Economy Minister Darko Horvat on Wednesday handed over six new multi-functional vehicles that were produced in the Kutina-based Ziegler factory, to local fire stations while the delivery of another six fire trucks was organised in the Ozalj-based Flammifer factory which also produces firefighting vehicles.

During the Kutina ceremony, the new TLF 20/70 multi-functional vehicles were handed over for a period of four years with the possibility of extending that period.

Minister Horvat expressed his satisfaction the fact the vehicles are the result of research by Croatian experts and are made in Croatia. Thanks to this Croatian product, fire stations, municipalities and cities in Croatia will be better prepared to face numerous challenges because these multipurpose vehicles can be used in putting out fires and to transport water, he said.

The Ziegler company won the tender in a joint bid with the Ozalje-based Flammifer company which also presented the six firefighting vehicles to the ministry’s commodity reserves.

Over the past ten years the ministry has procured 59 similar vehicles and these 12 new vehicles will certainly contribute to battling fires and floods.

The Kutina-based Ziegler factory, after successfully completing a trial run, was formally inaugurated in October 2018, and the plant, which employs over 100 workers, manufactures state-of-the-art firefighting equipment.

The company has plants in Zagreb and Kutina (80 kilometres east of Zagreb) and has been active in Croatia since 2000. It is a member of the German group Ziegler, a worldwide leading provider for fire-fighting and emergency management solutions. The group has factories in Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.