Addressing the opening ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Branko Grcic, said that this was exactly the kind of industry the present government was advocating -- an export-oriented manufacturing industry.
He noted that the government had been involved in this project since its outset, through its investment attraction and monitoring agency, and that this project showed that investing in Croatia, especially in the manufacturing industry, was worthwhile.
"We have moved towards a sound, industrial sector and this company will certainly help us to strengthen our industry. This is a continuation of a very positive trend of economic growth," Grcic said, thanking the investor for choosing Croatia as an investment destination.
Wollsdorf CEO Andreas Kindermann and Varazdin County head Predrag Stromar praised local administration for expressly providing the necessary documentation, noting that the building permit was issued within several weeks.
The Wollsdorf company has its head office in Austria and operates in China and Croatia. It employs about 1,000 people in the three countries, including about 300 in the newly-opened plant in Jalzabet.
Stromar said that the unemployment rate in Varazdin County was currently below 11 per cent and that the employment rate was rising.