THE CONTRACT WAS SIGNED AND THE GROUND WAS BROKEN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF ZUMTOBEL FACTORY IN NIS
July 28th
In the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic, the Minister of Economy in the Government of the Republic of Serbia Goran Knezevic and a representative of the Austrian company Zumtobel signed an agreement on the construction of the company’s factory in Nis.
Later on the representatives of the Austrian lighting group Zumtobel Group and of the government of Serbia marked the start of construction work on a new production plant at a groundbreaking ceremony in Niš. Within the next two and a half financial years the plant is to be built on a site in the southern industrial zone of Nis. When the facility is complete, it will cover 40,000 square metres at a cost of EUR 30 million. The first products are due to come off the production line at the new factory in the 2018/19 financial year. The plant will be built in two phases covering the next two and a half financial years.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Zumtobel Group CEO Ulrich Schumacher was joined by the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Austrian Ambassador to Serbia, Johannes Eigner. The entire Management Board of the lighting group was also present in Nis, along with representatives of the Supervisory Board.
“I am delighted to be marking the start of construction of our new plant with today’s groundbreaking ceremony. This investment is one of the most important strategic steps in the redirection of the Zumtobel Group’s production network. The plant in Serbia will enable us to position ourselves successfully on the market in the long term and further improve our competitiveness. Construction of the plant forms part of our global strategy and the new facility will make the ideal complement for our existing production network. Serbia is at the heart of the region of Eastern Europe and offers numerous additional strategic advantages that will help make this project a success”, said Zumtobel Group CEO Ulrich Schumacher.
The plant in Serbia is primarily to handle the additional production volumes planned for the coming years. In a market environment marked by high pressure on prices, this new site will offer the Zumtobel Group the opportunity to supply its core European market at optimal cost. At the same time, this move will reinforce the lighting group’s presence in the dynamic growth market of Eastern Europe.
