Dutch-MacedonianChamber of Commerce

c/o Netherlands Embassy Leninova 69-71 1000 Skopje Republic of Macedonia

e: info@nlchamber.org.mkw: www.nlchamber.org.mk

fb.com/nlchamber twitter.com/nlchamber

linkedin.com/../nl-chamber

youtube.com/user/nlchamber

NL Chamber was established in January 2012 as official Dutch-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce by 50 Macedonian companies, according to the Macedo nian Law on Chambers of Commerce.

One third of these companies is partly or fully Dutch owned.

Objective of NL Chamber is to promote and support successful business relations between Dutch and Macedonian companies.

newsletterSEPTEMBER 2013 3

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eventsDeputy PM Stavreski meeting Dutch business communityDutch Business Meeting StipFashion Fair Modefabriek AmsterdamVisiting clients with Vima FashionprojectsNetherlands Embassy: Customs and business climatenetworkInitiatives for bilateral chambers in Albania and BulgariamembersDutch Natuurgevelsteen exploring Macedonian quarriesDutch company bought Holmak BitolaFeydom sofas and lounge suites for the Dutch marketserviceMarket ScanstatisticsInternet usageshort Webshopping/Strawberries/Toplocations/Agenda/Fairs

Sponsors ofFoundation NL Chamber:

click to read earlier editions!

online reading pdf downloadNo. 2: issuu.com/.../nlchamber2013q2 bit.ly/19xMcn1No. 1: issuu.com/.../nlchamber2013q1 bit.ly/14yZLMB

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A delegation of the Macedonian government will meet with the Dutch business commu-nity at the Chamber of Commerce in Rotterdam and Greenport in Venlo.

events

Deputy PM Stavreski meeting Dutch business community

The Embassy of Macedonia in the Netherlands and Invest Macedonia organize a forum on doing business in Macedo-nia on Monday 25 November at the Chamber of Commerce in Rotterdam.

opportunities and support

Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Stavreski will address the Dutch business community on doing business in Macedo-nia and governmental support to foreign investors. Minister of Foreign Investments Vele Samak will highlight the busi-ness opportunities and Invest Macedonia director Visar Fida will outline the services of the investment agency.

HaVeP and Holmak

Finally, the Dutch companies Van Puijenbroek Textiel and Holmak HeatX BV will share their experiences. Van Puijen-broek Textiel, also known as HaVeP and VPTex, recently finished the contruction of a “quick response” production facility for workwear in Mace-donia. Holmak HeatX owns a factory in Bitola (see page 10).

free registration

Participation in the event is free of charge, but registration is highly appreciated: please confirm your attendance no later than 20 November by email to Mr Vedat Rushid, Eco-nomic Promoter of Macedonia in the Netherlands:

vedat.rushid@investinmacedonia.com

On Tuesday 26 November, the delegation will focus on agri-cultural opportunities at a fo-rum at Greenport Venlo. ph

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DOING BUSINESS IN MACEDONIAMonday, 25 November 2013

Kamer van Koophandel RotterdamBlaak 40, 3011 TA Rotterdam

14h30 Registration15h00 Welcome and Introduction - representative of the Chamber of Commerce - representative of the Dutch government - Ambassador of Macedonia, Mr Nikola Dimitrov15h15 Doing business in Macedonia - Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Zoran Stavreski - Minister of Foreign Investments, Mr Vele Samak - Director Invest Macedonia, Mr Visar Fida16h00 Dutch experiences in Macedonia - Van Puijenbroek Textiel, Mr Winfried Rooswinkel - Holmak HeatX, Mr Mark Lammers16h30 Discussion, questions & answers17h00 Meet & Greet, Macedonian wine18h30 End

please confirm your attendance no later than 20 November:vedat.rushid@investinmacedonia.com

Embassy of the Republic of MacedoniaTHE HAGUE

Association metal industrywww.metaalunie.nl

Agriculture branch organizationwww.lto.nl

Federation Dutch Food Industrywww.fnli.nl

www.dutchgamesassociation.nlPromotional organization for the Top Sector Horticulture

www.topsectortu.nl

Assocation Textile Industrywww.modint.nl

supported by:

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No less than twelve companies, members of NL Chamber, have Dutch (co-)owners who do not live in Macedonia, but regular-ly travel back and forth. They highly value the network of NL Chamber as Mark Lammers, Managing Director of Holmak HeatX BV, said on business network LinkedIn: “Especially the support and co-operation between Dutch entrepreneurs is very valuable”.

