Lek's Lipovci Plant Celebrates Its Twentieth Anniversary
In twenty years the plant has produced 82,000 tons of various products – Lek and the local community are good partners – The Lipovci plant also to receive the Environmental Protection Certificate ISO 14001
Lipovci, June 22nd – The international pharmaceutical company Lek d.d. (Lek) sells its products in over 80 world markets. In 20 of these, Lek also markets its line of animal health products. Lek’s Animal Health Unit plant at Lipovci in Prekmurje, which produces mineral and vitamin compounds and animal feed additives, celebrates its twentieth anniversary of successful operation.
Lek became interested in building a plant in Prekmurje twenty-five years ago at the time when the Slovenian government established a special Fund designed to encourage compatible regional development in Slovenia. The communities of Lendava and Murska Sobota cooperated in building the plant. Construction began in 1979 and was completed in 1980.
From its beginnings until today, the Lipovci plant has produced over 82,000 tons or 4,100 freight cars of a variety of animal feed products. The value of these goods totals over DM 235 million, which makes Lek’s Lipovci plant one of the leading animal feed additives production facilities in Central Europe.
Today, the Lipovci plant produces premixes, mineral and vitamin compounds, ultra concentrates, pro-biotics and the ingredients necessary for the preparation of healthy diets for almost all animal species. In the first five months of this year, the sales of animal feed additives exceeded projections, surpassing last year’s results by 12 % for the same period. Sales increased particularly in Slovenia, Croatia and Romania.
In 2000 Lek’s Animal Health Unit totaled SIT 2.4 billion in sales, up11% from 1999 and representing a 4.3% share of Lek’s total sales.
In 1996 Lek’s Lipovci plant was, along with other Lek units, awarded the ISO 9001 Certificate of Quality. In June of this year, Lek’s Lipovci successfully passed the requirements for the ISO 14001 Certificate as well. This certificate confirms that Lek Lipovci meets all relevant environmental protection standards and regulations.
As Jože Kavaš, the major of Beltinci emphasized in his comments at the anniversary ceremony, “Good and stable plants such as Lek Lipovci are extremely important for our region. Employees, who are regularly and appropriately compensated for their work and have job security, work harder. Lek Lipovci cooperates with its neighbors and is an integral part of our community."