After almost one year of negotiations the Austrian vehicle logistics company HÖDLMAYR INTERNATIONAL has achieved the determining breakthrough in Serbia. HÖDLMAYR received the necessary transport licenses. Hence, operations at the Serbian enterprise, which was taken over by HÖDLMAYR last year, started recently.
Within the scope of the expansion to southeast Europe HÖDLMAYR INTERNATIONAL has penetrated the Serbian market in Spring 2003. HÖDLMAYR has taken over the transport section of the Serbian vehicle manufacturer ZASTAVA to 80%. The remaining 20% of the new enterprise, HÖDLMAYR ZASTAVA d.o.o., are distributed among the ZASTAVA employees. By now 73 employees are registered at the new HÖDLMAYR subsidiary in Serbia.
Due to problems with necessary transport licenses the company could not start operations and the 20 new canvas cover trucks as well as 10 vehicle transporters were not allowed to be deployed. Last October the employees of HÖDLMAYR-ZASTAVA have drawn attention to their situation with spectacular protest measures.
However, after long winding negotiations between the Serbian authorities and the company management a solution adequate for both sides could be achieved. Gerald Schinagl, member of the board of directors and responsible for all foreign subsidiaries, emphasises: "We are thankful to the responsible Serbian politicians and civil servants for the achieved solution. The Serbian HÖDLMAYR subsidiary will become a classic example of a successful investment of a western enterprise in the Serbian market. After all, HÖDLMAYR was one of the first western European company that invested consciously in this emerging country."
The company HÖDLMAYR-ZASTAVA d.o.o., is based directly on the premises of the Serbian vehicle manufacturer ZASTAVA in Kragujevac, 120 km southeast from Belgrade. By this company foundation in Serbia it concerned so-called "Asset-Deal" with which Hödlmayr introduced his Know How and a new vehicle park. Besides, the new company was integrated into the international network of the HÖDLMAYR INTERNATIONAL AG. From Zastava there come the employees as well as a part of the infrastructure KLAMMER
The new enterprise has taken over the employees of the former ZASTAVA transport department. HÖDLMAYR-ZASTAVA d.o.o. is about to become one of the central hubs for the southeast-European vehicle market.
At first HÖDLMAYR contributed to the new Serbian enterprise 30 trucks (20 vehicle transporters and 10 canvas cover trucks), which are now used mainly for international routes.
Once the operation is running smoothly, 50 to 60 trucks are planned to be deployed for the company. Hence, the new enterprise will not be restricted to vehicle transports only, but wants to serve as a competent partner for logistics solutions of all kinds. Besides, HÖDLMAYR has already invested over the last months massively in the education of its Serbian employees, who had to work up to now without computers and have had little command of foreign languages.
Please direct enquiries to:
HÖDLMAYR INTERNATIONAL AG
4311 Schwertberg, Austria
Tel. +43 / 7262 / 660
Fax: +43 / 7262 / 61950
Dr. Robert Gruber, Press spokesman (
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