CENTURY OF EXCELLENCE This year the KONČAR Group commemorates its centenary. Over the years, the company has grown into one of Croatia’s biggest exporters and a standard bearer for innovation and technological development, becoming a symbol of longevity and tradition in its homeland.
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ounded in 1921 in a small workshop in Zagreb, KONČAR is today a recognised regional leader in the energy sector and in rail vehicle manufacture. Over the last one hundred years, the company has delivered its products to almost 130 markets worldwide, including more than 400,000 transformers, voltage levels and power outputs, and constructed and refurbished 375 hydropower plants, 700 generators and some 200 low-floor trams and trains.
Electric Performance The beginning of the KONČAR Group’s celebratory year was marked by excellent business results and strong growth in organic sales. Consolidated operating revenues for the first three months of 2021 amounted to an impressive €95 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 15%. This outstanding result was heavily supported by the development and production of rail vehicles. KONČAR confirmed its strong position in the rail vehicle sector when it signed a new contract with HŽ Putnički prijevoz (passenger transport) for 12 electric trains for urban, suburban and regional routes. Another milestone was achieved with the delivery of the first of 12 electric trams to Liepājas Tramvajs, a municipal tram company in the Latvian city of Liepāja, to be delivered by April 2022. The contract is
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particularly important for the Croatian manufacturer as it opens the door to the lucrative EU market. “The 100% low-floor tram features KONČAR’s solutions for important subsystems, such as the main electric motor drive, auxiliary power supply, microprocessor control as well as communication technologies. It is equipped with an adjustable hydro-pneumatic suspension system, which allows the floor height to be adjusted depending on the tramway tracks. The vehicle has air conditioning, video surveillance and passenger information systems,” explained Josip Ninić, President of the Management Board of KONČAR – Electric Vehicles Inc.
Group synergies “The low-floor tram and all its important subsystems are a result of our own development, in which numerous KONČAR Group companies have been involved. This agreement was preceded by the delivery of 142 low-floor trams for the City of Zagreb, worth over €250 million,” stated Ivan Bahun, Ph.D., Deputy President of KONČAR’s Management Board and President of KONČAR – Electric Vehicles Inc.’s Supervisory Board. He added that the delivery of trams to Latvia represented not only an extremely important goal for KONČAR but also a great achievement in terms of Croatian exports.
