Our new colleagues are highly motivated to work, develop & invent new products and be a part of the new future of Brose and Serbia
One year ago, the Brose Company launched their operations in Serbia, a major project during the greatest global crisis caused by the coronavirus. We talked with Mr. Roman Strakoš, GM of Brose Serbia, about the company’s plans and implementation of future projects.
In March 2020, the Brose Company started to develop its complex in Serbia. How far have you come with the construction?
That is a very interesting question. We are very exact in our planning and plan execution. Of course, we thoroughly evaluate all possibilities, just like other companies, and if it made sense to continue or postpone our activities due to Covid-19. I have to say that our owner and Managing Board’s commitment was very clear, i.e. to continue as we originally planned and if possible, expedite our activities. I can say that we have experienced almost no delays as a result of our fine-tuning of planning with our contractor. The next 4 months will be crucial for the installation of our technology, production line releases and moving into our new facility. Our deadline is 1st July when we want to send our clients the first parts produced in our brand new plant. This means that 16 months will pass from the groundbreaking to delivering the first parts produced in the new factory.
Many companies have been focusing on saving their business, while you, on the contrary, have been working on business development and hired new workers. How did you approach your company’s business during the crisis?
Right from the beginning, our original plan was very ambitious and despite the obstacles, we were able to manage all tasks in direction of construction – i.e. our construction specialist had to work remotely due to travel restrictions of, sending our new employees for training abroad, setting up the organization and hiring from 1 to 170 employees. From my perspective, this was an outstanding performance of the whole Brose Serbia team and our associates from abroad. In 2020, we rethought our original plans and focused on eliminated risks. As a result of this, we welcomed specialists from other Brose locations, and right now, we have representatives of 11 nations in our Serbian team. We have also been using remote support via VR or AR.
Brose is very focused on socially responsible work, both in healthcare and education, as well as in supporting young people. What CSR projects and campaigns are you especially proud of?
I would like to single out Brose’s donation in the shape of a robot that handles PCR Testing to the Public Health Institute in Pančevo. This new device not only increases the capacity of a sample analyzing and speeds up the testing process but also reduces the risk of medical staff getting infected. We have a few other local projects to implement in Pančevo, but this is just at the beginning. We will let you know about these projects soon.
“We will focus on supporting the development of our local suppliers, CO2 emission reduction (we have already made the first step by participating in the Tree for Belgrade campaign) and much more”
Brose is a worldwide company. What are your plans when it comes to business development in Serbia?
Yes, we are, and also we are very strict planners. Our company does very precise long-term planning that covers the next 5 to 10 years. Currently, our approach is more or less conservative. This and the next year will be the most important milestones for the company’s future, in terms of hiring, training, production line installations, employee and customer satisfaction and of course, producing top-quality products and providing a superb service. If we do this successfully, we will focus on supporting the development of our local suppliers, CO2 emission reduction (we already made the first step by participating in the Tree for Belgrade campaign) and much more.
In general, I can say that Serbia has a great future and I do see it as the Balkan Tiger. I am also very happy to see all our new colleagues who are highly motivated to work, develop & invent new products and be a part of the new future of Brose and Serbia.