Karma Bella

Co-owner and managing direc-tor Arno Scheid mann of Karma Bella BV once stated: “Almost every month I come to Mace-donia for a couple of days. We discuss current business at our office in Stip, I visit a few sub-contractors and that is it.” Kar-ma Bella is a Dutch garment production service provider, mana ging outsourced produc-tion of mainly ladies’ wear through its subsidiary in Stip.

no clue

Scheid mann: “I know exactly what is going on in the Mace-donian textile industry, but I have no clue what Macedonia has to offer out of my sector - let alone which other Dutch companies are active here.”

Dutch and Macedonian businessmen gathered in Stip to get to know eachother and to exchange ideas and experience on doing business in Macedonia.

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Dutch Business Meeting Stip

Similar statements are valid for all these frequent visitors, rea-son why NL Chamber grabbed the chance to introduce them to eachother and our resident members.

business gatheringright after landing

On 23 September 2013, six-teen businessmen gathered at the office of Karma Bella in Stip, after which they had lunch at restaurant Mal Odmor. It was Monday, in Macedo-nia a rather un usual day for such an event, but it very well suited the Dutch sense of al-ways being practical: right af-ter arri val of the Wizzair flight from Eindhoven and located at or on the road to the final destination of those who came straight from the Netherlands.

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Holmak HeatX Managing Director Mark Lammers posting on LinkedIn

challenges of doingbusiness in Macedonia

After everybody introduced themselves, Arno Scheidmann elaborated on the history and operations of Karma Bella that started in Macedonia in autumn 2002. The company has another subsidiary in Po-land and the Beumkes Group, a family business to which Kar-ma Bella belongs, also opera-tes a furniture factory in Bul-garia. Peter Verheyen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Nether-lands Embassy, opened the discussion on mutual issues of doing business in Mace donia. During lunch the discussions continued with the exchange of experiences, in particular on bureaucracy.

Discussion on the challenges of doing business in Macedonia Continued discussion at lunch

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Vima Fashion from Kocani joined NL Chamber to the Fashion Fair Modefabriek in Amsterdam and organized a networking tour along its Dutch clients.

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Fashion Fair Modefabriek Amsterdam

Like Dutch fashion industry association Modint suggested (page 6 in the previous news-letter: http://bit.ly/19xMcn1) NL Chamber organized a visit to the fashion fair Modefabriek in Amsterdam in order to get fa-miliar with the latest trends on the Dutch fashion market and to catch up with some major brands. Wim Westen of Vima Fashion from Kocani accepted the invitation and added joined visits to his clients.

600 brands

Modefabriek takes place twice a year, in January and July, showcasing over 600 brands on 40,000 sqm, attracting nearly 20,000 international visitors in two days.Various brands presented at Modefabriek are familiar with the Macedonian fashion indus-

Summum Woman produced in Macedonia before the economic crisis

Lebek and Zaffiri and UK Ted Baker all have experience with outsourcing production to Mace donian manufacturers.

