Cranfield: “We are the largest and best iron foundry in North Macedonia”

Together with Cranfield’s General Manager Vladimir Tonevski and Jeroen Geraedts from GEMCO, we’re on our way to Cranfield Foundry, a good hour’s drive from the capital, Skopje.

You can immediately sense the warmth and ambition of the people here in the southern Balkans.

Vladimir Tonevski (Vlado) talks about the favourable investment conditions, the good connection to the cross-border electricity grid and the excellent conditions for generating our own solar power, as the sun shines here 300 days a year. It certainly seems as though many favourable conditions come together here to enable the successful operation of a foundry.

Cranfield Foundry

Cranfield Foundry is a modern, semi-automatic foundry for grey and ductile iron, based in Probishtip, North Macedonia. It was designed and built by GEMCO ENGINEERS in 2019 on a site covering 8,000 square metres and currently employs around 150 staff working in two shifts. From the outset, care was taken to install state-of-the-art European technology to ensure the foundry was equipped to meet the highest quality standards.

Facilities and capacities:

• Moulding line: DISA MATCH 32/32 horizontal moulding line with a maximum mould size of 813 x 813 x 650 mm and a speed of up to 100 moulds per hour.
• Melting capacity: Two ABP induction furnaces, each with a capacity of 5 tonnes, enable a maximum melting rate of 15.8 tonnes of molten metal per hour.
• Core shooting machine: A modern core shooting machine from AHB Gießereitechnik GmbH offers the flexibility to meet a wide range of customer requirements – from small to large castings.
• Quality control: In line with quality requirements, Cranfield utilises state-of-the-art measuring and quality control equipment.

Production range:

Cranfield Foundry produces high-quality grey and ductile iron products for various industries, including:

• Sanitary and municipal supplies, water management
• Fittings and valves
• Railway industry
• Automotive and agricultural sectors
• Construction industry
• Oil and refining industry
• Cast iron cookware
• Decorative and bespoke designer products
• The company supplies customers throughout Europe, including in Germany, Spain, Italy and Sweden

Corporate philosophy

As Dariusz Dziuba impressively explains, the foundry’s success is based on the consistent application of modern corporate philosophies such as lean management and KAIZEN. With over 1,500 improvements implemented annually, Cranfield Foundry continuously optimises quality and customer service. This mindset also helps to effectively reduce costs, which is reflected in competitive prices.

When speaking with the engineers and staff, it quickly becomes clear that the company has a positive working culture. Particularly noteworthy is the high proportion of female employees, which stands at almost 30 per cent – an exceptional figure in the foundry industry.

The region surrounding the foundry has traditionally been shaped by mining, which means that highly qualified skilled workers can still be recruited there today. At the same time, the company’s management attaches great importance to offering its staff good and fair working conditions.

Energy efficiency and sustainability

North Macedonia has invested heavily in photovoltaic technology over the last two years – hardly surprising, given that with 300 days of sunshine a year, the use of solar energy is a natural choice. Cranfield Foundry is also committed to sustainability: The foundry has its own solar installations and is fully electrically powered – with a high proportion of renewable energy.

Plans for the future include further expanding collaboration with renewable energy providers to boost energy efficiency even further and play an active role in shaping a sustainable, environmentally friendly industrial sector.

Planning and collaboration with GEMCO Engineering – a sound decision

When, almost ten years ago, a North Macedonian investor came up with the idea of building the new Cranfield foundry, there was swift agreement on how this ambitious project should be implemented. The investment climate was favourable, and the local government provided the necessary infrastructure.

North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for more than 20 years, which brings a number of advantages for investors. It was clear from the outset that the planning and installation of the foundry should be entrusted to experienced specialists. As Vladimir Tonevski and Dariusz Dziuba both report, the choice fell on GEMCO Engineering – and the decision proved to be spot on.

“We couldn’t have done it without GEMCO,” is the unanimous consensus. “Setting up a foundry on a greenfield site requires extensive experience and in-depth expertise in liaising with subcontractors, machinery manufacturers and the authorities. Jeroen Geraedts, who played a key role in steering GEMCO’s consultancy work, is held in the highest regard in North Macedonia – almost like a member of the family.”

Future and investments

Since the first casting in 2019, the foundry has quickly established itself and made the desired progress. An experienced team of highly qualified engineers has played a key role in this, including Chief Metallurgist Volodymyr Pashynskyi, Quality Engineer Dimitar Stefanovski and Sales and Customer Care Manager Ivana Gjorgievska. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, all staff were retained and the foundry’s growth continued.

In future, there will be an even greater focus on water management and sustainable production. Energy efficiency is to be further improved and environmentally friendly solutions expanded – because Cranfield Foundry knows exactly what its customers expect.

Investments in 3D printing technology are planned for this year, and the in-house post-processing facilities are also set to be further developed. Despite the sometimes challenging global conditions, Cranfield Foundry’s managers are optimistic about the future – confident in their plan, their philosophy and their quality.

Opportunities for plant expansion, strategic partnerships and further investment are always available – North Macedonia is proving to be an extremely attractive location.

Foundry-Planet would like to express its gratitude for the warm welcome, transparency and hospitality – Glückauf!

Advantages of being an EU candidate country

A country with EU candidate status, such as North Macedonia, benefits in several areas, even though it is not yet a full EU member:

1. Financial support

• The EU provides funding through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA).
• These funds help to build democratic institutions, support infrastructure projects and drive economic reforms.
• Example: North Macedonia receives billions in aid for reforms and modernisation projects.

• Many candidate countries have trade agreements with the EU that facilitate market access.
• North Macedonia is a party to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU, which reduces or eliminates customs duties on many products.

• The prospect of EU accession makes the country more attractive to foreign investors.
• Companies expect long-term political stability and easier access to the EU market.