Minister of Economy and Industry Nikola Stojanov participated today in the opening ceremony of a new French investment worth BGN 15 million in Kardzhali. This is the third consecutive expansion of the Serta Bulgaria plant, creating 100 new jobs.
‘Serta Bulgaria is one of the many positive examples in the French-Bulgarian economic relations. In two decades this enterprise has become the second largest in the sector and today employs 700 people,’ Minister Stojanov said. ‘The implementation of this investment is the most definite proof that the company’s development plans are linked to Bulgaria and the region of Kardzhali,’ he added.
The Minister of Economy extended special congratulations to the employees of the company. According to him, the success of the plant is based on their daily work. ‘Bulgarian knowledge and skills are used here to create products that are exported to many EU countries, as well as to the USA, Brazil, Argentina and China,’ Minister Stojanov added.
‘Bulgaria’s GDP growth in 2022 will be mainly driven by the increase in the Gross Value Added of Bulgarian industry by over 17% year-on-year,’ Nikola Stojanov said. The value volume of the Industry sector is over BGN 11 billion and most of the production is export-oriented.
Minister Stojanov recalled that when he took office, he had set as a top priority the improvement of the business environment in Bulgaria and the constant contact with foreign companies in the country. ‘That is why my door will always be open to you,’ he said.
Serta Bulgaria AD has been operating in Bulgaria since 2003, when it acquired the Bulgarian company Pnevmatica, established in 1964. Currently, cylinders for agricultural and road construction machinery are produced at the plant in Kardzhali.
The event was attended by Mayor of Kardzhali Hasan Azis, Regional Governor Daniel Delchev, Ambassador of France H. M. Joel Meyer, the economic advisor to the mission in Bulgaria Emmanuel Boulestro, the chairman and the executive director of the French-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Stephane Delahaye and Vesela Todorova-Mozettig, the chairman of the Serta Group Cyrille Clement, the representative of the shareholders of the Group Gregoire de Castellano, representatives of the senior management of the company in Bulgaria and others.