Together with Cranfield General Manager Vladimir Tonevski and Jeroen Geraedts from GEMCO, we are on our way to Cranfield Foundry, about an hour’s drive from the capital, Skopje.
One can immediately feel the warmth and ambition of the people in this southern Balkan region.
Vladimir Tonevski (Vlado) talks about the attractive investment conditions, the excellent connection to the cross-border power grid, and the outstanding conditions for generating solar power, as the sun shines here for 300 days a year. It truly seems that many favorable factors come together to successfully run a foundry here.
Cranfield Foundry
Cranfield Foundry is a modern, semi-automated foundry for gray and ductile iron, located in Probishtip, North Macedonia. The foundry was established in 2019 by GEMCO ENGINEERS on an area of 8,000 square meters and currently employs approximately 150 workers in two shifts. From the beginning, the focus was on installing the best European technology to meet the highest quality standards.
Equipment and Capacities:
- Molding Line: DISA MATCH 32/32 horizontal molding line with a maximum mold size of 813 x 813 x 650 mm and a speed of up to 100 molds per hour.
- Melting Capacity: Two ABP induction furnaces with a capacity of 5 tons each, allowing a maximum melting output of 15.8 tons of liquid metal per hour.
- Core Shooting Machine: A modern core shooter from AHB Gießereitechnik GmbH offers the flexibility to meet a wide range of customer requirements, from small to large castings.
- Quality Control: Cranfield uses state-of-the-art measurement and quality control facilities to ensure the highest standards.
Production Spectrum:
Cranfield Foundry produces high-quality gray and ductile iron products for various industries, including:
- Sanitary and municipal needs, water management
- Valves and fittings
- Railway industry
- Automotive and agricultural sectors
- Construction industry
- Oil and refinery industry
- Cast iron cookware
- Decorative and custom-designed products
- The company supplies customers across Europe, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Sweden.
Corporate Philosophy
As Dariusz Dziuba impressively explains, the foundry’s success is based on the consistent application of modern business philosophies such as Lean Management and KAIZEN. With over 1,500 implemented improvements annually, Cranfield Foundry continuously optimizes quality and customer service. This approach also helps reduce costs effectively, resulting in competitive pricing.
Conversations with engineers and employees quickly reveal a positive corporate culture. Particularly noteworthy is the high percentage of female employees, nearly 30% – an exceptional figure in the foundry industry.
The region surrounding the foundry has traditionally been shaped by mining, ensuring a steady supply of highly skilled professionals. At the same time, the company places great importance on providing fair and favorable working conditions for its employees.
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
In the past two years, North Macedonia has heavily invested in photovoltaic technology – unsurprising given that it enjoys 300 sunny days per year. Cranfield Foundry also prioritizes sustainability: the foundry operates its own solar power plants and runs entirely on electricity, with a significant share coming from renewable energy sources.
For the future, the company plans to further expand its collaboration with renewable energy providers to increase energy efficiency and actively contribute to a sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial sector.
Planning and Collaboration with GEMCO Engineering – A good Decicison
Almost ten years ago, when a North Macedonian investor had the idea of establishing the new Cranfield Foundry, there was a quick consensus on how to implement this ambitious project. The investment climate was favorable, and the local government provided the necessary infrastructure.
North Macedonia has been an EU candidate country for over 20 years, offering some advantages for investors. From the beginning, it was clear that the planning and installation of the foundry should be entrusted to experienced specialists. As Vladimir Tonevski and Dariusz Dziuba agree, the choice fell on GEMCO Engineering – and the decision proved to be the right one.
“Without GEMCO, we wouldn’t have been able to do it,” is the unanimous sentiment. “Building a foundry from the ground up requires extensive experience and deep expertise in working with subcontractors, machinery manufacturers, and authorities. Jeroen Geraedts, who played a key role in providing guidance from GEMCO, enjoys the highest respect in North Macedonia – almost like a family member.”
Future and Investments
Since the first casting in 2019, the foundry has rapidly established itself and achieved significant progress. A skilled team of highly qualified engineers has played a crucial role, including Chief Metallurgist Volodymyr Pashynskyi, Quality Engineer Dimitar Stefanovski, and Sales & Customer Care Manager Ivana Gjorgievska. Despite challenges during the pandemic, all employees were retained, and the foundry continued to grow.
Moving forward, the focus will be even more on water projects and sustainable production. Energy efficiency will be further enhanced, and environmentally friendly solutions expanded – Cranfield Foundry understands the expectations of its customers well.
This year, investments in 3D printing technology are planned, along with further development of in-house finishing processes. Despite the sometimes challenging global conditions, the managers at Cranfield Foundry remain optimistic about the future – confident in their plan, philosophy, and quality.
Opportunities for plant expansion, strategic partnerships, and further investments are always on the table – North Macedonia is proving to be an extremely attractive location.
Foundry-Planet would like to thank Cranfield Foundry for the warm welcome, transparency, and hospitality – Glückauf!
Advantages of an EU Candidate Country
A country with EU candidate status, such as North Macedonia, benefits in several ways, even though it is not yet a full EU member:
- Financial Support
- The EU provides financial resources through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
- These funds help develop democratic institutions, infrastructure projects, and economic reforms.
- Example: North Macedonia receives billions in aid for reforms and modernization projects.
- Facilitated Trade with the EU
- Many candidate countries have trade agreements with the EU that ease market access.
- North Macedonia is part of the EU Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), which reduces or eliminates tariffs on many products.
- Investment Incentives
- The prospect of EU membership makes the country more attractive to foreign investors.
- Companies anticipate long-term political stability and easier access to the EU market.
