New showroom and €750,000 investment

Zorka Keramika, member of the Austrian Alas Holding, opened its first showroom within the plant building in Šabac. The opening of the showroom tops the investments in modernisation of the company and the plant in which Alas has invested €14.5 million since the beginning of the privatisation.

“Following the modern trends in industry of construction material, we came up with this idea in order to raise our services to a higher level and give the possibility to all interested buyers, designers and architects to get introduced with the new products and solutions at one place,  Petr Stejskal, member of the company’s Managing Board pointed out.

In order to meet the highest European standards in a more efficient production, the company started investing in reduction of energy consumption in the production process. The first phase is planned to be finished by the end of the year and in next two years, the company will invest €250,000, and the additional €500,000 by 2013.

In the showroom, visitors can find 15 ambiences, and 50 series and colours variants of Zorka Keramika’s products. The available products comprise a new tile collection entitled “New Vision 2010”, which provides new tiles of modern design. In addition, the series involves a wide range of colours, as well as tile designs that meet highest aesthetic standards. The greatest quality of wall and floor tiles Red Pepper, White Night, Imperial, Yellow, as well as Iberica floor tiles involve the ability to make a number of colour, size and design combinations,” said Vesna Gajić, Marketing Manager.

Through its new investments, in spite of the financial crisis that hit construction industry, Zorka Keramika once again proved it succeeded to maintain planned production projected back in early 2009.

With the installed capacity of 6 million sqm a year, i.e. with average of over 15,000 sqm a day, Zorka Keramika plans to increase the sales by additional 30%.  Approximately half of this year´s production was exported, mainly to the regional markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia and Austria.

Zorka Keramika, the largest domestic tile producer, signed a strategic partnership agreement with Spanish renowned producer, Keraben, in September. Moreover, Zorka Keramika is the only company in the region that has met the Spanish producer’s high standards, which was the reason why Keraben decided to choose Zorka Keramika as the centre of its future operations in the region.

Yours faithfully,

Zorka Keramika

Strategic partnership of Zorka Keramika and Spanish Keraben

As an answer to challenges of increasingly more demanding European market, Zorka Keramika, the biggest domestic manufacturer of ceramic tiles, signed a contract on strategic partnership with a Spain’s renowned manufacturer, the Keraben Company.

Zorka Keramika is the only company in the region that has met high standards of the Spanish manufacturer, which is the reason why Keraben has chosen precisely us as the centre of their future business operations in the region. The objective of this cooperation, in which both partners hold 50% of capital is to have Keraben’s products sold in Serbia. In addition, the goal is to market Keraben’s products from our country to the entire Balkan region – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Albania.

“By investing between 2 and 3 million euros, we will place some 2 million m2 of Keraben tiles to the markets of  Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia Herzegovina. As a result, export will make over 50% of our income in months to come“, said Marcus Bogdanovic, President of Austrian Alas Holding, subsidiary of which Zorka Keramika is.

The arrival of the Spanish tile manufacturer in Serbia is a strategic decision motivated by economic development of the region, Zorka Keramika’s high standards, as well as the firm’s excellent position in the market. Keraben will open a show room and form a sales team in Belgrade in early 2010.

GREAT INVESTMENT IS CLOSE TO END

Investment, 11 milion euros, invested in Zorka Keramiku is close to end. By acquisiting modern equipment, with automated production and control, and implementing modern tehnology Zorka Keramika is going to offer modern and the most contemporary tiles.

The investment, before all, consider acquisition of modern equipment for tile production, made by the world famous producers od industrial equipment SACMI. Also, investment consider building two new factory halls. The capacity of producing tiles in Zorka Keramika has increased from two to six milions square meters by realizing of this investment. In 2009 managment of company expects  production and selling of about 4,5 miliona square metars, and the significant part of those products are gonna be presented at the foreign markets.

ZORKA KERAMIKA WAS PRESENTED AT THE FAIR I RUSSIAN KRASNODAR

Zorka Keramika was presented at the Serbian industry Fair in Russia, held from 4th till 7th of November in Krasnodar.

Organized by Serbian Chamber of Commerce, about 50 Serbian companies in the field of construction and equipment offered to Russian industrials products wich are very helpfull for organizing Olimpic games in winter 2014, in Russian summer resort Sochi.

One of the participants at the manifestation in Sochi will be Zorka Keramika, by offering tiles and bricks to very demanded Russian market.

ZORKA KERAMIKA HAS CERTIFICATE ISO 9001

After visiting factory, Commission for certification deliver to Zorka Keramika certificate ISO 9001, which is confirmation of good maintained and persistently respected procedures of dealing, in coherence with all demands of this standard.

This certificate enable Zorka Keramika break through markets of Russia, Ucraine and Bulgaria. There are valuation that Zorka Keramika will be able to annualy in addition present 1.000.000 sqare metars of high quality and modern designed floor and wall tiles. That will contribute in increasing of total selling of 40 %.

Significant increasing of producing capacities of Zorka Keramika, increasing of technological oportunities level, with respecting all ISO standards procedures are the great signs for enabling company to answer on all demands of markets, since the practice was to wait for delivering of the most attractive ware from our production portfolio.