Production at the new plant in progress since this February
On Tuesday afternoon, July 11, 2013, Gorenje held a festive opening ceremony for its second cooling appliance plant in Valjevo. Mass production at the new plant was already launched in February this year. Attending the opening ceremony were Gorenje President and CEO Franjo Bobinac, other members of Gorenje Management Board and Supervisory Board, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić, Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Serbia Mlađan Dinkić, and the mayor of the city of Valjevo Stanko Terzić.
Gorenje's first cooling appliance plant in Valjevo, opened in 2006, was an important step in the Group's efforts to internationalize its manufacturing operations. Last summer, Gorenje started the construction of its second factory in this town and this February, mass production was launched there. The investment into the new plant amounted EUR 21 million.
Gorenje President and CEO Franjo Bobinac said at the opening that it was an important day for Gorenje as the new factory and successful launch of production there are proof of Gorenje's pursuit of the corporate strategy. He congratulated all employees for an excellent job.
Construction of the new refrigerator plant in Valjevo is a part of strategic restructuring of manufacturing facilities, which has been in progress at Gorenje since last year and which is scheduled for completion in this autumn. The activities to date have included moving cooking appliance production from Finland to Czech Republic, free-standing refrigerator production from Velenje to Valjevo, and dryer production from Sweden to Velenje. Currently, the last shift of production is in progress as dishwasher manufacturing is being relocated from Sweden to Velenje. Full effects of production restructuring will be manifest in 2014 and beyond.
For this year, Gorenje is planning a combined output of 800,000 refrigerators in both plants combined, of which 85 % will be exported. The Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Serbia Mlađan Dinkić said in his speech that Gorenje was the seventh largest exporter in Serbia and stressed that Serbia should look to improve its international reputation by increasing the exports of end products.
Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić was pleased to see the rise of international trade and economic cooperation between Serbia and Slovenia, as well as to see Gorenje as one of the motors of this process increase.
Gorenje has approximately 1,100 employees in Valjevo. Two of them, Jelena Mosurović and Miloš Gavrilović, joined the Gorenje President and CEO Franjo Bobinac, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ivica Dačić, Minister of Finance and Economy of the Republic of Serbia Mlađan Dinkić, and the mayor of the city of Valjevo Stanko Terzić in cutting the ribbon at the entry to the new plant, symbolically inaugurating the factory.
In addition to the opening, the guests also took a tour of the solar power plant on the new factory's rooftop. The plant installed by Gorenje Solar has a combined power of 250 kW and it will generate 300 MWh of electric energy per year, which is equivalent to annual power supply for 75 households. It will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 200 tons a year, equivalent of planting 200 trees.