The Romanian-Croatian Economic Forum was held in Bucharest as part of the official visit of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović to Romania. It was held in the organization of the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, and business talks were also organized where the possibilities of concrete business cooperation were discussed. The forum brought together 22 Croatian and 45 Romanian companies, including AD Plastik Group, which has been present in the Romanian market for 15 years already.

“We have a joint factory with the French partner Faurecia located in the Dacia factory area. We manufacture components exported from Romania to Russia, India, Colombia, Morocco and Algeria. We are pleased to have business in Romania and we are planning to expand our presence. Along with Dacia, there is also Ford car manufacturer with which we are also discussing the possibilities of business cooperation,“ announced Marinko Došen.

A public presentation of the Diversity Charter Croatia was held in the Journalism Center in Zagreb where its ambassadors were promoted. The honor to promote the Diversity Charter was given to five leaders of business organizations that have made a great progress on the path of respect for diversity, non-discrimination, inclusiveness and equal opportunities at the workplace. The Ambassadors of the Diversity Charter Croatia are: Gordana Kovačević, President of the Management Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, Goran Ražnjević, President of the Management Board of Ilirija, John Mathias Gasparac, President of the Management Board of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Croatia and Daria Mateljak, director of Hauska & Partner.

„To be an Ambassador of the Diversity Charter is a responsibility for me, but above all it is a pleasure because I can personally contribute to the development and progress of this project. This is yet another in the series of AD Plastik Group’s recognitions for achieved results and progress in the area of corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility is a necessity in the modern business world, not a matter of choice. It’s a certificate of a successful company. The Diversity Charter obligates us to create a stimulating business environment that accepts diversity and ensures the right to equality. We need to develop jointly a culture of diversity within our companies, but also in communication with other companies and partners. In this way, we are creating a better and more quality business environment, which we all surely aspire to,” said Marinko Došen.

Understanding and accepting diversity as core values of modern society suggests that Croatian companies are actively reflecting on their future competitiveness and keeping pace with global trends.

High quality and successful business in the demanding automotive market ensures AD Plastik Group the continuation of the trend of improving the financial position also in 2017. The second quarter showed a significant reduction in credit indebtedness by HRK 65.5 million compared to the end of 2016. In the published report for the first six months the Group’s operating revenue amounted to HRK 531.3 million, which represented an increase of 3.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. At the same time, the growth in operating expenses was considerably lower.

„Good results achieved in the first six months are the result of a clear strategy and vision of development that we set two years ago, successful production and thoughtful and quality cost management. EBITDA increased by 13.8 percent compared to the same period last year, and the Group’s net profit for the first six months amounted to HRK 38.9 million,“ said Marinko Došen.

The Russian market has been gradually stabilizing, which is confirmed by the growth in operating revenue in this market by 18.8 percent, and the share of operating revenue from the Russian market in the overall revenue of the Group has increased. Significant strengthening of the kuna against the euro negatively affects the level of reported revenue in the EU and Serbia markets, although the volume of production achieved was higher than in the same period last year. For the first six months of 2017 EBITDA amounted to HRK 85.4 million, while EBITDA margin amounted to 16.07 percent.

„In the observed period, we have also sealed new deals with our customers Ford and Hella worth over EUR 30 million. This allows us to continuously increase the market value of the company, so in the past period the value of our share has been growing. The strategy of increasing efficiency of production and cost rationalization has been confirmed as a long-term viable and sustainable direction,”  said President of the Management Board Marinko Došen.

AD Plastik won a nomination for the production of light housings for the vehicle Volvo V43X. This deal was sealed through a long-term customer Hella, and apart from production itself installation of assembled components is significant in this project.

The housings will be manufactured at AD Plastik’s plant in Zagreb and the start of serial production is planned in April 2018. The project should last four years and the expected revenue in this period amounts to EUR 22.8 million.

Through the project „Experience is worth more than gold“ every year 60 students undertake internship, and the closing event of this praiseworthy project, organized by Poslovni dnevnik, brought together the representatives of Croatian companies and students who will undertake their internship at these companies.

Thanks to the project Experience is worth more than gold students Gabrijela Golem and Perinka Paleško will undertake their internship in AD Plastik this year. This is the fifth year of implementation of this project, and its success is confirmed by students who have found employment in companies where they were undertaking their internship.

This year Večernji list also joined the project and according to the data presented by the editor-in-chief of Poslovni dnevnik, Vladimir Nišević, every year about 60 students join this project.

„Corporate social responsibility is a necessity in modern society and business environment. This has a significant impact on the company’s business performance evaluation, but in order to be successful each company must strive to operate in harmony with the environment and the community in which it operates,” said President of the Management Board Marinko Došen

As the largest Croatian manufacturer of components for the automotive industry, AD Plastik Group pays particular attention to projects and activities related to corporate social responsibility. This also refers to the project “Experience is worth more than gold.” By employing people with disabilities or persons with a lower socio-economic status, young people are offered the opportunity for a better and more fulfilled life. “We’ve been participating in the project Experience is worth more than gold for several years because we have recognized it as a project aimed at sensitizing the business community and raising public awareness and we want to be a part of that story. Experience is extremely important for young people during schooling in order to gain additional knowledge but also to demonstrate their advantages, affinities and quality and in that way to make their future employment come true,“added Marinko Došen.

Cooperation of AD Plastik with Ford continues regarding the new Focus Active model for which a new deal has been signed on production of two extremely important exterior component packages that contain a total of 17 products. For the new Focus Active AD Plastik will be producing side fender claddings and rocker claddings, deflectors and bumper protectors. Production values and engagement in the development of a new product group of exterior components exceeds the former realization for this customer multiple times.

