35 minute read
BUSINESS DIALOGUE
Leaders’
MEETING POINT
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MEDEJA LONČAR,
CEO of Siemens Serbia, Siemens Croatia and Siemens Slovenia
BOGDAN GECIĆ,
Gecić Law’s Founding Partner
Creating Technology With Purpose Gecić Law Named Top Legal Firm In 150 Million-Strong SEE Market
DANILO PUŠONJA,
General Manager at Marera Property Management
ALEXIOS GKEGKIOS,
General manager, Globe Williams SErbia, MBA, MSc, PRINCE 2
LJUBOMIR ŽIVKOVIĆ,
Director, the Avaco company
DR S.BANKOVIĆ, DR V. MIRIĆ, DR I. RISTIĆ,
CDEI
FM Solutions Guarantee Savings Among The Top 50 TFM Providers Avaco, Your Partner For All Time Do You Sleep Peacefully?
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Creating Technology With Purpose
Siemens has been transforming the everyday for the better through innovation and technology for is 174 years. Now, during times that are shaped by digital transformation processes, Siemens will remain focused on transferring new technologies and new trends to the local society
Ipersonally embrace new challenges as a chance to learn, grow and further develop ~ says Medeja Lončar, who became CEO of Siemens Serbia in October 2021, adding to her current roles as CEO of both Siemens Slovenia and Siemens Croatia
During your fifteen-year career in managerial positions at Siemens, what has been the main motivating factor driving you forward and what motivated you when taking on your new role in Serbia? In this phase of life, “purpose” plays a crucial role when making decisions, and Siemens has always maintained a very long-term orientation towards sustainability, from both a planetary and an environmental perspective. We have such intelligent and passionate people that know how to innovate and develop technology, but knowing that this technology is doing something meaningful is extremely engaging for me. When it comes to my role as CEO of Siemens Serbia, I relish this opportunity, which also comes with additional responsibility. I’m also delighted to have the chance to share the knowledge and experience I’ve gained to date in my roles in order to contribute to the future success of Siemens Serbia.
You mentioned sustainability as one of the key points. Could you be more specific about what you’re doing as a company in terms of sustainability? The way that we approach this topic is really in terms of the three dimensions of ESG - environment, social, and governance. We believe that the contribution we are able to provide as a business is through our technology, through our innovation, and through the portfolios that we already have and that really help our customers transform. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) recently ranked us number one for sustainability among industrial conglomerates, proving that we’re on the right track.
Siemens recently announced its new DEGREE framework and sustainability targets. What can you tell us about this framework, and what does the name stand for? Six years ago, we were one of the first companies to set targets to become carbon neutral by 2030. Guided by the good results achieved to date, we defined even more ambitious targets in June this year. With our DEGREE framework, we set strategic ambitions for the benefit of all our stakeholders: customers, suppliers, employees and societies generally. Each letter in the DEGREE name represents an area where we are committed to giving ourselves clear targets.
D is perhaps the obvious one, standing for ‘decarbonisation’ and our commitment to making our operations net zero by 2030, expanding our initial target to a net zero supply chain by 2050. Apart from taking our own responsibilities as a company, we also have our portfolio to offer customers and societies assistance in decarbonising.
The E stands for ethics in two important senses: firstly, that would be the way we conduct ourselves and our expectations regarding business conduct; secondly, as a leader in the digital world, we also need to transpose these ethics to the digital world and really drive trust and cybersecurity as well.
G is governance, in reference to the way we really hardwire things into our manage-
ment systems when it comes to ESG and sustainability.
Then comes R, which stands for resource efficiency and the way we influence what we take from the natural environment. We want to advance recycling and circularity. With our Eco Efficiency Programme, we have set the standard in designing ecocompatible products.
The last two Es in DEGREE really apply to our people. The first refers to equity, as in diversity, equity, and inclusion, while the last E is for employability, because in a world that’s changing so fast, and with digitalisation also disrupting the way we work and the type of work we do, we think that the greatest gift and biggest obligation we have as an employer is to equip people to be resilient – to embrace change, to view the world with positivity and confidence, but also to be relevant in terms of their professional skills. We have set targets according to which we want to be measured – digital learning hours for our people, access to mental health and assistance programmes – which is of immense importance to us.
