PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2012

EDITOURS REPORTS 36 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 09/12 www.petpla.net 40% of Gotmar’s products are supplied to the bottler Nova Trade, located on the same site, with the remaining 60% being spread over both inland and foreign customers such as (e.g.) countries of the former Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey. As far as the future is concerned, according to Mr. Golev, the company is targeting a new lightweight preform which will mean considerable cost savings as far as the customer is concerned. And, otherwise, Gotmar intends to remain true to its precept: it is the customer who comes up with the idea, Gotmar transforms it into a product. www.gotmar.com Index-6 Perpetual motion Dimitar Spasov on the stairs in front of the Index-6 Slogan We met: Petar Spasov, CEO Dimitar Spasov, Project Manager I have been invited to the town of Plovdiv for Machine maker Index-6. CEO Mr. Petar Spasov who escorts me into a large conference room where, a short time later, I am introduced to Mr. Dimitar Spasov in his capacity as Project Manager. Later that afternoon I get to know a great deal about this family operation which has experienced tremendous growth. Since its establishment in 1990 it has been a trail- blazer in a number of areas, both in the machine building sector and in matters relating to sustained corporate devel- opment, evidence of which is forthcoming in the shape of various ISO certifications of Quality Management, inte- grated Management System and environmental protection. A high level of commitment to health and safety at work plays a significant part. For this reason the Index-6 motto “Always in Motion“ is, if anything, more than appropriate. Mr. Dimitar Spasov applies this maxim not only to the com- pany but also to the machines themselves. Index-6 has specialised in the production of complete filling and closure lines right through to the labelling line, the PET sector playing a decisive role here, not only for beverages and food but also for non-food items. With six employees and starting with the design and manufacture of machines for the preserves industry, Index-6 has, in the meantime, built up a workforce of more than 180 employees and occupies factory premises with an area of around 20,000m 2 . On my way around the premises it is immediately clear that the team demonstrates a clear commitment and that the staff enjoy their work, something which is also an integral part of the company philosophy, i.e. happy, motivated employees. At Index-6 they do a lot to promote this, for example by taking suggestions for improvements on board and they give due credit to the staff and reward achievements. I find myself in front of CNC machines, tools of every sort and am totally fascinated by a large Lasermax cutting machine which has been subsidised by the EU and which is capable of cutting steel up to a maximum thickness of 15mm. Later I am shown into a kind of oversized show- room, a production hall in which some of the production lines are set up for both testing and display purposes. Dimitar Spasov tells me that Index-6 focuses mainly on export, this is where 90% of the company’s workload lies. And, as a result of Bulgaria’s admission to the EU in 2007, extra time savings are possible as regards the handling of import and export procedures for machine parts. Glimpse of Index-6 Showroom When I subsequently catch sight of a world map sport- ing pennants, I am unsurprised by the fact that, out of the exported machines, a considerable number go outside Europe and, while I am still inspecting the markings, I am proudly informed of a plant that is currently being installed in Bangalore. It is the company’s first line in India and will doubtless not be the last. What really makes a striking impression is all that has happened here since the sale of the first machine to Turkey over 15 years ago and the story continues. Since then Index-6 has gone on to be repre- sented in 32 countries. The company’s vision of its corporate future envisages consistently very high machine quality and sustainability, as well as healthy growth and a continuous increase in effi- ciency. The Spasovs are paying particular attention to the promotion of an extremely high quality yet nevertheless well-priced ultra-clean line. True to their motto: “Always in motion“. www.index-6.com