The start of serial production is planned in the last quarter of next year, and the planned duration of the project is six years. The total value of the project amounts to EUR 7.8 million, and a significant part relates to product development and design.

„Ford has its own legalities that differ greatly from other customers. As a germanofil in technical terms, I prefer this mode of operation that is much more exact than the other manufacturers we work with. Sometimes it’s exhausting, but never without a reason. Collaboration with Ford teams from Germany and China is a serious reference for the future.”, said Deputy Development Director Uroš Pavlović, who is working on the development of rocker claddings for the new Ford Focus Active.

Ambassador of the Slovak Republic, Juraj Priputen, accompanied by Trade and Economic consultant Jan Štark, visited the AD Plastik’s plant in Jankomir, Zagreb. Slovakia has made a strong step towards attracting investments and has become the center of the automotive industry, accounting for approximately 43 percent of total Slovakian industrial production.

“Slovakia is an extremely interesting market for our industry. For now, we offer and export a limited number of products there with regard to our distance. I am convinced that we can, and that is what we want, to be better positioned in Central and Eastern Europe. In order to do so, we need to be closer to car manufacturers. We are interested in potential acquisitions or finding partners in the Slovak market,” said Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group.

After the introduction and presentation of the company, the ambassador visited injection moulding and painting plants. He wants to strengthen relations and establish communication with exporters to the Slovak market and potential investors. In that way he wants to improve the economic relations between the two countries, and that is why his visit to the plant was also initiated.

„AD Plastik is an excellent example of how one can successfully produce and export in Croatia. Economic cooperation between Croatia and Slovakia is good, but I hope that by intensifying the activities a company such as this will be even better positioned in the Slovak market. I hope AD Plastik will expand its production to Slovakia where the conditions of business are among the best in the region. The advantage is that there are no linguistic or cultural barriers. The Embassy of the Slovak Republic will certainly support such an initiative and we are at your disposal for any kind of help. Automotive industry is extremely important for the Slovak economy. AD Plastik has not only excellent manufacturing facilities, but also logistics know-how and capabilities that exceed all my expectations,” said Ambassador Juraj Priputen.

The Golden Key Award ceremony was held today in Zagreb as part of the program of the 12th Convention of Croatian Exporters. AD Plastik received the Golden Key in the category Best exporter to Slovenia in 2016, and it was nominated in two more categories: the best exporter to France and the most innovative exporter.

The award was received by President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group Marinko Došen, who reminded that it was an extraordinary honor for AD Plastik to win the Golden Key award for several years in a row.

 „This is a confirmation of successful business and continuous development of AD Plastik Group. Slovenia is a remarkably significant market for our business, because Renault’s plant Revoz is located there, which is one of our biggest customers. We can expect further growth of exports to Slovenia due to new deals based on the many years of experience, knowledge and quality of AD Plastik. The good and long-term relationships that we build with our customers are the basis for successful realization and the results we have been achieving,”  said Marinko Došen.

The top five Croatian companies with the largest share of women in management in 2017 are Ericsson Nikola Tesla, AD Plastik, Optima Telekom, Zagreb Stock Exchange and Hrvatski Telekom. The latest CROBEX Women index that measures the share of women in the management of the most significant companies on the Zagreb Stock Exchange shows that the share of women in the management of leading Croatian companies in 2017 is only 17.3 percent. This represents a reduction in female representation in management by three percent in this year. The previous two years CROBEX Women index was over 20 percent.

With a 50% share of women in the management, AD Plastik belongs to the five leading companies at the Zagreb Stock Exchange. The CROBEX Women Index has been computed from 2014 by the company Selectio – a company for Human Resources Recruiting and Human Resources Management Consulting. This index makes it possible to compare Croatia with other European Union countries according to the European Commission’s report on gender equality in company management.

According to the latest available data of the European Commission from April 2016, the highest number of female managers belongs to France in the amount of 37.1 percent, Sweden 36.1 percent, Italy 30 percent and Finland 29.8 percent. These countries, along with the Netherlands with 28.1 percent, have recorded the highest growth in the number of women in management in a year. This growth averaged up to five percent.

Over the past year, the number of zero companies – companies which have no women in the management, grew by seven percent in Croatian companies within CROBEX. There are 55 percent of those companies.

A conference „The Best Practices in Attracting Foreign Investments in Central and South Eastern Europe“, organized by the Association of Foreign Investors in the Republic of Croatia and Deloitte Croatia, was held in Hotel Esplanada in Zagreb. The aim of the conference was to contribute to boosting foreign investments and improving the investment climate in Croatia.

The conference brought together experts who presented the foreign direct investments policy and investment strategy implemented by six countries from Central and South-Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. A panel discussion “New Challenges for Croatia – Improving the Business Climate and Attracting Investments” was also held and it was attended by Martina Dalić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts of the Republic of Croatia and by representatives of investment companies including AD Plastik. The participants talked about how Croatia can become more successful in attracting investments.

Participating in the main panel discussion, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group Marinko Došen emphasized that investments are an important driver of economic activities. For every employee in the automotive industry, which circumvents our country – emphasized Došen – there are 20 employees in the supporting industries. “Along with the increased effort to attract investments by the Investment and Competitiveness Agency, the individual approach of the Croatian Government is very important for any large potential investor,” added Došen.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Martina Dalić announced that an Internet service would have been established by autumn, through which businessmen could register administrative and bureaucratic obstacles they face.