Next Major Step: America

WTO is among Eastern Europe’s fastest growing logistics companies, with branches in Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Taiwan. With its “Vision 2030” strategy, the company has envisioned opening branches in all the world’s top logistics centers

The company's policy is oriented entirely towards meeting and exceeding all the demands of customers in the field of transport and logistics, as well as providing additional services linked directly or indirectly to this activity - explains WTO MD Bogdan Gavrilović, revealing part of the company’s plans for the period ahead.

Your “Vision 2030” strategic plan envisons the opening of branches in all world logistics centers. Is everything progressing according to plan?

— We are satisfied with our operations and achievements to date. This May, we opened a branch in Albania that offers maritime, air and land transportation, as well as all other logistics services, just as is envisioned by our “Vision 2030” strategy, thus we now have more than 250 employees at 22 locations in 12 countries. That company’s head office is in Tirana and the team is led by MD Sara Matohitaj, who is an excellent professional. Apart from the subsidiary in Albania, it has been planned for this year to open another office in Romania, in Constanța, while the establishing of an office in the U.S. – as a very large and demanding undertaking – is our main priority for the period ahead. We are focused and very dedicated to this endeavor, which forms an important part of our strategy. With the opening of an office in America, we will meet the needs of our current and future clients, their business plans and expectations.

Apart from the successful opening of new branches, what other achievements have you made?

— We are continuing our excellent operations, thanks to which we can state with unconcealed pride that – with a turnover exceeding 105 million euros and more than 45,000 twenty-foot equivalent units transported – we suc- cessfully achieved our targets for last year. The main focus of our firm’s activities will continue to be on LCL consoles, with which we transported more than 88,000 cubic meters of cargo over the previous year, which also represents the biggest indicator of our growth.

Considering that the general director and the sector manager changed in Belgrade, with both managerial positions filled by people who acquired their expertise of the freight forwarding trade at WTO, we can boast of new energy that is accompanied by ambitious plans. With an expanded composition and new, significantly more modern and larger offices, our team will be bet- ter prepared than ever before to respond to every demand of clients.

WTO is also a member of numerous professional associations, chambers of commerce and business clubs. This makes it easier to do business, while at the same time increasing your obligations.

— Yes, you are correct... Since 2013, we have been a member of the United Nation Global Compact, the world’s largest network of companies with corporate responsibility, encompassing more than 12,000 corporate members from more than 145 countries. We are also part of the World Cargo Alliance Family, the largest and most powerful network of independent freight forwarders; the Security Cargo Network, representing the global alliance of independent international freight forwarders; the Slovenian Business Club and AmCham Serbia. Our membership in the American Chamber of Commerce has actually proven to be very important now that we are working intensively to open an office in America and when we require support.

The numerous Serbian companies that have successfully realized initial business ideas by relying on their own knowhow and experience serve as proof that it is possible to become and remain a strategic partner of the world’s largest companies by using your own powers to develop your own business in Serbia. Alfa Technics is one such company.

Does your steel empire prove that it is possible to start from nothing and become a strategic partner of renowned global manufacturers from different branches of industry?

Anything’s possible... With just a few friends and associates, engineers and experienced experts in the field of design and production, I established a company in 2010 that became a reliable partner in the international business environment in just a few years. Today, slightly more than 12 years on, Alfa Technics has around 300 employees and more than 17,000 sqm of production and administrative space, on an area of five hectares within the Customs Free Zone in Svilajnac. In 2017, we moved from Kragujevac to this city, which has taken a European approach to creating a stimulating business environment for a decade and a half, and we then invested approximately 15 million euros in plant facilities and equipment.

Are you expanding your production programme constantly?