Could you elaborate on some examples when it comes to your green portfolio? I think we have some tangible cases to recount globally but also locally as we have already been working together with our customers and partners in Serbia to create an ecosystem that both intuitively responds to the needs of people and helps customers achieve their goals. Emobility is definitely on the rise in Serbia and we have several ongoing projects in the country which focuses on the providing of electric charging infrastructure. Renewables are simultaneously a great potential and a great challenge for Serbia, as we need to change how we produce and consume energy. And for this we require both current and future technologies to support the transformation process. Our main task is to therefore work together with customers and partners in Serbia to advance and support sustainable development. Our customers can rely on our team and our technology to create a more efficient, intelligent, caring and sustainable environment – for both present and future generations.
How important a role does digitalisation play in this? Digitalisation is really driving sustainability. Crucial roles in the transformation to protect the climate will be played not just by technologies, like power generation and energy storage, but especially also by solutions that let us deal more efficiently and more prudently with our resources. Technologies like the IoT, the digital twin and artificial intelligence will be crucial to turning the climate around. Siemens has invested €10 billion in digital companies in the past 10 years, putting Siemens in the top 10 software companies in the world. For example, we are working with Mercedes-Benz on their Brownfield site in Berlin to make the site and its production operations completely free of emissions. They want this site to represent a blueprint for 30 of their factories around the world. When talking about transferring technologies and knowhow locally, we are really proud on several local showcases of implementation of our digital portfolio that enabled our customers such as Henkel Srbija, Imlek, Knjaz Miloš, Metalac Gornji Milanovac and others to be faster, more flexible, more efficient and more sustainable.
You mentioned being among the women leaders from our region that visited the Dubai Expo. With that in mind, the last point that we’d like to address is the topic of our Empowered Women special edition. What are your thoughts on this important topic? Yes, Dubai Expo is a memorable experience with so many inspiring visits, conversations and advanced technologies including integration of Siemens technologies across the Expo’s 137 buildings that turned the site into a truly smart city. During my visit, I had a chance to promote the importance of equality, females in technology and digitalisation on TV Dubai and to join the Roundtable on Female managers and digitalisation. I feel it is essential to accentuate and talk about the contributions and achievements of females to the engineering industry and ensure that those career opportunities are more available for the next generation of females. The analytics in the last few years shows that there is a growing presence of women in engineering. This trend is recognised in practise as well in Siemens Serbia, where apart from experienced female engineers in management positions, we also have young female engineers joining our team in significant number. This really helps us build a creative and diverse workforce required for more and more innovative engineering advancements to happen. We aim to be an employer of choice and we foster diversity and inclusion. Trust and empowerment also play an important part in our system, which is why we were one of the first companies to commit to a two- to three-day mobile working policy for 140,000 of our personnel in the ‘New Normal’. My experience to date shows that fostering a culture based on trust, empowerment and diversity leads to greater results, a higher rate of innovation and increased creativity.
LOCAL NEWS
“In the last five years, 793 tons of illegally grown tobacco were destroyed, while the number of illegal tobacco plantations was reduced by 90 per cent, which prevented potential damage to the budget of as much as 453 million euros” – GORAN PEKEZ, DIRECTOR OF
CORPORATE AFFAIRS AND COMMUNICATIONS JAPAN TOBACCO INTERNATIONAL FOR THE WESTERN BALKANS
NELT GROUP EXCEEDS ONE BILLION EUROS IN REVENUE
The consolidated revenue of the Nelt Group exceeded one billion euros in 2021. At the traditional annual meeting of the company’s top management with media representatives, the results achieved in the past were presented, and plans for the next year were announced. Special attention was drawn to the announcement of the Nelt Group’s operations in Croatia and Slovenia through the establishment of Nelt Europe. “Entering the European market for Nelt is a natural process of development. Nelt Europe will be the starting point in expanding the network of Nelt companies across Europe. Milena Vušak, a renowned professional with years of experience in the FMCG industry, has taken over the development of our business for Croatia and Slovenia with ambitious plans for the development and distribution of Nelt brands in these markets, “said Milos Jelić, CEO of Nelt Group.
