Hungary´s Gov´t enters strategic partnership with Hungarian engineering firm
On Wednesday, the Government signed a strategic partnership agreement with Hungarian engineering firm Ganz Holding, making Ganz the third Hungarian-owned company with which the government signed such an agreement, reported kormany.hu.
Péter Szijjártó, parliamentary state secretary to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade emphasized on Wednesday in the Parliament before signing the agreement that the strategic partnership agreement with Ganz Holding was a sign of appreciation of the achievements of the Hungarian engineering industry. He added that this was the 48th strategic partnership agreement signed by the government.
Zoltán Fitos, chairman-CEO of Ganz Holding said that the agreement with the government would broaden the Ganz Holding group’s market opportunities and increase its role in the economy and education in Hungary, while the government also benefits from the partnership since Ganz would promote the development of the economy.
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| Ganz chairman Zoltán Fitos and State Secretary Péter Szijjártó |
Péter Szijjártó explained that the development of Ganz Holding was accompanied by outstanding engineering achievements, technical innovation and world patents. Engineering is a flagship of the Hungarian economy and is crucial for the country’s industrial development.
Engineering accounts for over 11 percent of the total processing industry output as the production value realized by the sector amounted to EUR 9 billion in 2013, and it also represents 10 percent of Hungary’s total machinery exports, the state secretary pointed out. In Hungary, 4,000 engineering businesses employed over 93,000 people in May, 1,500 more than at the end of last year, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Ganz is also a “flagship” of Hungary’s success abroad, since it has joint ventures with several British, French and Russian companies. Ganz further enhances the reputation of the Hungarian industry through its achievements on several markets targeted by the policy of opening to the East, emphasized Szijjártó.
Zoltán Fitos, chairman-CEO of Ganz Holding, said the products supplied by the Ganz Holding Group and its predecessors have a major influence on the operation and maintenance – and hopefully development – of infrastructure in Hungary, including for example most of the cooling water systems of the Paks nuclear power plant, several hydropower plants, municipal waterworks, sewage-treatment plant, equipment for district heating, agricultural irrigation and fountains.
Fitos said that about 50-80 percent (depending on year and member company) of the Ganz Grop’s production is sold on export markets amidst fierce international competition, where leading western companies are also present as suppliers. As examples, he mentioned Caterpillar, Liebherr and Zöllner.
In 2013 the Group managed to increase its consolidated earnings by 46 percent to HUF 13.1 billion from the previous year, and expects further increase this year, said Zoltán Fitos. Ganz has over 550 own employees and 80-120 leased employees, and over 500 suppliers, 70 percent of which are also Hungarian-owned, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
