With more than 4,000 products and the processing of more than three million kilograms of plastic annually, Roto ranks among the leading companies in the production of rotomoulding technology in Europe
A ll Roto products satisfy high standards of quality and functionality, while they are environmentally safe, have a modern design, a higher utility value and competitive prices. And it is thanks to these facts that the company is constantly considering the conquering of new markets.
Could it be said that your success is also a result of combining global experiences and local knowledge, as well as the dedication of employees?
— We are focused on investing in development and each week make a minimum of two new products for OEM partners. We also invest plenty in the development of products that represent our flagship products on the market.
Those are mostly products from the programme of the wastewater treatment system. We ensure the growth of the group with at least 15 new partners each year, and by contracting the sale of several different products with existing partners. When our customer gets to know us and realises that they can source everything from us – from the development of production tools, via high-quality serial production, to the meeting of delivery deadlines – we then establish a longstanding partnership with them. And all you need to do after that is to respect what has been agreed and nurture relationships with people.
The company is composed of people. If people understand one another, and if we also create positive energy and partnership relations between us, as suppliers and customers, then we have forged a real business that will last for a long time. People get attached to people, not to companies.
You have 10 companies with production operations in four European countries. How many women are among your employees and which positions do they occupy?
— Women are well represented in our group, and in the management of the Roto Group here we have three women and two men. Us three women lead the sectors of marketing and commercial activities, finances and IT, while our male colleagues are responsible for technology, production and product development. A large number of women in the group work in the commercial, legal services and accounting departments.
Every lost opportunity is never truly lost
We’ve introduced many production innovations and transferred from conventional machines to electronics and robots, thanks to which we’ve employed all women. Women are more precise in processing products, more responsible and tenacious. Of the 600 workers employed by the entire group, 15% are women, which is a lot for production processes.
Is it time for expansion?
— It is always time for expansion, which depends on market coverage with a sales network and the cost of transportation. If we have successful distributors who work with dedication, as though they are employed by us, that provides excellent market coverage.
One example of a good sales network is North Macedonia. When we reached the point at which the high costs of transportation and the retail prices of products, formed in accordance with the purchasing power of consumers, did not cover operations, we realised that we couldn’t expand sales further without establishing production operations in North Macedonia. There could be no expansion on this market without that, while we would also struggle to launch new products without it.
We have quite good coverage on the markets of the former Yugoslavia, though it’s never enough for us, and our biggest investment when it comes to production is linked to Kenya, where we can achieve our greatest expansion. It is often difficult to decide how much to invest in which market and to evaluate whether everything will unfold according to plan.