DUBRAVKA ĐEDOVIĆ NÈGRE, NEW MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF KOMERCIJALNA BANKA
Dubravka Đedović (Nègre) has been appointed, with the confirmation of the National Bank of Serbia, as a new member of the Executive Board of Komercijalna Banka for Economic Affairs and Investment Banking. Đedović (Nègre) joined Komercijalna Banka, a member of the NLB Group, from the position of Director of the Regional Office of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the Western Balkans. She brings to Komercijalna Banka rich international experience in financing large corporations, investments and projects in transport, energy, telecommunications, innovation, health and other industries, and experience in financing small and medium enterprises, which are a pillar of the national economy.
DELTA CITY PART OF THE MPC PROPERTIES NETWORK OF SHOPPING MALLS
MPC Properties, a regional leader in real estate construction and management, has acquired Delta City Shopping Center, confirming its leadership position. This acquisition has further strengthened the MPC retail portfolio consisting of UŠĆE Shopping Center, the most visited shopping centre in the region, BEO Shopping Center, a new shopping destination that opened in June last year, Mercator Center Belgrade, the first modern shopping centre in Belgrade and Immo Outlet Center. a favourite of families around the centre.
DHL MARKS 30 YEARS OF BUSINESS IN SERBIA
This year, DHL celebrates 30 years of business in Serbia to remain the first choice for many clients and business partners in our country and the basis for developing international trade. The service improvement is based on the increase of the capacity for air transport of goods, with a daily transport Boeing 757 with a total of 28 tons. This year, simple, fast and safe service began to be performed with electric vehicles to reduce the impact on the environment further. The plan is to deliver at least 70% of electric cars in four years. DHL aims to achieve zero-emission logistics by 2050 using state-of-theart solutions. Director of DHL Serbia, Fionn Herriott, emphasised that the best practices from the global experience will continue to be applied in Serbia and that work will be done on setting up new services in 2022.
Gecić Law Named Top Legal Firm In 150 Million-Strong SEE Market
Founded in 2015 and led by a team that combines dynamism and experience at the frontline of the international legal profession, Gecić Law is truly the most innovative law firm in Southeast Europe and a member of the European legal elite
Gecić Law’s Founding Partner Bogdan Gecić says it is an incredible honour to be repeatedly singled out among the crème de la crème of the legal world, and to be the first to win a new category of award covering a fast-growing market of 150 million people, a remarkable new achievement for his team. Gecić Law has been named Law firm of the Year in a dynamic regional market, winning the title in The Lawyer European Awards 2021 on 1st December. The award places the company among the “crème de la crème of the European legal market”, in
The Lawyer’s words, and positions Gecić
Law first in a highly competitive market encompassing Turkey and the entire Balkans.
This prestigious prize – awarded for the first time covering an expanded region – confirms Gecić Law’s reputation as the most innovative law firm in Southast Europe and a true member of the European legal elite.
Founded in 2015 and led by a team who combine dynamism and experience at the frontline of the international legal profession,
Gecić Law’s ascent to the European top tier is a testament to its strengths – entrepreneurial spirit, high-level international expertise, and impeccable client service – recognised by a growing range of clients who are leaders in their respective fields.
Based in Belgrade but operating across
Southeast Europe and the European Union, Gecić Law was the only law firm in the Western Balkans to be shortlisted for the award, and was competing against giants in one of the world’s leading emerging markets, and with several long-established EU companies. The firm wins this latest award for a newly expanded region just a year after being anointed Law firm of the year: Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Gecić Law has also been shortlisted several times in the European competition or antitrust team of the year – Top Five category, where the firm competed neck and neck with some of the best competition and antitrust teams from the whole of Europe.
