Serbian President Boris Tadic met in Treviso late Monday with Luciano Benetton, the chairman of Benetton Group, one of the largest foreign investors in the Serbian textile sector, to discuss expansion of cooperation and business experience.
Tadic told Tanjug after the meeting that he was pleased by the fact that one of the giants of the Italian textile industry was satisfied with the manner in which its investment in former Nitex textile company based in the city of Nis (southern Serbia) was being realized, especially because Benetton, as a global company, brought with it a change in business culture.
“The fact that seven million sweaters will be produced in Serbia will be a great message about our country and also a promotion of our country. I am glad that everything is going according to plan and that new opportunities are opening up,” said Tadic.
The meeting also touched on administrative problems that foreign investors encounter in Serbia.
Tadic said that Benetton is a global company with its unique value system, so it was truly important that such a company was now present in Serbia.
After the meeting, Benetton expressed his satisfaction about the way his company was realizing investments in Serbia, as well as about the increase in productivity of the factory in Nis.
If anyone asked me whether to invest in Serbia I would advise them to do so, because products manufactured in Serbia would certainly be better received and have a better image than those produced in Asia, said Benetton.
He said that investors should think strategically, as in five years it would not matter at all if the product was made in Italy or Serbia, because they would both be labeled “Made in Europe.”
Benetton secured its presence in Serbia after acquiring former Nitex company for EUR 3 million in May this year.
Benetton will have a total of 65,000 square meters to utilize for production and storage and should have about 2,700 workers employed by 2014.
Source emg.rs
