After the strongest earthquake in the last 140 years hit Zagreb and its surroundings in the early morning hours of March 22, all services and their volunteers went on the scene to help the victims. Our colleague Dario Tomić, a quality engineer, but also a volunteer firefighter, was among them. After the initial shock, he got into the car and without hesitation headed to his fire department to help his fellow citizens along with colleagues. The damage was being repaired for days, the extent of damage was unimaginable, and the city panorama was unrecognizable.

Proud of our colleague, we end this text with his sentence: “The city of Zagreb will always be able to sleep peacefully with such wonderful people because those who are ready to help at any moment stand by its side.”

CSR Index Awards were presented for the 12th time at the annual corporate social responsibility conference. The awards are given to companies for the best achievements in corporate social responsibility, and they are organized by the Croatian Business Council for Sustainable Development (HR BCSD) and the Croatian Chamber of Economy. Companies have been awarded in nine categories and more than one hundred have competed this year. AD Plastik won the award in the in the category of large companies again this year.

“We are proud that our continuous work and progress have been recognized by the professional public and I hereby thank for the award. First of all, I want to thank all of our employees who have most of the credit for the fact that social responsibility is part of our day-to-day business.” said Marinko Došen, president of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, while receiving this significant recognition.

The central theme of this year’s conference was climate and climate change. Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman praised the efforts of HR BCSD and the CCE to contribute, through concrete activities, to achieving the sustainable development goals as effectively as possible under the 2030 Agenda.

Participating in the panel discussion, Marinko Došen emphasized the fact that the number of cars in the world has been constantly increasing and that despite new trends, the automotive industry is aware of its impact and is constantly taking various measures to reduce its negative impact on the environment. “This approach is imperative in the automotive industry. You really cannot be on the automotive supplier panel, whether you are a Tier 1 or Tier 2 supplier, unless you have a clear sustainability strategy and goals. We are also obliged to influence our suppliers, to choose them according to these principles and to exercise regular control,” Došen pointed out.  

Došen emphasized that corporate social responsibility is an absolute choice of AD Plastik Group and a part of all business processes. “By researching and developing new materials, we reduce the weight of the components we produce and consequently the weight of the vehicle. We care about the emissions of gases generated in our production processes using state-of-the-art technologies according to the highest EU standards. We use recycled materials increasingly in the production itself. We have introduced a model of chemical leasing, taking care in this manner of the entire life cycle of a chemical or solvent. We dispose of the waste solvents from our painting production process to an authorized waste disposal company which regenerates the waste solvent and returns it back to the process for use. In cooperation with our customers, we have been working on reducing the amount of packaging waste, so the packaging of our products is mostly returnable,” Marinko Došen emphasized, and as an additional indicator of quality and social responsibility, he pointed out the various certificates that all production sites, where AD Plastik Group has its factories, obtain, starting with IATF 16949, to ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, ISO 27001.

The CSR Index enables companies to objectively manage, monitor, measure and interpret their own specific impacts. Using this tool, it is more visible for the companies what is being done well regarding their stakeholders and compared to other companies, and potential areas for improvement are indicated. In order to ensure their own sustainability and development, companies in all aspects of their business and in all relationships must show continuously good results.

Croatian Chamber of Economy organized the Day of Croatian Financial Institutions Conference – Impact of the introduction of the euro on economic developments. The organizers of the conference stressed that skepticism about the euro mainly comes from ignorance and that businessmen, and especially exporters, overwhelmingly support the introduction of the euro. It was reported that about two-thirds of Croatia’s trade in goods takes place in the euro area, which is where the vast majority of total foreign direct investments in Croatia comes from.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković emphasized the numerous benefits of the introduction of the euro, from the permanent elimination of currency risk, through the reduction of borrowing costs to the strengthening of international trade. He announced that as early as next year we are entering the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II and that after two and a half to three years we should meet all the requirements for the introduction of the euro. This means that we would enter the Eurozone early in 2023 or 2024.

Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik, participated in panel discussion as part of the conference, where discussion was held regarding the impact of the introduction of the euro on economic developments. “As president of the Management Board of a company that is a 100% exporter, it is clear that I am a big proponent of the introduction of the euro. The implemented exchange rate policy is not in us exporters’ favor and it is one of the biggest obstacles in increasing profitability. In these circumstances, it is very difficult to remain competitive in the demanding global market, especially in the industry in which we operate,” said Marinko Došen on this occasion.

On the premises of the CCE of the County Chamber of Split, a round table was held entitled “November 3 – the day from which women work for free until the end of the year – why?”. The theme of the roundtable was the difference in personal earnings between men and women, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy – County Chamber of Split and the KRUG Businesswomen Association. The event was aimed at pointing out that women continue to be paid less for the same work than their male colleagues, and that there is room for improvement on this issue, as well as a will to change and improve should be found throughout the entire society.

The round table was attended by Katija Klepo, a member of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, who emphasized that in AD Plastik there is no difference between a man and a woman in terms of promotion, nor a difference in salaries for the same job. “Men and women in the AD Plastik Group have a very similar progression path, but certain positions carry increased responsibilities and challenges such as travel, additional engagement and the like. It is very important for women to harmonize their private and business life so sometimes they do not want to take over additional responsibility. As for other developed European countries, the main difference is that in these countries women have a greater choice than in Croatia. For example, they have the option of choosing part-time after returning from maternity leave and a significantly better options regarding childcare arrangements. It is encouraging that women in the business world today have a much better status than just ten years ago. Work should continue to be done in this direction. I am sure the differences that exist will diminish in the future and I believe they will also disappear over time,” said Katija Klepo.

From November 3 until the end of the year women across the European Union symbolically speaking work for free, comparing their earnings with those of their  male colleagues at the same job. This day was called Equal Pay Day and it should serve as a reminder that women continue to be paid less for the same work than their male colleagues. The survey found that as many as 16.1 percent of women in the European Union have lower incomes than their male colleagues for the same job. The private sector in the EU is strongest in these differences, and the percentage varies across countries. In Romania, the difference is five percent, in rich and developed Germany as much as 21 percent, while in France it is 15 percent. Estonia has the biggest difference, as high as 25 percent, while in Croatia the difference is somewhere around the EU average.

AD Plastik Group has published Interim Report by Management for the first nine months of 2019, showing that operating revenue increased by 16.6 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to HRK 1,095.32 million.

„Business results for the first nine months show the positive trends of our business operations, despite the slightly less favorable market impacts. Since the beginning of the year we have been focused on the industrialization and realization of projects on which deals have been sealed. In addition to the start of serial production of the redesigned Twingo and the new Clio 5, which began in the second quarter, by the end of the year a serial production for the very demanding Ford project, with which we are collaborating for the first time on the painting program, as well as the redesigned Smart will have begun,“ said Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of the AD Plastik Group.

Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) amounted to HRK 133.54 million at the Group level, which represents an increase of 3.57 percent and EBITDA margin amounting to 12.19 percent was achieved. Revenue and EBITDA growth as well as more favorable net financial result have also contributed to a 6.28 percent increase in the Group’s net profit which amounted to HRK 63.86 million in the reporting period.„In the last few months, we have sealed significant development and production deals for components in Russia, which mainly relate to new models of the Renault-Nissan-AvtoVAZ Alliance, one of our key customers in that market. These deals will significantly utilize the capacities of our Russian factories, which will allow further growth and development of the Group in this market. In the automotive industry, we have the well-deserved position of a quality and reliable partner, and we have found our business niche in which we achieve results far above the industry average,“ said Marinko Došen.

For the tenth consecutive year, Poslovni dnevnik in cooperation with the Zagreb Stock Exchange has been awarding companies with the best investor relations. Companies from the CROBEX index and those listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange’s Prime and Official Market enter the competition. The award winners are decided on the basis of statistical criteria relating to the issuer’s compliance with the Rules of the Stock Exchange and on the basis of a survey conducted among participants of the capital market.