“This latest award clearly demonstrates that renowned international legal experts and industry leaders recognise the strength of our pioneering work, and relentless efforts to provide top-notch service across markets and practice areas. It also underlines our fundamental values: meritocracy, innovation, integrity, and philanthropy. We were especially glad to see that the jury acknowledged our vision for the development not only of our firm but also the entire legal field in the region. We are at the forefront of redefining the role that a law firm plays in the emerging regional market. We are grateful to our fantastic team, which is constantly growing, developing, and achieving new heights in the profession. We also thank our clients who continuously trust us to demonstrate our commitment, expertise, and creativity in finding solutions to some of the most important challenges they face.”
FM Solutions Guarantee Savings
Marera Property Management is a company that has proven itself on the Serbian market through successful projects for the development of office, industrial and retail space for investor Marera Properties, for which it created a portfolio of commercial real estate
Explaining the secret of their business success, Marera Property Management GM Danilo Pušonja emphasises, among other things, the “tailor-made” offer that they’ve created for every client, in order to best respond to clients’ demands. And in forming such offers they take into consideration the class and purpose of the facility, the industry, the daily business routine etc.
Marera Property Management is certainly one of the fastest growing companies on our market, if not the fastest. What does that look like in figures? The company was founded three years ago and thus far we have developed and are currently managing more than 200,000 square meters of real estate portfolio of commercial properties across office, industrial and retail segments. In Facility Management, we perform maintenance works on more than 500,000 square metres for more than 300 clients.
When it comes to the services that we provide, they encompass the entire life cycle of a property – from financial analysis, due diligence, valuation, project design and feasibility studies, to project management in the preparatory and construction phases and, last but not least, maintaining the building in the phase of exploitation, thereby optimising the property’s value and extending its lifespan.
In short, our services are based on the turnkey principle, while taking care to respect the given deadlines and budget. That’s actually our market diversification and what makes us unique, and what has ultimately resulted in the business successes we’re recording today. Also testifying to this are the financial results, which clearly indicate that - compared to the previous year - we’ve almost doubled our revenues in terms of our facility management services alone. Growth of a similar percentage has followed in terms of the surface area of the properties that we service, while the number of clients that have contributed to that growth has more than doubled. Your company offers integrated facility management solutions for modern and functional facilities in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. What does that include? The services that come under the facility management segment include hygienic and technical maintenance, reception and security services, maintenance of green areas and the removal of snow deposits during the winter. This is an area that is rapidly gaining importance on the domestic market, and ever more companies are noticing the advantages of this kind of approach to facility maintenance, thanks primarily to the multinational companies for which this is commonplace.
There are numerous advantages to applying FM solutions, and I would highlight in particular the fact that service providers are the only point of contact for everything related to the functionality of the facility. This reduces the time and resources that companies spend significantly, as well as suggesting clear lines of responsibility and obligation. At the end of the day, this kind of approach - when viewed over the long run - brings savings and has a positive impact on the financial results of the companies that decide to engage experts in providing facility management services.
In which way do you create your offer? What guides your efforts to satisfy your clients’ specific needs? We view each client separately, i.e., we strive to create a “tailor-made” offer in order
for us to best respond to the demands of each client individually. Some of the key parameters we consider include: the class and purpose of the facility, the industry or field in which the client operates, and the number of employees required for us to determine the daily routine of operations. On the basis of information gathered by our team on the ground and with the help of the client, the needs are defined and an offer is created that best corresponds to the needs of the client.
Such an approach has certainly contributed to us building a strong list of references of clients for whom we provide hygiene maintenance services, which includes prominent names from the FMCG industry, such as Jaffa, Frikom, Nestle, Polimark and Somboled, as well as the Credit Agricole branch network and the Embassy of France in Belgrade. So, we have a diverse list of references that encompasses clients from different industries, with a special emphasis on the FMCG industry, which I would say is the most demanding sector, on the basis of my decades of experience in managing companies in this field.
What are the standout projects in the domain of property management that your company is currently engaged in? Our most prominent client and the company for which we provide comprehensive services in terms of project management is Marera Properties – a company that has its own real estate portfolio that encompasses commercial facilities from the office, retail and industrial segments.
