Today’s departure marks the end of a six-day visit by a 9-member Chinese political delegation to Croatia, brought by entrepreneur Dmitar Maravic, owner of a highly export-oriented company Maring, at his expense and organizational plan. A delegation from Yancheng City, Jiangsu District, China’s second richest and most populous province, led by Zou Yishi, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress for the Jiangsu District.
Dmitar Maravic has been in business cooperation with Chinese partners for 10 years, which was achieved through the export of Maravic’s innovative heat distributors, which his German company markets worldwide, although most of the production takes place at the Maring plant in Nedelišće near Čakovec. These are complex systems of management and distribution of thermal energy that are installed in boilers and heat substations for a fair and economical distribution of thermal energy, which have nothing to do with the so-called “heat distributors” in an apartment under the name in Croatia at the time of Minister of Economy Ivan Vrdoljak were imposed by their illegal installation.
With the development of the production of a heat distributor in Nedelišće, which he exports through his “Made in Germany” brand in Germany, Maravić embarked upon business development with the Chinese in the development of LED lighting intended for large customers such as local government units, public transport systems such as such as airports, train stations, and large retail chains.
In his current project, similar to the ESCO model in Croatia, which is based on the repayment of investments based on savings arising from the improvement of energy efficiency, Maravic employed Chinese Cheng Hui in Maring to realize the Chinese joint venture. – Croatian industrial park in Međimurje, but at the same time organized a fair of Međimurje products in Yancheng. After all, something like this was already achieved through the export of Međimurje wines via Maravić Maring to China, which promoted him as a metal exporter to a wine exporter who became a wine brand in China, an indispensable in the “slow food” gatherings of the establishment there, consisting of Party representatives, bankers and others. their favorite businessmen.
Cheng Hui, Maravic says, represents the Chinese mission for mutual cooperation, and Međimurje County Mayor Matija Posavec said at a meeting with the Chinese delegation that in the past four years the value of exports of goods and services from Međimurje County to China has grown at an annual rate of 54 how much. Therefore, in the absence of the mayor of Čakovec, Stjepan Kovač, a letter of intent on establishing relations between the friends of Cakovec and Yanchenga was signed by Deputy Mayor Zoran Vidović with Liu Guozhong, senior foreign affairs advisor of Yanchenga.
During his few days of socializing with the Chinese, mostly political delegation, Dmitar Maravic pursued his philosophy of developing relationships in such a way that he did not conduct business conversations with them, but sought to show them the quality of life in the environment in which he conducts his business, that he presented to them his investment worth 5.5 million euros in Čakovec, where by the beginning of 2020 he should integrate three technologies, namely the production of heat distributors with accompanying locksmith production, which is already a standard export activity, and licensed activity of surface corrosion protection, and production of LED lighting elements for which already, based on development experience, has orders that exceed production capacities in Čakovec.
Maravic, with an investment of 5.5 million euros, after which he received two million grants from EU funds after a hard fight with the Croatian bureaucracy, plans to hire 200 workers by the end of 2020, and expects Chinese potential partners to accept proposals on a new, joint venture investment in the construction of a large LED lighting facility in Međimurje, which would also result in China’s further entry into the EU. The Chinese are also aware, says Maravic, of all the benefits of such a facility and the Made in Croatia brand for entry and quality assurance in the EU market. In addition to LED lighting for production plants and retail chains, Maravić announces the production of specific LED lighting for growing various plants in horticulture and floriculture.
My business philosophy, says Maravic, is that you must not count with great profits right away, but something must be offered and put behind it, and that it is long-term.
– The Chinese offer me to open a factory with them, but, aware of the trade war with America, the Chinese are going to Europe today, I would say “through silk.” Bringing this delegation to Međimurje, I showed them where we live and what our tradition is, as well as our economic potential. I didn’t offer them anything but just show them, and they will, in accordance with the estimates of their man who works for me, and who knows how I do, after a while, make a serious decision about investing in a big project that lies ahead. The Chinese don’t make decisions overnight, but when they do, they are stable, Maravic says.
Our advantage is that we are in the EU, and we can deliver new quantities urgently or service all our customers urgently, says Maravić, and by the end of 2020, given orders, we can urgently intervene, whether it is surface protection of metals , or regarding LED lighting in a few days, which is our great advantage in perspective.
With our investment, we will employ 200 workers in Čakovec by the end of 2020, and by jointly investing with the Chinese in LED technology, we will employ another 300 people in Croatia, says Maravić.
Great opportunities for economic co-operation, Zou Yishi said, are in the processes of protection of metal surfaces in which Croatia has been developed and co-operation with large industrial entities in the sector.
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