Serbian IVKO Woman

Also present was the Serbian brand IVKO Woman, repre-sented through German SHE-Trading GmbH. Dutch repre-sentative is Jos Zwerink of Sjosz Mode from Zutphen.next fair: 26/27 January 2014

see: www.modefabriek.nl

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Also Corel has experience with outsourcing production to Macedonia

try: Dutch Summum Woman, Corel and Mexx, German

Three of the 20,000 visitors

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www.ivko.com

www.tedbaker.com

www.zaffiri-by-apanage.de

www.lebek.de

www.itsnoize.comwww.no-excess.com

www.geishafashion.euwww.notthesame.com

www.mexx.com

www.lienengiel.nl

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Following the fashion fair Modefabriek, Wim Westen of Vima Fashion took the chance to visit Dutch and Belgian clients and introduce them to NL Chamber.

events

Visiting clients with Vima Fashion

“For most of its Dutch and Bel-gian clients Vima Fashion has been working for many years. Therefore it was my pleasure to introduce them to NL Cham-ber of which Vima Fashion is co-founder and member,” says Wim Westen, technical director of Vima Fashion in Kocani.

six weeks through put time

The first visit concerned a fashion company with an amazing production cycle. The owner proudly explained: “We make about a hundred new designs per week. Our sup-pliers get two weeks to pro-duce the fa brics and get them to Macedonia. Meanwhile we prepare the patterns and pro-vide the trimmings. Production of the garments with an ave-rage order size of 1,500 pieces

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is mana ged by Vima Fashion at various factories in Macedonia. Within six weeks after the de-sign, our customers have the

Well organized chaos for an amazing production volume and speed

garments in their warehouse.” These customers are large Dutch, Belgian and French re-tail chains for ladies’ wear.

theme party wear

Another loyal client of Vima Fashion is active in a totally different segment of the fashion industry with a collec-tion of hundreds of items for Carnival, Hallo ween, Christ-mas, Sinter klaas, or any par-ticular theme party wear.

riding in style

One of the smaller clients of Vima Fashion is also active in a niche market: highly fashio-nable tailcoats for the eques-trian sports.

Fancy costumes with lots of details at theme party wear company

Riding in fashionable tailcoat

Wim Westen (The Hague, 1945) is an all-round garment production expert who worked all over the world in managing production orders. After working several years for Dutch and Belgian companies in Mace donia he started the garment produc-tion agency Vima Fashion in 2004. In 2008 Vima Fashion opened its own production facility, moving into a new building in 2014.

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Right after summer a few companies approached the Embassy with comments on requirements from the Mace-donian customs authorities which they referred to as “excessive”. Since the Dutch customs authorities have pro-vided technical assistance to their Macedonian colleagues in a 10 year cooperation pro-ject and regulations are said to have been copied from the Dutch system, the Embassy decided to explore the matter.

important factor in the business climate

Deputy Head of Mission at the Netherlands Embassy, Peter Verheyen: “The extend of customs procedures is an impor tant factor in the busi-ness climate where interna-tional trade and investments are concerned. The Embassy

Both NL Chamber and the Netherlands Embassy regularly receive comments on cus-toms requirements and procedures. NL Chamber provided background information with which the Embassy initiated a dialogue with the authorities.

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Netherlands Embassy: Customs and business climate

and NL Chamber arranged indivi dual discussions with en-trepreneurs with the purpose to get better insight into the practical impact of the Mace-donian customs operation.” A

first discussion with the Mace­donian Customs Admini stration has already taken place and the Embassy will continue working on the subject.This process will be continued.

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Ambassador Schuurman and Director General of the Customs Admini-stration Vancho Kargov at a ceremony on 10 years cooperation be-tween both customs authorities in November 2012.

From Dutch businessmen in both Albania and Bulgaria NL Chamber received requests for sharing experience in order to built up a similar organization in those countries.

network

Initiatives for bilateral chambers in Albania and Bulgaria

In June NL Chamber received a request to share the expe-rience as a Dutch-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce with the objective to establish a similar organization in Albania. An extensive correspon dence followed with Mr Jac Tempe-laars, formerly employed at the Dutch Chambers of Commerce and currently professionally engaged with Albania and Ko-sovo as country coordinator for PUM Netherlands Senior Experts. On Saturday 28 Sep-tember a four-hour mee ting

took place in Prizren, Kosovo. Objective is to work together in the future and therewith reach a wider audience in the Nether lands for doing business in both countries.

