The ISS Group has expanded operations in high growth Central and Eastern
Europe. Bosnia has now become the 49th country with an ISS operation. ISS has
entered Bosnia and Herzegovina with an industrial maintenance contract in Banja
Luka. The company is set up as a subsidiary of ISS Slovakia following the
cross-border request of one of its key customers - the paper mill SHP Harmanec,
who also operates a factory in Bosnia.
Outstanding performance in the
parent company in Harmanec, the Slovak Republic, in the field of Property
Services and Technical Maintenance is the major reason for SHP management to
expand co-operation with ISS both inside and outside the territory of
Slovakia.
"It is very rewarding and interesting for ISS Slovakia to
expand business to a new economy together with one of our major clients who
trusts us to run the industrial maintenance services for Celex, their Bosnian
subsidiary. We will share and transfer the knowledge from our home market to
develop the business for ISS in Bosnia," said Honor Ilavsky, Country Manager for
ISS in Slovakia.
Bosnia is placed at the heart of the Balkans and has
made tremendous progress since 1995 following the end of the war in former
Yugoslavia. Based on its impressive economic recovery and sustained social
stability the country can be considered a post-conflict success story. The
government is putting high focus on improving competitiveness by fostering
sustainable private sector-led growth. Bosnia has around 4 Million inhabitants.
Real GDP Growth in 2006 is estimated at around 5%.
The aim of the
newly-established ISS company is to operate in Banja Luka, but also to expand
its activities into other geographical areas including Sarajevo and Mostar, both
in the form of organic growth and through acquisitions. The planned turnover for
2007 amounts to around €1 million.