Fiat
Serbia has collected the award bestowed on it late last
year for the investment made in the former Zastava
factory in Kragujevac, Serbia, which is now producing
the Fiat 500L and is the largest car-making facility in
south east Europe.
Rebuilt and
comprehensively modernised to produce the 500L, the
plant is now one of the most modern car factories in
Europe, with the capacity to build enough vehicles to
export to more than 100 markets worldwide, including the
US.
That investment was
recognised by the jury of Autobest, the motoring
organisation of the emerging markets of Europe, who
voted unanimously to award the Companybest of 2012
prize to Fiat.
"The transformation of
this old communist factory is incredible," Ilia Seliktar,
Autobest President, said in summing up. "Fiat
deployed the latest technologies available today in the
industry. Is one of the most modern car factories in
Europe."
Accepting the award,
at a special presentation in Athens, Greece, Cesare
Antonio Ferrara, CEO, FGA Serbia said: "Fiat has been
running the joint venture company with the Republic of
Serbia since 2008. We are the largest investor in
Serbia, with total investments exceeding 1.2 billion
euros, of which 350 million euros has been used for the
total reconstruction of the factory.
"Fiat Automobiles
Serbia is also one of the largest employers in the
region, with more than 2,500 employees and an additional
1,000 employed within our suppliers, so I would like to
thank the jury of the Autobest organisation who
have recognized our efforts in making the old Serbia
factory become one of the largest and most modern in
Eastern Europe."