At another meeting in the Netherlands in spring with a consulting company active in both countries, a similar idea was discussed.

Bulgarian DutchBusiness Club

Only five days before the mee­

ting in Prizren took place, NL Chamber received a phonecall from the president of the Bul-garian-Dutch Business Club. Mr Koos Schouten explained that after 10 years of exis-tence of the business club, it was time to go to the next le vel and eventually even provide Dutch companies in Bulgaria with contacts in Macedonia.

www.bg-nl.com

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Sponsors of Foundation NL Chamber

www.boekestijntransport.com

www.pivaraskopje.com.mk

www.nlembassy.org.mk

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newsletter no. 3 / September 2013

After having sold his busi-ness to his son, Thijs Zomer had a free hand to focus on something new. With his close friend Jan Zwiers who spends several months per year in Mace donia he started with the import, promotion and sales of natural stone from Macedonian quarries through his company Natuurgevelsteen BV.

sustainable employment

With the first imports in 2008, the partners were directly res-ponsible for the reopening of a quarry, provi ding jobs for 17 people from the local village of Velmej, some 30 km north of Ohrid. “We have a small per-centage of stone from other countries, but generating sus-tainable employment is our main motivation for working with five Macedonian quar-ries,” Zomer says.The company also invested in equipment: an excavator and breaking machines, placed at the quarries. Zomer: “These investments reduce heavy physical labour and enable more added value.”

adjusted for processing

The “added value” Zomer re-fers to, was essential for the success of Natuurgevelsteen: “Investors and architects were very enthousiastic about the

Luxureous villas, a centre for remedial education, infrastructural objects: natural stone from quarries all over Macedonia pops up in various Dutch construction projects.

members

Dutch Natuurgevelsteen exploring Macedonian quarries

Quarry near Radovish, East Macedonia

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Natural stone as a product Final result of a natural stone wall

Also pink stone available

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Holmak factory in Bitola

Thijs Zomer Jan Zwiers

www.natuurgevelsteen.nl

fb.com/natuurgevelsteen

twitter.com/ngs_bv

aesthetics of natural stone. Contractors however, predicted practical problems with cavi-ty wall insulation and signifi-cantly slower processing due to differing sizes and shapes of the stones. Delays and rising costs would be the result,” Zomer clarifies the hesitation of investors to choose natural stone. “With the breaking ma-chines the stones are cut to brick dimensions, with an easy to process, flat innerside while preserving the rough natural stone look on the outerside. The stones are all carefully stacked with the outerside facing up for quickest handling

at the construction site.”

Geplastik

When in Macedonia, Jan Zwiers stays in Gevgelija. Zwiers: “A close friend of mine in Gevge-lija is Zoran Gjurov, director of Geplastik DOO and member of NL Chamber. For the celebra-tion of the first Dies Natalis of NL Chamber early this year at Skovin Winery, Zoran asked me to join him. Afterwards we kept in touch by phone and email, Bob Smit joined us to visit two quarries and of course we de-cided to become member as well, through my Macedonian company Helbi DOOEL.”

The Macedonian producer of heat exchangers Holmak was bought by a Dutch and became part of German group Centrotec Sustainable AG.

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Dutch company bought Holmak Bitola

The company Holmak DOOEL was established in 2005 for production of aluminium coun-ter flow plate heat exchan gers. Several of its customers are part of the large German group of companies in energy­effi-cient technology for buil dings, Centrotec Sustainable AG in Brilon. Centrotec decided to take over Holmak and placed it under the newly established company Holmak HeatX BV in Staphorst, the Netherlands.