This year, the awards were presented again in Rovinj as part of the eighth joint conference of the Zagreb Stock Exchange and the fund industry entiteled “Challenge of Change”. The award for the third ranking company went to AD Plastik, for the second ranking to Atlantic Group, and for the first ranking went to Valamar Riviera.

“The award is extremely important to us because it is about recognition by a professional financial public. Our business in the global marketplace requires the respect and continual improvement of high standards of corporate governance. The effort we put in is recognized, and it is our motive to be even better,” said Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik, expressing gratitude to the organizers and participants of the conference.

The “Challenge of Change” conference represents the central gathering of the financial community from Croatia and the region, and this year about 40 speakers and about 450 participants from all branches of the financial industry attended the conference. The conference was inaugurated on behalf of the organizer by Ivana Gažić, President of the Management Board of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, and in the introductory part of the conference the participants were addressed by the Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić. This was followed by lectures by Ante Žigman, President of the Governing Board of the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency, Governor Boris Vujčić, Uto Baader, founder of Baader Bank and former Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas.

 (photo: Manuel Paljuh)

As part of the 13th Conference of Croatian Security Managers held in Opatija, Croatia’s Big Security Awards 2019 were presented at the ceremony. AD Plastik won the award in the category Achievement and Development of Security in corporations, which was awarded for the successful integration of information and cyber security business processes. President of the Association of Croatian Security Managers Alen Ostojić presented the award to the President of the Management Board of AD Plastik, Marinko Došen.

“This award is extremely important to us. It confirms that our efforts and investments in raising corporate security level have been recognized by the professional public. AD Plastik operates in a very demanding global automotive market that has very high corporate and security standards. The results we achieve, as well as the awards we receive, give us the right to think that we are successful in this,” said Marinko Došen, thanking the expert jury and the organizers for recognizing the efforts and results of AD Plastik.

Croatia’s Big Security Award is awarded in 12 categories to individuals, companies, institutions and the local community for a significant contribution to achieving and developing the security of the Republic of Croatia. 

The main theme of the Thirteenth Conference of Croatian Security Managers was “New Forms of Security in Focus,” and the President of the Management Board of AD Plastik also participated in the “Economy and Security” panel in the working part of the conference. Marinko Došen illustrated the importance of security with examples in the AD Plastik business. “There are two key reasons why we are constantly investing in systems. One of them is the field of manufacturing globality, because we export to 24 countries worldwide from our five factories in different countries. Another important reason for investing in corporate security is the fact that we have a special relationship with our customers with whom we are constantly connected with information systems. This requires every serious managament board to deal seriously with risk assessments. Following such evaluations, we bring in a whole set of procedures. We have formed a team within the company that is constantly dealing with such problems,” Došen said.

He emphasized that with the development of technologies, risks also develop, and added: “Fortunately, both resistance, that is solutions that cancel out the consequences of such risks, also develop. In order to survive in the industry, we must pay special attention to the risks and the strengthening of corporate security.”

The conference was opened with welcome speeches held by Alen Ostojić, President of the Association of Croatian Security Managers, Holger Haibach, the Head of the Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for Croatia and Slovenia and Damir Krstičević, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the Republic of Croatia.

The 28th meeting of the Lider’s Club of Exporters took place at the AD Plastik factory at Jankomir, Zagreb. The members and guests of the club were welcomed by the Editor-in-Chief of the Lider Miodrag Šajatović, who emphasized that the members of this club are exporting HRK 15 billion a year.

The host of the meeting, Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik, welcomed the guests and reminded that AD Plastik is a 100% exporter and places all of its production to foreign markets. Došen emphasized the excessive kuna exchange rate and the increase in operating costs, i.e. the increase in energy prices and labor costs as two key parameters that negatively affect the competitiveness of the company. “Every five years we lose almost one factory due to the strong kuna. If we take the 2014 kuna exchange rate as an indicator, we have lost almost HRK 87 million in revenue due to its strengthening over the last five years. Electricity costs rose 33 percent, which is a cost increase of HRK 8.4 million over the last three years. An increase in staff costs has burdened the business with HRK 78.5 million in the last five years. That is why it is necessary to consider compensatory measures for exporters exporting more than EUR 100 million or employing more than 500 employees,” pointed out Marinko Došen.