Among the projects completed, I would highlight the comprehensive reconstruction of the Kalemegdan Business Centre on the premises of the former Beko factory in Lower Dorćol, a building that was abandoned and dilapidated until recently and is today a multifunctional business space where more than 2,000 people work. A project that’s current now is the reconstruction of the Palace of Belgrade, a former symbol of the city which, once re-opened on 1st January 2022, will have regained its former glory and again shifted the boundaries through the applying of the latest architectural and technological solutions, as was the case during the period of its construction.
The renovation of BIGZ is currently in the initial phase, while works on its comprehensive reconstruction will be completed by 1st January 2023
I would also mention BIGZ – another project to reconstruct a building that is a cultural and historical monument of the City of Belgrade that has special emotional significance for each of us individually. The renovation of BIGZ is currently in the initial phase, while works on its comprehensive reconstruction, perhaps the largest ever in our area, will be completed by 1st January 2023. To conclude, from your personal perspective - and considering that you come from the FMCG sector, where you spent a long time working in management – how do you view the real estate industry and what are your expectations for the period ahead? What represented a challenge for me when transitioning from the FMCG sector to real estate was the fact that it is one of our market’s fastest growing industries and that it probably has the greatest potential for further growth and development. The complexity and importance of the projects we work on, the development of the facility management industry on the local market, the introduction of new standards and innovations – together these all represent a challenge, but also rich and significant experience of working in the industry that I’ve chosen.
REGIONAL NEWS
“We have a special responsibility towards the Western Balkans, we need to pursue a policy of re-engagement, but also investments to support the economic integration of the region” – EMMANUEL MACRON,
PRESIDENT OF FRANCE
EU COUNCIL AGREES CROATIA HAS FULFILLED ALL CRITERIA TO JOIN THE BORDERLESS SCHENGEN AREA
The Council of the European Union has agreed that Croatia now meets all the criteria to join the borderless Schengen Area. In a meeting held on 9 December, the Council concluded Croatia had fulfilled the requirements for applying the Schengen acquis as a whole, which is a precondition for the country to be able to join the Schengen Zone. The latter now counts 26 members, 22 of which are also European Union Member Countries. Croatia is one of the last four EU countries that are still not part of the Schengen Area, alongside Romania, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Croatia had declared its readiness to start the Schengen evaluation in July 2015, which took place between 2016 and 2020.
WESTERN BALKAN PARTNERS, GEORGIA AND ISRAEL BECOME ASSOCIATED TO HORIZON EUROPE
The Commission has signed agreements for closer cooperation in research and innovation with the Western Balkans – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia – as well as with Georgia and Israel. For 2021-2027, they have been granted association status to Horizon Europe, Europe’s €95.5 billion research and innovation programme. Researchers, innovators and research entities established in these countries can now participate under the same conditions as entities from the EU Member States. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “I am very pleased that we have moved forward with our association agreements with many more partners. Association to Horizon Europe is of mutual benefit, for the EU and our partners
SERBIAN BANK POŠTANSKA ŠTEDIONICA BOUGHT KOMERCIJALNA BANKA IN BANJA LUKA
For 22 million euros, Serbia returned a part of Komercijalna Banka under its auspices, which it sold to the Slovenian NLB group last year. Today’s transaction on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange, in which the Poštanska Štedionica Bank, owned by the Republic of Serbia, bought all the shares of Komercijalna Banka from this city. The Poštanska Štedionica Bank from Belgrade is the owner of Komercijalna Banka Banja Luka after the purchase and sale transaction was successfully finalised on the Banja Luka Stock Exchange, Komercijalna Banka in Banja Luka announced. According to the Banja Luka Stock Exchange, the subject of purchase and sale in the so-called block transaction was 60,000 shares for 717.14 convertible marks, which gives a total value of 43 million signatures, or about 22 million euros.
Among The Top 50 TFM Providers
Globe Williams International has 8,000 customers in 32 countries, 25,000 employees and an annual turnover of more than half a billion euros. In Serbia, GW is implementing the global experiences of its parent company, utilising the ideas and wealth of knowledge at their fingertips
The restructuring of the company’s management and the mobilising of a new CEO with professional accreditation and extended managerial and field experience, combined with the allocating of new management roles to talented and ambitious local young professionals, has been key to Globe Williams’ success in Serbia.
