Construction of Geox factory commenced in Vranje - Jobs for 1,250 workers

On Wednesday, in the free zone in Vranje, the Italian footwear manufacturer Geox started the construction of its factory that is going to employ 1,250 workers.

The ceremony of laying the foundation stone for the Geox factory was attended by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who called that a big stimulus for further development of Vranje and a great cotribution to the quality of investments in Serbia, it was announced on the website of the Serbian government.

- It is important that we fight for every single job, to preserve existing and create new ones. Italy is a country with which Serbia maintains trade on the highest level, and it is ahead of Germany and Russia in that regard - Dacic said and added that there were about 500 companies from Italy operating in Serbia.

Gian Gaetano Ambrosio, the director of Tehnic development which operates in Serbia as part of Geox and builds the factory in Vranje, said that Geox was the world's leading footwear manufacturer present in 105 countries with about 1,300 points of sales world wide.

As he noted, Geox products are protected with 60 patents in Italy.

- This project includes the construction of factory that will employ 1,250 people and rely on appropriate local structures that have a capacity to provide raw materials and services. The 20,000 square meter factory should be completed in ten months, after which production machines will be installed and workers hired - said Gaetano Ambrosio.

He explained that the commencement of construction of this factory in Vranje was one year late due to various problems, citing that as the reason why Technik development had had to start small-scale production in a rented facility in Vranje where about 200 workers were employed.

Vranje Mayor Zoran Antic said that "this is the beginning of a new phase in the development of Vranje and the south of Serbia".

- The arrival of this world-renowned company will not only bring about new jobs, but also contribute to the development of the network of suppliers - Antic stressed.

The Serbian government has granted EUR 11,250,000 in subsidies to the Geox company for the construction and opening of the factory in Vranje, while the City of Vranje has got RSD 100 million for land development in the free zone, which was a condition to meet in order for the factory construction to start.