Metalac was founded in 1959 and was based in Gornji Milanovac, 110 km to the south of Belgrade. Its founding capital was scarcely 480,000 DEM, and their production range included tinsmith and locksmith products. As soon as the following year, nameling technology and production of dishes were introduced.
In mid 60s, great efforts were made to affirm the company as a reliable producer of enameled dishes, resulting in ten-time increase of the company's founding capital.
In the mid 70s, the greatest investments were made into strategic adaptation, in particular in the field of automated production. Metalac was becoming ever competitive producer of dishes. It started exporting into European countries, which was a major step and great stimulus for further company development.
By the end of 80s, with more or less successful adaptation to the market, the company has been focused on the production of enameled dishes.
During the last decade of the 20th century, in extremely hard and unfortunate times of economic crisis, wars and embargo - the courage and clearly defined vision brought about a series of successful undertakings. Metalac is firm in its decision to stop being dependant on only one production range, to modernize the plant, introduce quality standards and transform its ownership structure.
Orientation toward export has become the measure of all decisions.
Between 1990 and 1996, enameled dishes production technology has been modernized.Boiler tanks production capacity has doubled. Production of NON-STICK dishes, INOX and enameled dishwashers, and cardboard packing materials have been newly introduced. Information system and ISO 9001 quality control have also been introduced. International TUV-ISO 9001 quality certificate has been also obtained. The transformation of ownership-structure started.
By the end of 90s, one of the most state-of-the-art plants for production of INOX dishes CrNi 18/10 was launched.The newly opened plant for the production of luxurious packing boxes and off-set prints has been operating quite well. Metalac has acquired and integrated a company which had been producing cardboard packing material and paper confectionery products. Bakelite and plastic elements production was launched as a supplement to our basic production lines. A chain of 30 specialized shops in all larger towns in Serbia and Montenegro has also been established.Rating of Metalac in the EU countries has considerably risen. Ownership transformation was completed. Metalac is now a joint-stock company.
The decade of intensive investments was crowned in 2002 by the construction of the state-of-the-art Business Centre. The new information system BaaN ERP was introduced. In the production of thermo capsule bottoms of Inox Dishes, a transfer was made to the Impact-Bonding technology. Quality management systems were integrated with environment management standards QMS/EMS.
In 2003, Metalac founded a company for wholesale trade, Metalac Trade, and later on it acquired, through the Belgrade Stock Market, the majority stock package of the Gornji Milanovac based company Proleter. As soon as in the middle of 2004, again straight from the Belgrade Stock Exchange, the Metalac family was joined by Agrovojvodina Metalurgija from Novi Sad, today known as Metalac Metalurgija a.d.
Beginning 2006 Metalac passed to holding organization aiming in this mature stage of development to upgrade functional and entrepreneurial aspect and give chance to young. The family has grown into 12 companies. New factory of accumulation and small capacity water heaters , Metalac Bojler, was opend. The trading company Promo-Metal was founded in Croatia and Metalac Market Podgorica in Montenegro. With 2008 Metalac became owner of the trading company Metrot, Moscow, while local retail net Metalac Market consists of as many as 55 shops.
So Metalac Holding started 2008 with four production and seven trading companies, and chain of 55 specialized shops of household items throughout Serbia, plus 33 local shops in the province of Gornji Milanovac. Production of cookware still represents core business with 40% of total income. The market now covers 25 countries including USA and Australia. The total income in 2007 reached 71 million euros, the exports 18 milion and the profit 5,5million.
The development strategy till 2012 has been defined.
