Signing of the Contract with the investor, MARS Company, took place on Tuesday, Jan. 12th 2010 in Lafarge Beočin Cement Plant. Mars company is the producer of precise mechanical parts and process metal components with strong market share, export oriented company which will also strongly influence Serbian export in general. Mr. Gunnar Mitterbauer, Financial Director of LBFC emphasized advantages of BBP location and said there is a great interest for investment confirmed through numerous contacts with investors. He also thanked employees, management and share holders for support in realization of this project.

Signing of the Contract was attended by members of Vojvodina Government headed by the President of APV Government, representatives of local community & business sector,  many representatives of local and national media, and Lafarge Beocin Business Park management and employees.  

Bojan Pajtić, President of APV Government stated: “This is the beginning of operation of the first plant in BBP which will provide new job positions in Beocin, I congratulate Lafarge BFC and local authority for the partnership in realization of this project. We are supporting this project with 65.000 Euros for the first fifty new job positions.”

The example of strategic partnership of Lafarge BFC and Municipality of Beočin realized through the Business Park Project is one of the kind in Serbia and region of South East Europe. Lafarge BFC as one of the most successfully privatized companies in Serbia and as such represents one of the key success stories in future promotion of Serbian competitive advantages toward new investors.

This type of sustainable development represents the confirmation of values Lafarge support and actual contribution to a better life of all citizens in communities and markets where Lafarge is present, and it is a true example of corporate social responsibility in practice in Serbia and Balkans. Mr. Costin Borc, GM of LBFC commented: “Beocin Business Park is a non-profit investment for Lafarge, but Lafarge BFC is a socially responsible company ready to support development of local community.”

The first investor in BBP is a domestic MARS Company, founded in 1990 and doing business since. Facility in Beocin will be erected within the next six months, in dependence of legal procedure and will produce precise mechanical parts and process metal components. The entire assortment is intended for export. Metal components will be used for medical equipment, elevators, cash machines. It is planned to employ fifty people during the first year of business, and up to a hundred employees by the end of the second year. Value of the investment is around 2,3 million Euros.
By signing of the Contract, the transfer of right to use was made – ownership over the land of 1 hectare where the investor will erect the production facility of 4000 m2. The investor is obliged to apply Lafarge H&S rules and the training will be organized by our H&S Department. In addition, MARS Company is obliged to observe legal, technical, ecological, health and safety regulations, as well as to inform us about erection phases, investment and employment plan. By our Employment Assistant Office, which is established more than 7 years ago, and stil operating into the plant, we will support employment proces.

Beocin Business Park (BBP) is a non-profit, first CSR project initiated by Lafarge Beocin Cement Plant, intended to create conditions to attracting new investors and thereby contribute to decrease of unemployment, increase of production, export and overall economic and social development of Beocin Municipality and the region.

Project was commenced within strategic partnership of the Municipality of Beocin and support of the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Government of the Province of Vojvodina.

We are offering potential investors 18 hectares of land nearby Danube, with extension possibility of up to 40 hectares within the Lafarge BFC plant, directly connected with the harbor. The location is provided with gas, power and other sophisticated infrastructural requirements.  

To support new investors, the Business park offers a wide range of cost saving programs for the investors as  a Shared Service Center with:  
- support for setting-up a business ( permits and contract, etc..)
- permanent services below market prices ( administration services, Technical start-up, etc..)
As a competitive advantages of our Business Park I would like to emphasize that it is located directly at the Danube river, the second largest waterway in europe, offers direct connection from the North Sea – to the Black Sea. (European Transportation Corridor VII).