The Croatian Agency for the Promotion of Exports and Investments awarded the 2009 Investor of the Year award in the category of new investments to the Vetropack Straža d.d. glass factory in Hum na Sutli. The award was presented to general director Dragutin Špiljak by Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.
2008 was a year of great investments for Croatia's only manufacturer of glass packaging. A new furnace for the production of coloured glass was installed, with technology to ensure reduced CO2 emissions, reduce energy consumption and improve working conditions for staff. The production hall was extended, new warehouses for finished products constructed and more. The total investment was worth HRK 215 million.
Dragutin Špiljak, general director: For Vetropack Straže, the Investor of the Year award means that our many years of investments in production technology, quality control, packaging and warehousing of finished goods have been recognized and acknowledged. Our products serve in the packaging of foodstuffs and beverages, their conservation and protection. Therefore, our glass packaging must be of the highest quality, and offer a modern design that will help differentiate products and make them stand out on store shelves. In short, after these investments, we will be capable of meeting the high demands of our customers.
Vetropack's strategy of glass manufacturing is a strategy of expansion and preservation. It is our goal to retain the leading position on the domestic market, and to further strengthen our regional presence. Considering that we supply glass packaging to markets that have been hit by the recession, our contracted deliveries were reduced last year. We have instead turned to internal reserves, and to maximum cost reductions. Fortunately, the greatest investments are behind us. Our certain plans for this year are to complete the concrete plateau at the finished goods warehouse in neighbouring Rogatac and, once we have received the necessary building permit, we plan to construct a bridge over the road and the Sutla River to connect the warehouse with the factory grounds. This would finally resolve the problem of storing our products that we have been facing for many years and, no less important, would remove a great deal of traffic from the settlement (tractors and trucks).
