ZUMTOBEL GROUP OFFICIALLY OPENS IN NEW PLANT IN NIS

image_pdfimage_print

The international lighting company Zumtobel Group officially opened a new luminaire and component production facility in NiS, Serbia, with a ceremony on 28 September. Alfred Felder, CEO Zumtobel Group, Jürg Zumtobel, Chairman Supervisory Board Zumtobel Group, and Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia, jointly opened the new production facility. From the political side, the opening ceremony was attended by Gernot Blümel, Austrian Chancellery Minister for the EU, Art, Culture and Media, Nikolaus Lutterotti, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Serbia, Erika Teoman-Brenner, Austrian Trade Commissioner in Serbia and Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatović.  “Our new plant in Niš, located in the heart of Central Eastern Europe, plays a vital role in paving the company’s way to the future and get back on track. We are convinced that Niš contributes to strengthening our competitiveness while at the same time allowing us to react more flexibly to changing market requirements and to better supply our core European markets as well as the emerging markets in this region,” says Alfred Felder, CEO Zumtobel Group.

“I congratulate the Zumtobel Group to its impressive new production facility in Niš. The company’s decision to choose Serbia for a major investment of 30 million Euros certifies the efforts of the government of Serbia to establish the country as an attractive investment location. Such investments also strengthen the close relationship between Serbia and Austria. Companies like Zumtobel are the business card of Austria and help driving progress in the countries in which they operate. As one of the biggest Foreign Direct Investors, Austria will continue its efforts to further deepen the close political and economic ties with Serbia as well as its support in the EU-accession process,” states Gernot Blümel, Austrian Chancellery Minister for the EU, Art, Culture and Media.

On the occasion of the opening of the plant in Nis I would like to thank the Zumtobel Group management and all colleagues from Austria and Serbia. Thanks to the efforts of our Austrian friends, as well as the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the Niš plant was completed only within one year and today officially opened,” concludes Aleksandar Vučić, President of the Republic of Serbia.

The site consists of two production areas: Production Area 1 for components (Tridonic) started serial production with one line by the end of July 2018; Production Area 2 for luminaires started the ramp-up at the beginning of September. With a total investment volume of EUR 30 million on a surface of 40,000 square metres, the new Zumtobel Group plant is an important addition to the existing group-wide production network. The production facility in Nis will be supplying products such as LED luminaires and LED drivers. The products that will be produced in Serbia will mainly be intended for Central and Eastern Europe as well as Middle East export markets.

 

The construction of the Zumtobel Group factory in the southern industrial zone of Niš started in mid of 2017. Currently, the Niš plant employs around 260 people. The Zumtobel Group has developed a long- term plan for its investment in Serbia that will involve the gradual build-up of the local workforce to 1,100 employees according to the growth plans of three to five years. The headquarters in Dornbirn will stay the heart of the company with its R&D centre and the biggest workforce (currently around 2,100 employees) of the group-wide production network.

Nis City Mayor Darko Bulatovic said that this was another wonderful day for the City of Nis, and that in the last two years there were many such days. He pointed out that the City of Nis as local self-government provided full support to the state policy and that the introduction of measures for incentives for micro, small and medium enterprises, and employment subsidies, whereby Nis was leading in Serbia, were the contribution of the city to the state. “The state is helping the City of Niš through projects with 50% or 100 %t grants and direct help to the budget. We all invest our efforts and capacities, and we will continue to invest in order to build the city and south of Serbia, “Bulatovic said. The mayor points out that the magnificent Zumtobel plant will provide earnings for 1100 families, as well as that the revenues to the budget of the City of Nis.

 

You may also like...