Serbian President Boris Tadic yesterday visited Belgrade-based tin can factory Ball Packaging, which intends to invest 35 million euros in expansion of capacities and, thus, contribute to creation of 40 new jobs.
This investment is going to double the production. Tadic said after the talks with the company’s management that the Ball Packaging factory was a modern plant with automated production and excellent working conditions.
– This is an outstanding investment of Ball Packaging in Serbian economy, in the economy in general, and in the creation of new jobs for the people who are satisfied with the opportunity to work for one such company, as well as with the working conditions – said Tadic.
He said that, unfortunately, it was not possible to open a factory with thousands of jobs because of the investments in automation of the production, but he also added that the competitiveness was increased in that way because the products were being exported from Serbia.
– Over 80% of the production is intended for export. That is a significant contribution to our orientation to changing the structure of our economy into the export one. If we had hundreds of such companies and investments, it would be better for us, but there is no dilemma that this is an outstanding model of the factory – said Tadic.
The new line for production of tin cans for alcoholic and soft drinks will be put in operation by end of March 2011. Its annual production capacity is 750 million tin cans. That will be the second production line in the factory of the U.S. company in Belgrade, which was opened in 2005 and currently employs 140 people.
