QUALITY AS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

CORPORATE

Our latest development project - Ultra-lightweight Packaging - has been recognized by the European Union as a project that can significantly protect the environment, hence, we were granted funds to further develop this technology

Slobodan Janković Deputy CEO at Inmold and Goran Janković Director at Inmold

SLOBODAN JANKOVIĆ

Deputy CEO at Inmold

Founded in 2006, Inmold Plast is proud of its quality products, services and customer relations. Slobodan Janković, Deputy CEO at Inmold Plast d.o.o. Požega, talks about what sets the company apart from the competition, the markets that the company is focusing on and future business.

Inmold Plast stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest European companies in your industry and pushes the boundaries in conquering markets. What is the key to your company’s success and what sets your company from the competition?

— In order for a company to be competitive in the market, it must compete with quality or affordable prices. We have decided to provide the highest quality products from the start and thus build our position as one of the best suppliers of equipment for the plastics injection industry.

In our industry, to a large extent, quality entails the application of innovative product solutions. For a long time now, Inmold has been forming a team of people who are engaged in the development and research of new technologies, which we later incorporate into

When a company can compete with the world's elite in its industry, each segment of the company has to strive for perfection and constant progress

our products. Our latest development project - Ultra-lightweight Packaging - has been recognized by the European Union as a project that can significantly protect the environment, hence, we were granted funds to further develop this technology.

You operate in what is probably the most demanding market in the world - sophisticated technologies - and clients from the EU and worldwide see you as a reliable partner. What are your guiding ideas and which markets are you focusing on?

— Every manufacturing company has the vision to be a leader in its respective field. When a company can compete with the world's elite in its industry, each segment of the company has to strive for perfection and constant progress. Our guiding idea is that our customers must come first. In our company, this is not just a cliché, but we work on it every day and our success is reflected in our client list.

You are constantly working on improving your production process and products, with innovation and quality always being priorities. What standards do you adhere to and what are your plans for expanding production? — Inmold is a development and production company, which mainly sells its products abroad. To achieve the re-

quired product quality, our production has to follow global trends and the latest technological developments.

We invested most of our money on new equipment and we are trying to upgrade our equipment regularly, rather than sporadically. This approach allows us enough time to implement each new technology promptly, but also for our employees to feel that they are working for a company that is advancing every day.

In addition to the equipment, we have been investing substantial amounts of money in the digitalization of production itself. We have been using various types of software for a couple of years now, which helps us to more successfully monitor and plan production. The benefits of digitalization are felt not only by customers but also by our employees.

Your company specializes in injection moulding tools of thin-wall packaging and tools for injection moulding of technical parts, in addition to making high-quality tools for plastic injection moulding. You also make IML robots. Tell us a little more about this and the markets you cover?

— The current global trend is to automate production processes in order to compensate for the lack of manpower. We have recognized this and started to develop automation for the plastic packaging industry, the so-called IML robots. It is important to note that the entire development and production is done in our company in Serbia, which is then subsequently exported to three continents. Our 2021 business results show that this segment is the fastest-growing sector in our company.

In addition to the IML robots, we also offer our clients complete IML systems, which automate the production of plastic packaging from the moment raw materials enter production to a packaged product ready for storage.

The Serbian government is once again implementing development projects to encourage entrepreneurship. What do you think of this initiative and how important is it for your company to encourage investments in the expansion of production and boosting competitiveness, as well as creating new jobs?

As the owners of a company that is constantly expanding and developing, we must think well in advance to ensure the unhindered development of the company

— When you look at countries like Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary, you can clearly see how much the support and incentives of state institutions mean to businesses. I must commend the Serbian government and its activities in this field because there has been a significant shift in recent years. We are trying to use all the incentives that are offered and we are succeeding in that for now. Such incentives accelerate the development of the Serbian economy, and thus society as a whole.

You have recognized the potential of the region and are interested in launching production in Banja Luka. Could you tell us more about this project?

— As the owners of a company that is constantly expanding and developing, we must think well in advance to ensure the unhindered development of the company. Considering that our production plant in Priboj is located on the very border with the Republic of Srpska, following the opening of our factory, we gained insight into the advantages of doing business in that country for the first time. Our plan to open a factory in the Republic of Srpska is in an initial stage, but we would be extremely glad to expand to that market as well.

Inmold Plast was awarded the Gold Medal for outstanding merit and achieved results in the field of entrepreneurship. What does this prestigious award mean to you?

— We are proud of the fact that we have always done our job ethically and for the benefit not only of Inmold but also the entire local community. Inmold is a 100% domestic company, founded and developed in Serbia. For this reason, this recognition is even more important to us. The very fact that the state authorities noticed our commitment and contribution to the Serbian economy makes us extremely proud.

We received a lot of praise from our employees and our fellow citizens too, which in itself is another recognition for us. We have always believed that the success of Inmold must be reflected in the local community because the company can only develop in a successful and satisfied environment.

Which projects are the backbone of your business this year and how do you see the company in the near future?

— This year began with large investments in new equipment and infrastructure, to further improve and solidify our position on the global market. We hope that the pandemic-induced crisis is behind us, and if the saying that “the morning shows the day”, then this year will be a record one in every sense. 