Official ribbon cutting ceremony in Kragujevac today marked the opening of the Chinese plant Yanfeng Automotive Interiors, a vehicle interior components production for the major automakers such as Mercedes. Yanfeng Shanghai-based company has about 110 manufacturing facilities and technical centers in 20 countries with over 32,000 employees worldwide.
New production plant in Kragujevac, the Manager Milan Radovic says, covers 18,500 square meters with high technology equipments and 200 employees that will produce car interior components for major automakers. Mr. Radovic added that up to 2023 this plant opened in Free Zone Šumadija will employ 800 people.
New Yanfeng company i.e. Experienced Pioneer in Serbian is geographically well positioned to support both domestic and YFAI clients in Central and East Europe. We, do believe said the YFAI CEO Mr. Steve Meszaros that Kragujevac is the perfect place for factory development in the future. We were not attracted solely by the long car production tradition of Kragujevac but the University and skilled workers, too.
H.E. ambassador of China to Serbia, Ms. Chen Bo considers that Kragujevac is the right place for opening the first factory in Serbia and added that by the year 2023 the production will reach 76 million EUROs. I am convinced that the opening of the factory will be beneficial both for the YFAI development in Europe and the economic prosperity of Kragujevac, stressed HE Ms. Chen Bo.
Yanfeng is the first major China company opened in Kragujevac. It will employ 800 workers that would provide for a salary more for 800 families and will impact the quality of life, said the Mayor Mr. Radomir Nikolic, expressing his gratefulness to Yanfeng for recognizing the quality of Kragujevac and thus became the part of the most significant project – keeping the Serbian young people stay in Serbia.
New car factory is started from the dead point and in the last five years Kragujevac’s process efforts of reviving is intensified and today I can responsible confirm that the process initiated is not to be stopped.
In less than a year, reminded Mr. Nikolic, the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic cut the two ribbons in Kragujevac and opened two new industrial parks. One is Phoenix and another Mind Park. Both parks send a clear message, first one that only hard working can help us reborn from ashes, and another is about the industrial tradition and the relations among the industry and educational system, dual education, engineering tradition that already became the part of Kragujevac genetic code.
By congratulating the first employee of Kragujevac Yanfeng, the President of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic pointed that new employment is of crucial significance for our country adding that the unemployment rate dropped for the first time since it is been measured below 10 and is 9.5 %. We are still not satisfied because of a large number of unemployed of 16 000 in Kragujevac and we strive to reach the EU level between 6 and 7 percent.
There is still much work to do in Kragujevac. The state invested a lot in Kragujevac in the previous period and I am convinced that the citizens of Kragujevac will see in the future the significance of the efforts and its benefits for them and their children. Apologizing for the delay in completion the highway Batocina Kragujevac, Mr. Vucic announced the designing and construction of the express highway over Vuckovica to Mrcajevci that would connect Kragujevac to Corridor 10, the Airport in Ladjevci, Kraljvo, Raska, Kopaonik, Pazar and Kosovska Mitrovica.
Kragujevac will be the hub of Serbia relied on its western side in equal way as in the south-east one and asked the citizens of Kragujevac and Serbia to stay in their country, adding that despite the current hardships no foreign sky sun will shine brighter than here. I take the opportunity to congratulate all workers convinced that you will be able to provide for the safe and better future for you, your children and Serbia will always stand by you and help as much as possible, said Mr. Vucic.
