Vladimir Grbec (TŽV Gredelj): Most of Gredelj’s Revenue Comes from Exports

Vladimir Grbec, the director of the Quality Management Sector at TŽV Gredelj, has earned great trust and respect from colleagues at Tatravagónka, the Slovak company that owns TŽV Gredelj, through exceptional dedication and quality work. He was recognized as a great expert by the president of the management board of TŽV Gredelj and became one of the members of the management board of TŽV Gredelj in March this year, alongside general director Michal Sykora, financial director Viera Urbanska, and general director of Tatravagónka Juraj Hudač. TŽV Gredelj survived one of the largest bankruptcies in Croatia and has been owned by Slovak Tatravagónka, a European leader in the freight wagon market, for three years. The company is in the process of modernization and digitalization, long-term contracts have been secured, production of freight wagons has increased, and export revenue accounts for more than 85%.

What has the new owner done for the company?

– In addition to securing jobs and annual orders, they are investing intensively in modernizing existing equipment and acquiring new equipment. The level of digitalization and process optimization is being raised, which is further accompanied by the selection and employment of new staff. All these activities increase the capacity to take on larger orders and position within Tatravagónka, a group with a 130-year tradition that is a European leader in the production of freight wagons.

What changes have occurred in the business?

– The volume of serial production, primarily of freight wagons, has significantly increased. In March 2022, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for a ten-year collaboration between the Railway Vehicle Factory Gredelj, the Budamar Group, and the Austrian company Innofreight. According to the Memorandum, TŽV Gredelj will produce, and Innofreight will purchase 1000 freight wagons per year. Long-term cooperation with the partner Innofreight is extremely important for TŽV Gredelj. The long-term goals are to achieve full employment of Gredelj’s production capacities, strive for continuous increases in production capacities, and work in production halls with new enthusiasm and optimism in a successful and modern environment.

What products are in high demand and who are the company’s clients?

– Innofreight is our largest individual customer, while other clients are also renowned companies from the railway sector such as CZ Loko, Siemens Mobility, HŽPP, and others. There is great potential in the market for the reconstruction and modernization of locomotives, as well as a significant need for freight and passenger wagons of various types and dimensions.

In which markets does Gredelj operate and how much revenue does it generate from exports?

– Gredelj operates in the European market and generates most of its revenue from exports. This accounts for more than 85% of revenue generated from exports, which includes serial production as well as projects.

For which part of the business are you personally responsible and how independent are you in making business decisions?

– As the director of the Quality Sector, I am responsible for product quality, the quality management system, and internal processes. When it comes to the Quality Sector, I have almost free rein to convey the vision of quality management with an appropriate strategy and a series of actions and align it as much as possible with Tatravagónka, which is also the model that all Group members strive for. The Quality Sector has been restructured and expanded, and in the future, we want to place even greater emphasis on ensuring and controlling quality, raising competencies, and certification according to all relevant standards. With a focus on continuous improvement, which has been recognized and emphasized in the new quality policy adopted this year, we will begin activities from lean methodologies and optimize all production processes in the next period.