Budimka in Požega back in operation

After several unsuccessful auctions, recent termination of the sales contract, difficult financial situation and months-long strikes, production in Požega-based company for processing fruits and vegetables Budimka has started again. People from the management say that they started the production of jam with 100,000 RSD worth of investment and supplies from two years ago, so that 70 out of 104 workers who did not receive last 13 salaries started working in three shifts on Monday.

Upon the termination of the sales contract, Rade Tanasković was appointed as the representative of the capital, Đorđe Stevanović, former director of Jelen Do, became the new CEO, while Milan Paunović, the president of the factory's trade union who led the strikes, was appointed as the Technical Director.

- We are producing 17 tons of jam per day and we are getting ready for processing concentrates. We will soon start making juices, processing fruits and vegetables and purchasing berrylike fruits - said Paunović.

Reminding that the account has been blocked for 13 years and that the factory was facing bankruptcy, Đorđe Stevanović points out that he accepted the position of the CEO because he believes that the company still has good prospects regardless of about 5m EUR worth of debt to the state, workers and collaborators. He explains that the production commenced after small repairs were done on the machines, which cost about 100,000 RSD, and because the company had about 90m RSD worth of supplies in cold storage plants.

- We have buyers for our jams all around Serbia, and the most important thing is that our old collaborators are back and that they deliver us fruits, primarily apples, which we buy for 3 RSD per kilo - Stevanović added. He explained that the company had reprogrammed the debt to suppliers on the period of 12 months, so that the state would be asked to reprogram the factory's debt. He then concluded that the salaries for March would be paid in April.