Ana Baričić, Marex Elektrostroj: We Offer Employment to Students in Internships, but Future Welders Prefer to Become Waiters

Ana Baričić is the director and co-owner of Marex Elektrostroj from Zadar, a market leader in the production of connection energy cabinets for marinas and camps, which has been operating continuously as a legal entity since 1964. At that time, a cooperative craft workshop was established by six equal master co-owners, one of whom was Mate Petrić, Ana Baričić’s father. Initially, the craft dealt with the repair of small household appliances, then with the repair and rewinding of generators, and in the 1980s, Petrić made the first energy cabinet for a marina, which, Baričić proudly emphasizes, is still in operation today.

As the number of marinas and camps on the Adriatic increased, so did the production of Marex Elektrostroj. Today, in addition to connection energy cabinets, it has a range of its own products, the most important of which are those for marinas and camps: systems for monitoring water consumption, pumping stations, electric vehicle chargers, hydrant cabinets, cabinets for fire extinguishers, mobile fire-fighting stations, etc. An important segment of Marex Elektrostroj is also the production of lighting poles and various municipal equipment: benches, trash cans, beach showers, bus shelters, flagpoles, and many other products.

Own Software Solutions

Entrepreneurship is not foreign to Ana Baričić, as she grew up with the fact that every Tuesday there was a meeting of the co-owners of the craft where decisions and plans about the business were made. To continue the tradition, every Tuesday there is still a meeting of Marex Elektrostroj and its co-owners. It is interesting to note that from the former association of six craftsmen, several renowned companies have emerged today – owned by the heirs of the original founders – and each of them successfully operates in its own industry.

In the last six years, since Baričić has been at the helm of Marex Elektrostroj, there has been a continuous increase in total revenue and production revenue, especially since the company has perfected its electrical cabinets and other products with software solutions managed by young automation engineering graduate Roko Baričić, the director’s son, who explains that when an electrical cabinet is upgraded to a smart cabinet, its value doubles, thus gaining significant added value.

Last year, revenue was around three million euros, of which about 350 thousand euros was profit, which indicated a recovery from 2021, a year that was difficult in itself as many expansion or construction projects for camps and marinas were postponed due to the corona crisis. This year, revenues in the first six months are better than in the same period last year, which is a good indicator, although it is still unknown what the season will be like and when new orders will arrive. Therefore, during the off-season, the company produces products that they can manufacture in advance and keep in stock, such as mooring bits and various other products for sailors.

Since maintenance services are one of the important activities, Marex Elektrostroj, in addition to maintaining its own products in marinas and camps, has also received a four-year concession for the maintenance of children’s playgrounds in Zadar. This engagement involves repairing equipment, installing benches, trash cans, and other items found in that urban space. Along with this concession, they also received one for maintaining public lighting in the city of Zadar, which is why their team of electricians is constantly in the field.

More Power, Less Cost

The successful story of Marex Elektrostroj also relates to drawing funds from European Union funds. The first such project was realized in 2013 when a solar power plant was built on top of the business building, so for the past ten years, they have been using electricity from their own sources in production, which has reduced their electricity costs by thirty to forty percent. So far, eleven projects co-financed by European money have been realized, and a project for the digitalization of the company worth eighty thousand euros has just been completed, which has connected production facilities, employees, and work tasks through software.

Although the topic of personnel and employees usually comes up in the second part of the conversation we have with entrepreneurs, the problem of the lack of skilled workers and those who should succeed them emerged as the first topic of conversation with Ana Baričić. Despite the alarming shortage of skilled welders, and precisely because of that, the company is working on educating apprentice students, as they used to do.

– We have trained our masters to educate students who have been coming to us for internships for the last four years. Although we offer the best of them the possibility of employment, unfortunately, this does not work at all because most of them, after finishing their schooling and internship for vocational training, go into other professions: waiters, hospitality workers, engage in renting apartments, go abroad, or simply do not want to work at all – emphasizes Baričić.

Of the total 34 employees in the company, 26 workers are in production. Baričić states that it is impossible to find an experienced welder. They have had an open competition for more than two years, but no one with the necessary qualifications has applied, even though in the last two years, workers’ salaries have increased by more than thirty percent, they pay a thirteenth salary, and offer other benefits.

The entire text can be read in the printed and digital edition of Lider.