32 stamps, 276 signatures

“After approval of the Macedo-nian Competition Authority, the take-over was settled on 13 June with 32 stamps and 276 signatures at the notary,” says Mark Lammers, mana-ging director of Holmak HeatX. “The bureaucracy is quite sub-stantial,” clarifies Lammers, “but doing business in Mace-donia is very pleasant with good opportunities for all kinds of production.”

investment in secondproduction line

“In Staphorst we run a pro-duction facility for plastic heat exchangers, with a capacity of 24,000 per year. In Macedonia we produce some 1,200 alu-

Aluminium counter flow plate heat exchangers at Holmak in Bitola

minium heat exchangers per month and we are currently in-vesting in a second production line for our largest type of heat exchanger, the TS110.”

www.holmak.euwww.centrotec.com

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Great concept, enormous enthousiasm and unlimited energy for participation in trade fairs and travelling to potential clients: Feydom Furniture is wanted everywhere!

members

Feydom sofas and lounge suites for the Dutch market

Feydom collection 2014: MATACAO

Award winning model Q6

www.feydom.com.mk

www.facebook.com/feydom

www.twitter.com/feydominteriors

www.youtube.com/channel/...

Feydom Furniture DOO was established in 2006 in Skopje by the energetic and cheer-ful designer couple Filimena and Zoran Radonjanin. With 60 employees Feydom cre-ates award-winning sofas and lounge suites, conquering the European market.

simply extraordinary

Packed into a concept of uni-colour rectangular shapes, the taut lines of Feydom may seem simple, but the philosophy be-hind is far from ordinary. By redefining sofas as a combina-tion of smartly designed ele-ments, Feydom adds multiple appearances and functionality to a single product.

clever limitation

Other seemingly simple but again extraordinary principles of the Feydom concept are in clever limitation of raw ma-terials and transport volume. In order to reduce costs, risks and complexity of logistics, Feydom only uses one type of fabric in only eight colours, whereas the product elements are also designed for optimal packaging and minimum space in storage and transport.

continuous sales efforts

Both owners frequently travel abroad to participate in trade fairs and meet potential clients, also in the Netherlands.Bob Smit, executive director

of NL Chamber: “At a recent visit to the Netherlands mid July, we met with an energetic, creative entrepreneur, just like Filimena and Zoran Radonja-nin. He was immediately en-thousiastic about the Feydom concept and saw good oppor-tunities for his online business in design furniture.” Right after the summer holidays Feydom

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travelled to the Netherlands to meet with this and another po-tential client they got to know through the international fur-nishing show IMM in Köln early this year. Smit: “Since nego-tiations are currently taking place, we cannot disclose any names, but we expect Feydom soon to have a solid base on the Dutch market.”

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Members receive a 50% discount on the preparation of a Market Scan.

service

Market Scan

A Market Scan is a short over-view of a certain market with key statistics on for exam-ple market size, information on relevant regulations and contacts of key players and organi zations in that market.

focus

The objective of a market scan is to decide whether a certain market is interesting enough for further efforts and, if so, to focus the efforts on the lar gest or most promising market-segments or companies.Scope, contents and price is always defined in consultation.

statistics

Internet usageIn the EU internet usage is highest in Sweden and the Netherlands with 94% of the population. For mobile internet usage, the Dutch are fourth with 56%, mostly on smart-phone. Sweden is first (70%), followed by the UK (63%) and Denmark (61%). In Germany mobile internet usage is only 31%.

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WebshoppingThe Dutch online retail mar-ket was 9.8 billion EUR in 2012 with 88 million transactions by 10.6 million consumers. For 2013 a further growth is ex-pected to 10.5 billion EUR.source: www.thuiswinkel.org

StrawberriesThe Dutch strawberry produc-tion in 2012 was 15 million kg. Almost half of that was export-

ed to mainly Belgium, Germa-ny and the UK.

source: www.gfactueel.nl

ToplocationsThe annual study by magazine Elsevier on Dutch toplocations for business shows municipa-lity Haarlemmermeer as no. 1, followed by Zwolle and Eind-hoven. Airport Schiphol is the “motor” for Haarlemmermeer. Amsterdam is ranked 23rd.

source: www.elsevier.nl

graph 1: internet usage graph 2: mobile internet

Agenda25.11 Forum on doing busi - ness in Macedonia KvK Rotterdam26.11 Forum on doing busi- ness in Macedonia Greenport VenloXX.12 Seminar on Customs and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in co-operation with the Netherlands Embassy Invitation will follow.

