Austrian "Kronospan" started trial production of wood panels - 300m USD worth of investment in Lapovo

- Austrian company "Kronospan" has started trial production of wood panels in Lapovo, as a part of the investment whose value will reach 300m USD - said Dragan Zlatković, the Mayor of municipality of Lapovo.

He told "Beta" agency that the construction of the first production hall, part of the first phase of investment of "Kronospan" in the industrial zone in Lapovo, had been finished, and that that unit would be producing plywood panels, laminates and wooden OSB panels for civil engineering.

Zlatković said that trial production and testing of machines were in progress, and that the official commencement of production was expected at the end of August.

- Between 130 and 150 people from "Kronospan" are currently working on construction and preparation of production - said Zlatković.

- According to the agreement, 300 people will be employed in "Kronospan's" production sector in the first phase, while total of 700 people should get jobs in the second phase, once the complete investment is finished - said the Mayor of Lapovo.

He added that about 7,000 workers would be engaged in the whole system that accompanied production and operations of "Kronospan".

Zlatković said that the realization of the second, final phase of investment would start in 2010 by the rate that would be determined by "Kronospan" according to its business plans and global economic situation.

Municipality of Lapovo is going to back "Kronospan's" investment through construction of new junction, next to the factory, while the funds from the National Investment Plan will be used for construction of Lapovo - Velika Plana road 1.75 km long.

Zlatković estimated that the arrival of "Kronospan" in Lapovo had attracted other investors, such as "Hodlmayr", "Wacker Neuson", the London Logistic Center, an industry from Turkey, DV oil, while the future investors were also local companies "Forma ideale", "Vulović transport" and MAZ.

- Posle realizacije tih investicija Lapovo će imati veći broj zaposlenih nego stanovnika - rekao je Zlatković i ocenio da će se time značajno popraviti socijalna karta u celom regionu.

Kronospan SRB d.o.o. Lapovo

Opština Lapovo

Ministarstvo privrede Republike Srbije

Vulović transport d.o.o. Kragujevac

Forma Ideale d.o.o. Kragujevac

Hodlmayr Zastava d.o.o. Kragujevac

Dragan Zlatković

National Investment Plan

NIP

MAZ

London Logistic Center

DV Oil

Wacker Neuson