October the 15th, 2024 – The enormous Jabil Osijek project has seen the unemployment that has dogged the area for years plummet. Here’s more about the largest international investment in the industrial sector.
As Poslovni Dnevnik/VL/Suzana Lepan-Stefancic writes, the American company Jabil finally opened the doors of its impressive production facility in Osijek’s Nemetin business zone on Thursday. It’s the largest economic investment in the last three decades in the city on the banks of the Drava river, and one of the largest in recent Croatian history. The value of the investment in the Jabil Osijek project stands at 100 million euros.
fifteen months of work
The new facility spans an area of 47,938 square metres and boasts state-of-the-art infrastructure. It will supply key industries, including the automotive, transportation and healthcare sectors, as well as introduce advanced technological capabilities and create high-quality jobs across Croatia and the region.
The facility for the Jabil Osijek project was erected in a mere 15 months, and was constructed by more than 1,000 workers from 140 different companies. The company itself, founded back in 1966, entered into a strategic partnership with General Motors 45 years ago, and gradually grew with innovative products, as well as with numerous acquisitions such as the Telmark Network and a portfolio of medical devices at Johnson&Johnson.
“This is more than a factory, this is the beginning of a journey full of possibilities. We’re creating new jobs. We’re excited because thanks to benefits such as relocation packages, the reimbursement of transportation costs and participation in international projects, we’ll be able to attract talented individuals to our Osijek facility,” said Victor Manuel Morales, regional director for business development.
“At Jabil, we manufacture everything from coffee machines to life-saving medical devices as well as automotive technology. We’re the brand behind the world’s biggest brands. Our Jabil Osijek project and new plant symbolises the next chapter in the field of new opportunities, innovation and cooperation in complex and important growing markets. We’re delighted to combine the Jabil’s global expertise with the potential that Osijek possesses,” said Fred McCoy, Jabil’s executive vice president in charge of global operations.
“Currently, we have less than 1,500 employees, but we’re moving towards that figure, and looking at maybe even going higher, if we manage to attract more clients. We found local workers, and we didn’t have to look for foreigners,” added McCoy.
the jabil osijek project is part of a much larger story
The history of Jabil began back in 1966. Today, they operate in more than 100 locations in 25 countries around the world and have around 140,000 employees. The new Jabil Osijek plant will be of key importance in providing support to the company’s European operations, as well as in meeting the needs of its clients around the world.
The Jabil Osijek project saw the creation of this new facility, which boasts a 22,296 square meter production space. It is equipped with the latest equipment for surface mounting technology and automated assembly, and a solar power plant with a total power of 4.8 MW.
putting slavonia on the map
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the Jabil Osijek project will be a new and important link in Croatian-American relations, adding that the opening of the facility in Osijek is “proof that the Slavonia project has succeeded.”
“Osijek was chosen in a competition between 16 cities, and this shows that Osijek and Slavonia have changed their image. Osijek and Croatia as a whole will benefit from the commissioning of the new plant in the long term, given that it is one of the most significant foreign investments in the industrial sector,” Plenković said.
American ambassador Nathalie Rayes was also extremely optimistic. “Jabil invested 100 million euros in the new Osijek facility. The future is very bright for Croatia and this is just the beginning. Croatia is politically and economically stable, with great human potential. I’d like welcome all American investors to Croatia and offer our help,” said Rayes of the Jabil Osijek project.
the jabil osijek project has seen unemployment drop significantly
The American giant explained that the choice of Osijek for their new investment was determined by the fantastic support of the local and educational community that they received. The mayor of Osijek, Ivan Radić, said that the opening of the new plant is yet more proof that Osijek is “a centre of innovation and technological development”.
“This investment will be another step forward in the economic transformation of the City of Osijek. Investments in the public sector worth 350 million euros are underway across the city, half of which is from EU money. For the past two years, Osijek has been one of the cities to lead in the withdrawal of EU funds. We’ve been recording record high employment and record low unemployment over the last 15 years,” underlined Radić.
Osijek-Baranja prefect Mato Lukić pointed out that Jabil is of great importance when it comes to employment and strengthening the economy in the county.
“The Jabil Osijek project will definitely succeed in attracting other investors and employers, and they’re already contacting us. In a conversation with one employee, I got the impression that the employees are extremely satisfied. It’s particularly important and, I’d personally say, the key to the whole story, that this employee returned to Croatia, specifically to Vukovar,” said Lukić.
He also stated that at the end of August, there were 95,000 employees registered in Osijek-Baranja County, which is an increase of 16.5 percent, or 3,400 workers, compared to the same period last year.
