While waiting for a new buyer, KTK workers produce footwear for renowned Italian company Carmens

About 80 workers of KTK from Visoko have been producing footwear for the renowned Italian company Carmens for a whole month. There will be work for the next several months as well.

KTK director Senad Bilalović told the news agency Patria that he is happy that life has returned to the facilities of the former giant and believes it will never fall silent there again. The company's management is intensively searching for a new buyer, who will bring new investments and new jobs to KTK.

Until the outbreak of the last armed aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992, KTK employed more than 3,500 workers. The war caused direct losses to the company exceeding 50 million KM. Some technological units of KTK were saved through successful post-war privatisation, while the remaining parts of this company await a new buyer. Only with a new owner, Bilalović explains, can life be restored to the facilities of this former leather giant.

- We have written intentions from some companies that have expressed a desire to take over the remaining facilities of KTK. We hope that a sincere buyer will appear - said Bilalović.

The management of KTK has created new advertisements for the company, which at least symbolically mark the return of life to the facilities of this former giant (Photo: Neven Krajišnik) 

Bilalović says that KTK has a recognisable brand, but believes that at this moment the best solution for the company is the privatisation of its remaining facilities. KTK, Bilalović is certain, cannot compete worthily with competitors without serious investments, and in Visoko alone there are five modern leather companies.

This has been demonstrated, he explains, by the examples of the privatisation of several technological units of KTK by Prevent.

Former KTK employees who moved to work for Prevent now have secure and regular salaries, as well as regular health and pension insurance, writes Patria.