. Are these workers from Serbia?

- All workers are from Serbia - locksmiths, welders, support workers, forklift drivers, technicians, engineers. Few engineers and technicians are from Italy, and they work on supervision, planning, organization and management of the project. We plan to hire another 100-150 fitters, locksmiths and welders for this project for NIS Pancevo.

eKapija: What are the other projects that B.M.R. works on?

- We work on two building sites in Germany, that is, steam power plants in Lunen and Schongau, and in an OMV refinery in Pioiesti, Romania.

eKapija: BMR has recently celebrated its 25th birthday, and it operates in Sabac since 2003 when Zorka Oprema was privatized. How do you see the company`s previous operations in Serbia?

- When we privatized Zorka Oprema, which had 22 workers and spanned 2,000 square meters at the time, the company was in a very bad situation. Many things have changed since then. We have invested a lot, expanded and developed the business, increased the production capacities, hired new young people, introduced new systems of work, organized trainings for our employees, introduced quality management and environment protection standards, opened a welding school and, thus, formed our own expert staff, introduced a rational waste management system, and done many other things.

Aleksandar Despotovic

As a result, the company today employs 300 people and spans 75,000 square meters, 8,000 of which is a production space. Therefore, I can draw a conclusion that the previous years in Serbia were difficult and strenuous, but it was also a real challenge for us to create a good and high-quality company as we are today.

eKapija: Are you satisfied with your operations in 2011?

- We were working on the installation of a pipeline in the Austrian steam power plant Mellach this year, and we prefabricated that same pipeline in a workshop in Sabac last year. Also, our biggest and most significant project is the prefabrication and installation of a pipeline as part of a big modernization project in Pancevo Oil Refinery. That is a project of enviable size, and it includes the production of about 4,000 tonnes of steel at our workshops in Sabac.

eKapija: In its factory in Sabac B.M.R. works on the design, delivery and installation of all kinds of steel structures, pipelines, tanks, apparatuses, silos, pillars, canals, electrostatic and bag filters. Which services do you provide?

- We render the services of project and building site management, installation of steel structures and pipelines, weld testing and checking, installation of vessels, apparatuses and equipment. We also provide the services of inspection and overhaul of the equipment, protection from corrosion, insulation, disassembling, as well as inspection, overhaul and reassembling of the machinery. We also offer "turn key" fire alarm and protection systems and provide qualified manpower for various works on the territory of entire Europe.

Aleksandar Despotovic

eKapija: Which are the markets you export to?

- So far, we have been exporting our products to the markets of Austria, Germany, Romania. We mainly export pipelines, various steel structure, supporting pillars, reservoirs, platforms, integral parts of various industrial machines, etc. Few years ago we produced and exported a large quantity of structures for biodiesel containers for a biodiesel plant in Australia.

eKapija: Would you please list the industries in Serbia that you work for the most?

- The Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS), U.S. Steel Srbija Smederevo, Lafarge Beocin, Kolubara Metal Lazarevac, and others.

eKapija: What can you say about your school for welders? How many people have so far completed that training?

- About 300 people have so far attended that school. Some of them were bad, some were excellent, and some of them are already working for us or abroad.

eKapija: What are the plans of B.M.R. Sabac for the future?

- To successfully implement projects for NIS, and to conquer the energy sector in Serbia.

S.O.