Maksim Group opens EUR 22m worth of galvanizing plant in Inđija in July - factory of special containers in the pipeline

The galvanizing plant in Inđija, in which Maksim Group from Celje has invested EUR 22m, will start production in July 2010. The plant's annual capacity is 60,000 tons, which is double the total capacity of all such plants in Serbia.

- Installation of technology and equipment in Inđija is underway. We plan to start the production in July and open the plant for clients in August 2010. In addition to the line for zinc-coating of classical types of structures, there will also be a centrifugal zinc-coating line whose capacity of 5,000 tons facilitates a brand new method for processing small elements that are being produced in Serbia for the EU market – Mirsad Draganović, the Assistant Director of Metal Cinkara, told eKapija.

Construction of the largest state-of-the-arts technology line for hot-dip galvanization in southeast Europe commenced in August 2008. The factory in Inđija will have about 50 employees, while the products from that plant will be exported to the markets of the European Union, Russia and former Yugoslav republics.

Maksim Group plans to have a factory for production of special containers built next to Metal Cinkara in Inđija. According to some earlier announcements, the group from Slovenia intends to invest EUR 22m and employ about 200 people in that factory.

- It is difficult to say anything about the container factory because it represents a next phase of the investment in Inđija within the scope of Maksim Group's long-term plan. The current priority is, definitely, the galvanizing plant. We will have to wait and see how the business and investment opportunities will look like in the future – said Draganović.

He points out that parts and fits for containers are now being produced in Metal Nova in Ćuprija, which operates within Maksim BG.

- The location for a container factory in Inđija is good because both river and railway traffic are available, which is very important. The factory in Serbia would be focused on export, that is, its task would be to conquer the markets of East Europe and other countries – said Draganović.

It would be producing special-purpose containers such as containers for radioactive waste, transportation of biomass and for military purposes.

- Container Celje has a tradition, while its experience and knowledge would put the future factory among the specific manufacturers of the kind. There are very few such factories in the world and that is why we are present all around the world – Mirsad Draganović pointed out.

Commenting on the current situation in the metallurgy industry, he said that the influence of the global economic crisis was still significant, as well as that the current situation did not promise any good business results.

But, according to Draganović, "the factories like the one in Inđija are never opened on the period of only one or two years". The plan of Maksim Group is to keep its leading position in the galvanizing business in the Balkans.