What stands behind the Globe Williams International name, apart from dedication, lots of work, planning etc.?
Since its inception, the vision of Globe Williams International has been to become a world class service provider in the demanding arena of Integrated Facilities Management. Arduous and continuous efforts exerted on all fronts, the selection and support of great team members at all levels, a forward-thinking approach and never looking back to attitudes that can set the company back – this has all given GWI an edge and driven this modest company to become the multinational organisation that it is today, one that’s already recognised as being among the top 50 TFM
providers worldwide and that has already received awards and acknowledgements from the most prestigious global companies, like Drees & Sommers, CEO Magazine and others.
Globe Williams isn’t the only facility management company in Serbia, but it is number one. What sets you apart from the competition? There are a few notable reasons for this achievement on Serbia’s fast-growing FM market. The complete restructuring of the company’s management two years ago, with the mobilising of a new CEO who has vast experience and professional qualifications in the corporate world, coupled with the allocating of new management roles to talented and ambitious local young professionals, has elevated the company to new heights and notable profitability. However, such results would never have been achieved if we hadn’t paid close attention to our clients’ needs and gone out of our way to offer them what we promote the most: an unparalleled 24/7 service and, more specifically in times of need, dedicated and well-trained staff, cutting-edge equipment and technological advances, as well as commitment to the company’s mission and loyalty. Moreover, also setting us apart is our implementation of the global experiences of our parent company and the ideas that are at our fingertips, as well as the wealth of knowledge that can be accessed from our 500-strong senior management team and can assist our clients by being made available on the ground in a matter of hours.
What do your clients gain by hiring you? Does professional maintenance and servicing extend the life and value of facilities, reduce costs and save time?
First and foremost, our clients gain the professional support of a globally-accredited company at any given moment that they may need it, as well as continuous feedback on assigned tasks and activities, value added service provision that allows them to focus on and expand their core business – with all remaining support services successfully delivered by Globe Williams Srbija. Global research has not only suggested, but actually proven that the proper executing of professional facility services extends the lifespan of buildings and premises, whilst providing an abundance of free time for the client’s own personnel to deal with other activities rather than micromanaging outsourced tasks and services. Finally, all studies and real-life experiences have shown that prompt and proactive maintenance cycles reduce site maintenance costs significantly, prolong the life of equipment and, most importantly, ensure safe working environments with added attention paid to environmentally sustainable solutions. Some of our satisfied international clients in Serbia include Actavis, Alumil , Astir Textiles, Coopertire, Galenika, Grundfos, Hertz, Inditex, Pfizer, Zepter and many others.
WORLD NEWS
“CEOs must use record profit margins to increase worker pay, and inflation worsens [as] this new Covid surges” – MARC PERRONE,
INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE US UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS
US INFLATION HITS HIGHEST LEVEL FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS
American shoppers, especially those on low incomes, have felt the pinch of higher prices, with annual inflation at rates not seen for 40 years. The latest figures show prices rose 6.8% in the year to November. Prices for American consumers are rising at their fastest annual rate since June 1982. But the impact is felt more amongst those on the lowest incomes, with the least room to manage. Rising inflation is also putting pressure on President Biden as he tries to pass his $1.9tn (£1.4tn) social spending bill. Some economists blame the president’s previous spending programmes, designed to offer support amid the Covid pandemic, for exacerbating price increases.
NEW EIB SURVEY SHOWS POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN BANK LENDING IN CENTRAL, EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
The European Investment Bank (EIB) published the autumn 2021 edition of its CESEE bank lending survey. The report investigates the strategies of international banks active in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE) and the market conditions assessed by the banks operating there. The autumn 2021 release of the survey shows a positive outlook for the banking systems in the CESEE region, albeit with lingering pockets of uncertainty and some downside risks. Despite the potent effects of the pandemic, demand for credit has rebounded, and supply conditions for financing have started to ease slowly. Demand for loans is robust among households and revives in the firms’ fixed investment segment. Supply conditions for credit are relaxing, but primarily for families rather than businesses, with conditions still tight for smaller companies in particular.
