Dimitrije Knjeginjic, GM of Lafarge Serbia - We also want to build thermal power stations, highways and wind farms

(Dimitrije Knjeginjic)

After four years in the Paris-based headquarters, Dimitrije Knjeginjic returned to Serbia as the GM with Lafarge Srbija as the first local employee at that position. As of September 1, Knjeginjic has been heading the overall business in Serbia in three business lines – cement, concrete, aggregates.

In his interview for eKapija, the first man of Lafarge Srbija is speaking about the company plans in our country, Beocin business park, cooperation with the state on large projects...

- I am very happy about my return to Serbia. Buyers got used to the best quality of products and reliable solutions and services from Lafarge. My priority is to position the company even better and to develop sticking to the standards and objectives Lafarge has at the global level. I belive that local staff, someone who speaks the local language, knows the local milieu, can cooperate with the construction sector more successfully, Knjeginjic says for our portal at the beginning of the interview, after media presentation in the Klub knjizevnika in Belgrade.

eKapija: After Mars, J&J, Prowood, the Agro Grnja company came last week to Beocin-based business park as the fourth investor. What other investors are you expecting?

- We provide an option to invest in Beocin-based business park for each investor and we approach with with the same serious attitude. We do not have specific announcements now but it has been only two months as of the first taks with Agro Grnja until the contract signing. Agro Grnja is specifi because it already has its own business park in Backi Pterovac but it still opted to open the section in Beocin. There are 250 employees in Beocin-based business park and next year we are expecting 350.

eKapija: Lafarge as the owner of Beocin business park, provides infrastructural equipped land for the companies. What is, however, a key advantage in comparison to similar projects?

- We have an international port at the Danube which is an advantage in comparison to similar complexes. Companies in business park are export-oriented and even those interested in investing very much care about transport through the port. Business park is Beocin brand when it comes to business.

eKapija: Since in May you halted the production in the Beocin-based company, how do you operate today? What is the capacity exploitation?

- The furnace is halted at this moment. We were working until all silos were full which leaves us an option to stop for a while. We are expecting to start production in the next ten days. The plant capacity totals two million tons, however, the capacity is only 50% exploited. The situation is not good but all the neighboring countries face the same or even worse than the situation at the construction materials market in Serbia. At this point, I think none of the European countries exports.

eKapija: Lafarge is an exclusive supplier of concrete for the Zemun-Borca bridge. Where else when it comes to infrastructural projects in Serbia are you expecting work?

- We will participate in the bridge construction until completion. Since the cooperation with the Chinese companies is good we expect to continue it on other projects. We are interested in participating in the construction of new blocks of thermal power plants and new sections of highways in Serbia. Apart from that, we are planning to take part in renewable energy sources projects, such as wind parks. We are trying to be not only a concrete deliverer but to offer solutions for specific problems.

eKapija: Serbian Lafarge in cooperation with Societe General bank and the warehouses of construction material Serbia-wide enabled a new way of construction material sales for the citizens through loans. What are the reactions to the action?

- It turned out it was a very good action. Other companies recognized it as an innovative solution and adopted the model.

eKapija: You are interested to invest through public private partnership in the reconstruction of the Petrovaradin-Beocin railroad. What does this project mean for your company?

- We expect a lot when it comes to new regulations of legislation which will govern partnership. There are many projects at the state level where the state appears as a partner but does not have funds of knowledge to carry out projects in the right manner. Lafarge wants to participate on many projects, not only railroad but big parkings, big garages, hydro power plants, thermal power plants as well.

eKapija: Is in your opinion, crisis time the right time to invest? What is Lafarge planning for the upcoming period?

- Some leaders of large companies think it is the right time to invest when crisis appears. We have many plans and these days we are working on new projects. I cannot say more about them except that we have 5-6 of them in developmental stage. We will probably present them in the following months. We have to be present in energy field. We will cooperate with local communities when it comes to utility waste processing and thus we will influence environmental protection. Apart from that, we are also planning to offer new concrete products to the market.

S.O.