The main discussion of the members of the Club of Exporters was focused on the topic of energy sources prices as a significant factor in export competitiveness. The Minister of Environment and Energy Tomislav Ćorić participated as a special guest, who noted that Croatian exporters face a number of challenges in their operations. “Some of them, such as rising labor costs and electricity prices, cannot be significantly influenced by the Government of the Republic of Croatia. It is encouraging that we are currently in the process of implementing a new scheme for the payment of fees for renewable energy sources, which are aimed at relieving large consumers, that is, energy-intensive industries. Relief from the fees would range from 80, 60, or 40 percent,” said Minister Ćorić.

The Corporate governance quality conference was held at the Hotel Esplanade Zagreb, organized by the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency and Jutarnji List. The Code of Corporate Governance of the issuers was formally signed, and it was jointly drafted by the Hanfa and the Zagreb Stock Exchange, with the support of the EBRD, with the aim of enhancing the culture of corporate governance. The Code of Corporate Governance sets the foundation for building sophisticated corporate relationships within companies by  defining detailed procedures for the work of the Management Board and Supervisory Board and establishing effective internal controls and accountability systems.

Participating in the main panel of the conference, Marinko Došen, President of the Management Board of AD Plastik Group, noted that efforts to improve the corporate governance culture have been put for many years. “Our industry is highly regulated. In our business, we are very connected with our partners, so they demand extremely high standards of corporate governance from us. There is no room for failure to meet the standards here as the market and customers constantly remind us of the importance of investing in a complete management culture. We couldn’t survive without it. Investor relations are very important to us because they give us support in our plans, while good relationships with our customers enable us to realize them,” said Marinko Došen, among other things. 

Apart from Marinko Došen, panel discussion was attended by Gian Piero Cigna, EBRD Chief Counsel of the Financial Law Unit, Ivana Gažić, President of the Management Board of the Zagreb Stock Exchange, dr. sc. Željko Lovrinčević, Scientific Advisor at the Institute of Economics in Zagreb and Petar Vlaić, President of the Management Board of the Erste mandatory and voluntary pension funds management company.

Zdravko Marić, Minister of Finance, dr. sc. Ante Žigman, President of the Management Council of Hanfa and Steven Maijoor, President of the European Securities and Markets Authority spoke at the conference.

The conference Education 4.0. – industry-tailored school was held in Zagreb, with the primary objective of encouraging a wider discussion on the gap between education programs in Croatia and the needs of the economy. The conference attracted the most famous local names from the industry, and AD Plastik was represented by Hrvoje Jurišić, Executive Director of Research and Development. As an industry representative, he spoke on this topic with Stjepan Sučić, Končar KET’s Development Director and Matija Gracin, Director of Components at Rimac Automobili company.

The conference was also supported by Steven Corbin, Sales, Strategy and Partner Development Director – 3DS Global Value Solutions, Matteo Cocca and Natacha Becard from Dassault Systemes educational part and prof. dr. sc. Daniel Rolph Schneider, Vice-Dean for Business and Organization at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture.

Conference Education 4.0. – industry-tailored school is the start of a discussion to provide 3D design and simulation tools to technical schools and colleges, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education, through available EU funds. The main goals of such gatherings are to connect the real sector and education, to provide a competent workforce and to develop the skills and knowledge needed in the modern industry.

The goal is to provide the necessary education and teaching content for teachers and professors through the CADCAM Education Center and Dassault Systemes Learning Services. Efforts are being made to motivate students and pupils to use the tools through existing DS student development projects, to encourage involvement of the real sector through sponsored assignments and projects, and to encourage students and pupils to acquire concrete and real knowledge and skills needed in the real sector.