JAPANESE START-UP DESIGNED A WIND TURBINE THAT CAN WORK IN TYPHOONS
As governments and companies globally rush to install as much renewable energy capacity as possible to cut carbon emissions, areas often not suitable for solar arrays or wind farms are opening up for development with advances in technology. In Japan, a start-up called Challenergy has designed a wind turbine that works in cyclonic conditions, which typically shut down most wind installations, turning them into a potential energy source. While renewables, in general, are the fastest-growing source of electricity generation globally, most new renewables capacity has been powered by the sun in Japan. In recent years, the government started trying to promote wind, especially offshore wind. But with Japan experiencing on average 26 typhoons and tropical storms a year, the path to wind power development is generally viewed as harsh.
Avaco, Your Partner For All Time
Avaco is the largest Serbian company that has been successfully renting cars for almost two decades. It keeps a wide range of vehicles and high class luxury cars, so it can satisfy even the most demanding customers, even those who want a helicopter
We are very committed to our clients, we are available 24 hours a day for anyone who wants to rent a vehicle. We provide advice or support abroad if there is any problem on the road, even during the night, at 2 or 3 am - says Živković.
Your slogan is “When it’s hard and when it’s easy, call Avaco”. How would you judge the last two decades, how is your business going? Our slogan really makes sense because our clients rent vehicles on weekends, for private and business trips, for vacations. Lately, we have been doing long-term leases, especially for companies. Given the shortage of new cars, we have met the needs of business people and we have a really large fleet of quality vehicles. We have clients who rent vehicles on an annual basis, because our fleet is extremely large. We plan to do more long-term leases in the future because we have a large number of enquiries and requests for this type of cooperation. Individuals also use our services while waiting for purchased or ordered vehicles. So it is really a mixture of services.
It is important to point out that we sell used vehicles and that it is possible to pay for them in installments, without going to the bank. Last year proved to be extremely difficult, but we managed to stay financially solid. This period exposed the bad, but also the good sides of doing business in our industry. Unfortunately, many colleagues and competitors did not survive, such as companies that had vehicles solely for leasing. They simply did not have enough revenue.
Everything we own and everything we do proves that we are a serious partner and that anyone who does business with us can rely on us with confidence
As a result, our company has acquired new clients. So, when we take everything into account, our slogan is very justified.
You keep up with European standards, can you tell us where we are in relation to the global automotive industry? For almost 20 years, ever since we have been on the market, Avaco has been trying to ensure that our offers are up to world standards. You have to follow the trends from the world, from America, Europe ... When it comes to the fleet, we are not far behind, because we have a wide range of vehicles and luxury cars. I mean high class vehicles that can meet the needs of even the most demanding customers. Besides vehicles, we are able to offer helicopters to customers who want this type of service. All this proves that we are a serious partner and that anyone who does business with us can rely on us with confidence. We look at business success financially, not according to the number of clients. If I had to analyse the 2019-2021 period, the first six months of this year were bad, but July and August were much better than in 2019, and then after the summer there was a drop in demand when tourists left Belgrade and Serbia. That is why we will work more on long-term rental for companies and try to compensate for our losses.
What’s your view of the crisis starting in China? What do you expect to see? The crisis in China has led to big problems in the automobile industry all over the world, even in our country, because spare parts for most brands are produced in China. Only Korea and Japan do not depend on China in this way. This collapse will surely last from two to five years. The overall market is jeopardised and we will see what the outcome will be. www.avacorentacar.rs
Do You Sleep Peacefully?
Peaceful and high-quality sleep is essential to ensuring that we are able to function well during the day, for productivity and performing our daily obligations, for the health of brain and heart, for strengthening the immune system, but also for a fresh and beautiful appearance. That’s why you mustn’t let anything disturb your sleep!
In order for you to have the strength required for all your work and private obligations, a beautiful smile that’s captivating and disarming, but also high-quality and revitalising sleep, be sure that your New Year’s resolutions include regular dental check-ups.