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Selection of trade fairs in the Netherlands and Mace donia.NB: All blue text is clickable!

The Netherlands

Major trade fairs take place at:

Jaarbeurs, Utrecht99,000 sqm, 13 hallswww.jaarbeurs.nlRAI, Amsterdam87,000 sqm, 11 hallswww.rai.nlAhoy, Rotterdam30,000 sqm, 6 hallswww.ahoy.nl

Regional locations for trade fairs:

Brabanthallen, ‘s-Hertogen-bosch29,500 sqm, 6 hallsIJsselhallen, Zwolle17,000 sqm, 4 hallsMECC, Maastricht29,500 sqm, 4 halls

Most fairs in the Netherlands have entrance fees and offer discounts for early registration online.Please do not hesitate to contact NL Chamber when you plan to visit a fair in the Nether lands.

Macedonia

Major trade fairs take place at:

Skopje Fair, Skopje16.000 sqm, 6 hallswww.skopjefair.com.mk

photo impressions of the fairs:www.fb.com/SkopjeFair/

Entrance tickets can only be purchased at the spot; online registration is not possible.Please do not hesitate to con-tact NL Chamber when you plan to visit a fair in Macedo-nia.

The Netherlands

13-16.01.2014 Horecava and Wine Professional, RAI - Amsterdam 400 food service exhibitors; 100 wine exhibitors14-19.01.2014 Dutch Tourism Expo, Jaarbeurs - Utrecht 850 exhibitors; first day for professional visitors only16-17.01.2014 Vakbeurs Facilitair, Brabanthallen - ‘s- Hertogenbosch products and services involved in facility management i.e. all internal non-core activities of companies, like maintenance, cleaning, catering, mailroom, reception, it-support, vehicles etc.22-23.01.2014 Biovak, IJsselhallen - Zwolle 350 exhibitors in the sustainable organic food chain22-24.01.2014 Gevel and Material Xperience, Ahoy - Rotterdam products and technology for facade construction materials expo for architects, creative professionals26-27.01.2014 Modefabriek, RAI - Amsterdam sales exhibition of the major fashion brands03-07.02.2014 VSK, Jaarbeurs - Utrecht air treatment, heating, sanitary systems and energy04-06.02.2014 Integrated Systems Europe, RAI - Amsterdam integrated electronic systems: audio, video, lighting11-14.03.2014 ESEF, Jaarbeurs - Utrecht engineering and subcontracting12-13.03.2014 Transport & Logistics, Ahoy - Rotterdam18-20.03.2014 StocExpo, Ahoy - Rotterdam 180 exhibitors: pums, valves, pipes, tanks and related02-03.04.2014 Empack, Brabanthallen - ‘s-Hertogenbosch packaging materials, machines, coding, labelling etc.20-21.05.2014 World Private Label / PLMA, RAI - Amsterdam european private label producers in food and non-food 3,800 exhibitors, 68 countries, 42 regional pavilions20-22.05.2014 VIV Europe, Jaarbeurs - Utrecht animal husbandry and processing

Macedonia

Note: All mentioned fairs in Macedonia are organized by the same or-ganizer and at the same place. At this moment the respective pages on the organizer’s website do not include any further details.

04-08.03.2014 Build and Construct construction, building materials and construction mechanization25-30.03.2014 Mebel furniture, interior, woodworking supplies and machinery10-12.04.2014 Days of Education universities and major employers10-12.04.2014 Skopje Travel Market congress tourism, agrotourism, rural tourism, wine tourism etc.24-27.09.2014 AgroFood Fair food and beverages 14-18.10.2014 Tehnoma Fair metallurgy, electronics, energy, non-metals, security, protection

With a new year coming up, it is time to plan next year’s trade fairs.

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Calendar of Trade Fairs