In an interview, Filip Simovic, CEO, and Nikola Vasiljevic, COO of Militzer & Münch Serbia, talk about their ambitious growth plans. In October 2019, Militzer & Münch founded the joint venture with Serbian logistics company Invictus System Transport & Logistics D.O.O. to further develop its network in the Balkans.
Mr. Vasiljevic, how is the joint venture perceived in the Serbian market?
Nikola Vasiljevic: Before the joint venture was founded, Militzer & Münch was more or less unknown in the Serbian market. We had first of all to acquire a customer base and win the customers’ trust. At this time, we focus on establishing Militzer & Münch more firmly in the national logistics market.
Mr. Simovic, you have set yourselves an ambitious goal for the Serbian logistics market. How are you planning to reach it?
Filip Simovic: Our objective is to be the market leader in Serbia two years from now. Customer satisfaction is our number one focus. We analyze the demand in the Serbian logistics market and adapt our services optimally to our customers’ requirements. All our logistics services are customized. Our top-quality performance and the commitment of our team already distinguish us from our competitors; there is high demand for our logistics solutions. Since the joint venture was founded last autumn, business has developed well, and we are confident that we will be able to reach our goal.
“Our top-quality performance and the commitment of our team already distinguish us from our competitors.”
Filip Simovic
CEO Militzer & Münch Serbia
What have been your biggest successes so far?
Nikola Vasiljevic: From the beginning, we used substantial advertising campaigns to market each of our services – they include road transport, customs clearance and storage. With our marketing campaign, we have already been able to position ourselves as a serious player in the Serbian market.
We are very proud to see that our services are in such high demand after such a short time. Especially the groupage transport we launched from Germany, Austria and Italy is a very big success for us. Recently added were Militzer & Münch groupage traffics for exports to Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania.
How many Militzer & Münch locations are there in Serbia?
Filip Simovic: One office is in Dobanovci – an industrial zone near Belgrade – and the other is at Leskovac, in the south. In Dobanovci, we are currently renting a 1,000 square meter storage area for customs clearance services, and we are constructing our own warehouse and office premises at this time. The property will cover 10,000 square meters. In May/June we will already be able to take into operation the first 5,000 square meters.
How is the cooperation with other Militzer & Münch country units?
Nikola Vasiljevic: We soon realized that we can always cooperate with the entire Militzer & Münch Group in a reliable and trustful way. As many German companies have production plants in Serbia, we often handle projects together with the German Militzer & Münch unit. Especially the collaboration with the German Militzer & Münch branches in Stockstadt, Nuremberg and Hof works excellently. The German colleagues give us their full support.
What services are you offering in Serbia at this time, and what services are planned for the near future?
Filip Simovic: At the moment, our focus is on road transports – part loads, full loads and refrigerated transports. We also offer the whole range of customs services and warehousing. We aim to extend our activities also to air and sea transport as well as rail freight.
What industries are you serving?
Nikola Vasiljevic: Most of the transports we handle are for companies from the chemistry, textile, automotive, pharmaceutical and beverages sectors. There is lots of investment in Serbia at this time, mainly from abroad. Most investors are from the automotive industry, and to a large extent, they are from Germany. Which is why we at Militzer & Münch Serbia place a strong focus on this sector.
Have you already done first transports in the field of project logistics?
Filip Simovic: In November 2019, we successfully handled the first project transport. For a renowned Serbian textile manufacturer, we transported big machinery for textile production. I am very proud of my team: they worked with untiring commitment to meet the customer’s expectations.
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