Manual starts exporting purses to Norway - Workshop in Novi Sad to hire additional 50 workers

Manual, a Novi Sad-based workshop for the manufacture of leather goods by traditional methods, announced Sunday (7 July 2013) that it would export part of its production to Norway in 2013, adding that the expected value of these goods was EUR 100,000.

The owner of Manual, Sinisa Zarin, told Beta news agency that Norwegian importers were interested in buying the few models of women's purses certified by the Economy Ministry as made using exclusively environment-friendly materials.

All purses are handmade and bear a sign of the Federation of Associations of Fine Artists of Vojvodina (SULUV).

- Our plan is to export EUR 0.5 million goods this year. If we manage to fulfill all our plans, the value of exported goods could reach EUR 1 million at the end of 2014 - said Zarin.

According to him, Manual hired 17 people this year, thus increasing its staff at the workshop in Novi Sad to about 150.

He also said that the production and sales growth rate was at 15 percent in 2013, adding that the projected growth rate for 2014 was 20 percent.

Manual exports its goods to Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Austria, Russia, Sweden, and Australia, and will soon start exports to Norway as well.