Enjoying a peaceful night’s sleep doesn’t depend solely on how tired you are, whether your day was stressful, whether your bed is comfortable or whether you bought a new, warm blanket. Breathing calmly and moderately while sleeping, without snoring, has a significant impact on quality of sleep. Studies have shown that snoring and mouth breathing during sleep contribute to reducing oxygen intake to insufficient levels, preventing the brain from nourishing itself and resting during the night, which is why we often wake up feeling more tired than we were when we went to bed.
A hectic lifestyle prevents many people from allocating time for themselves and their oral health, which is why some people cover hidden problems in their mouths for extended periods
Mouth breathing is linked directly to improper growth of the teeth and jaws. Failure to recognise and correct this issue on time can result in numerous structural changes. A gummy smile, overlapping teeth, chronic gingivitis, but also the loss of the sense of smell, are just some of the problems that can be caused by mouth breathing. People who breathe through the mouth have their quality of life diminished by frequent tonsillitis, halitosis and snoring, while the aesthetics of their smile are also ruined.
Despite the fact that snoring is very common, studies have shown that it is more commonplace among men and people who are overweight. Sleeping on your back additionally contributes to the position of the lower jaw and tongue falling back, which worsens snoring.
Fortunately, a solution to this problem exists and is represented in the development of individual devices intended to expand the upper respiratory tract and allow the unobstructed flow of air. Wearing this light, comfortable and convenient device either greatly reduces or completely eliminates snoring.
The modern lifestyle – especially for businesspeople – can often be boiled down to processing large flows of information throughout the day; an unwavering desire to achieve more, the constant setting of new goals and tasks that are sometimes difficult to achieve, appended by private obligations and concerns, all of which leaves us without any opportunity to rest during the day. And when that constant stress spills over into the night with the same degree of intensity, it often manifests as the clenching, gnashing or grinding of teeth.
Nocturnal grinding causes tension in
the muscles of the face, head and neck, while waking up brings relief by stopping the anguish. For people who suffer from grinding, waking up only brings fatigue and tension headaches, due to the orofacial muscles having been active throughout the night. Long-term grinding results in the visible wearing of enamel, which results in the increased sensitivity of teeth. Grinding can also lead to a reduction in the height of the premaxilla jaw bones and pain in the jaw joints.
A hectic lifestyle prevents many people from allocating time for themselves and their oral health, while some people even
cover hidden problems in their mouths for extended periods, ignoring the discomfort of oversensitive teeth. This problem sometimes worsens, developing from a sensation of discomfort to severe nighttime pain that disrupts a peaceful night’s sleep. The exhaustion and sleeplessness that occur after a night spent struggling with toothache are an additional cause of irritation and stress that only worsen with each passing day.
The lack of one or more teeth also presents a specific problem, as food that’s poorly processed in the mouth has a negative impact on the digestive system, causing stomach ache and loss of appetite. A significant percentage of people also feel compelled to brush their teeth as soon as they rise in the morning, in order to prevent their partner from experiencing the unpleasant morning bad breath that results from gum disease.
Whether by coincidence or not, many people desiring a break and a good night’s sleep book a room in top hotel with a pool and a king-sized bed for their annual leave,
but they also bring their unpleasant toothache with them. However, relief from toothache and the discomfort that comes from an oral cavity can only be achieved in one way: by visiting the dentist, with regular check-ups and the high-quality restoration of not just one tooth, but rather detailed dedication to the entire orofacial system. The advantage of contemporary dental practises lies in the fact that diagnostics and treatment utilise modern digital diagnostic tools, both for diagnosing tooth decay/cavities and for the virtual planning of orofacial system rehabilitation. The patient is thus able to properly perceive their problem, check out the future appearance of their smile prior to any major reconstruction, and enter into the implementation of agreed treatment plans without any fear or apprehension.
Considering that we are entering a new year and new beginnings, be sure to include two mandatory regular dental check-ups in your annual planner. Let this be your first step towards tranquil, high-quality and restful sleep.
