When we started, our mission was clear: to contribute to the development of both our company and the entire community through strategic investments and dedicated work. And we have succeeded in that, says LEONI Serbia GM Miloš Manić
LEONI’s Miloš Manić is in a celebratory mood as he reflects on the journey of LEONI Serbia, which has become the country’s largest private sector employer and one of its top exporters over the course of the past 15 years. And judging by the plans that he reveals, new successes and records are on the horizon.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of your operations in Serbia. Congratulations! How has LEONI Serbia grown and developed over the past decade and a half?
— Celebrating 15 years of operations in Serbia isn’t just an anniversary for LEONI; it is an opportunity to reflect on everything we’ve achieved together. The journey we’ve been on over the past 15 years is incredible – we started in 2009 with just 350 people in Prokuplje, expanded production in that city, then opened factories in Malošište, Niš and Kraljevo. We have employed more than 12,500 people, which has had a direct impact on the economic progress of these regions. Our mission has not only been to be a successful business, but also a partner to local communities. Through various initiatives and projects, we have worked to improve the quality of life for our employees and all citizens of Serbia. Over the past decade and a half, we have invested more than a million euros in corporate social responsibility activities and humanitarian actions – for the most vulnerable children, youth, and sports, as well as support for cultural events and projects.
What are some of the initiatives that you’ve organised or participated in regularly, and which of them are a particular source of pride for the company?
— In the past year alone, our teams organised and participated in clean-up actions along the Niš quayside and Prokuplje’s Hisar hill. During Children’s Week in Kraljevo, we organised a toy giveaway in the city square, while we did the same for the Easter Games in Prokuplje, bringing joy to children and spreading the spirit of unity and solidarity. We distribute more than 3,000 New Year’s gift packages each year to the children of our employees and over 600 packages to children from humanitarian organisations and associations.
LEONI Serbia contributes 48 million euros annually to the budgets of the Republic of Serbia and local governments through taxes and contributions
Around 600 children of our employees who started school this year received valuable school kits, while we also provided the same gifts to around 150 financially disadvantaged children. We are proud of our dual education programmes and our support for campaigns like “Girls in ICT”, “Bottle Caps for the Handicapped”, and many others, thus contributing to the strengthening of equality and inclusion. Looking back, we are proud of everything we’ve achieved, but we are even more excited about what the future holds.
The Serbian Ministry of Finance last year ranked your company 5th among the country’s largest exporters, with exports of 489.3 million euros. What will 2024’s results be like, and not just in terms of exports?
— What do the numbers say? The year 2024 has already proven to be dynamic and full of challenges, but also opportunities. Despite the challenges faced by the automotive industry as a whole, including the premium manufacturers who are our clients, we have managed to maintain business continuity. We believe that we will remain among the top five exporters in Serbia this year as well. We still have over 12,500 employees across our four factories, which makes us the largest private/industrial sector employer in Serbia. The numbers also show that LEONI Serbia contributes 48 million euros annually to the budgets of the Republic of Serbia and local governments through taxes and contributions. I would additionally highlight the fact that we are working on developing local producers – we collaborate with 700 domestic suppliers, generating revenue of 41 million euros.
In your previous interview for CorD magazine, you mentioned the issue of high absenteeism that has a negative impact on operations, but also the need for the government to adapt legislation to meet the needs of the industry. Has any progress been made?
— A high level of absenteeism remains one of the main challenges we face – not only at our company, but across the industry as a whole. This issue has a direct impact on our productivity and efficiency, which can have far-reaching consequences for our business. Despite this, we have worked intensively on internal measures to mitigate the negative effects of absenteeism. Compared to last year, I would say that there has been progress. There is a dialogue in which we have seen that government representatives are attentive, understanding and recognise our problems. I sense a genuine desire to make the necessary changes, and it is important to look at how competitor countries are addressing this issue and then adapt and implement appropriate solutions here. There is definitely a significant difference and a positive shift compared to 2023.
Do you believe that you will achieve the ambitious plans you’ve set for the decade ahead?
— The automotive industry is going through a period of recovery and transformation, and we at LEONI see this as an opportunity for further growth and development. Our plans for the next decade are ambitious, and we are confident that we have the capacity, knowledge and experience to achieve them.
