The general partnership “ZEBRA” was founded 1929 with the objective to produce linoleum. While this project was not realized, the factory started with the production of different other rubber products.
Zebra JSC has been registered with order № 137/1932 of the Sofia County Court on July 15, 1932.
In December 1947, the enterprise was nationalized by the government. In 1991, with the start of the democratic reforms ZEBRA was transformed into a Single Person JSC wholly owned by the state. Taking over the trade activities, the Company found promising markets for its products, initially on the Balkan Peninsula, and later successfully expanding the sales to the European market.
A procedure for privatization of ZEBRA started 1997. The contract for sale of 75% of the Company’s capital was signed 1999. Seven hundred and twelve former and present employees of ZEBRA AD became shareholders. By the end of 2003, the employees already owned 100 % of the company’s shares. The production portfolio of ZEBRA includes: wrapped v-belts, technical rubber sheets and floorings, superelastic and press-on solid tires, rubber goods, rubberized rollers, filtering gas masks, NBC protective clothing, wide range all-rubber and rubber-metall goods. The company is the only producer in Bulgaria for most of the above-listed goods. The production is based on technologies worked out and elaborated by Zebra’s experts.
The export takes about 60-70% from all sales, and the tendency is for its further growth. The products are intended mainly for the markets of the EU states and USA.
The main competitive advantage of our company is in the innovation process through development of new products and continuous improvement of the existing ones.
Since the beginning of 2003, a program for the comprehensive control of the effective use of raw materials was introduced. New recipes for rubber goods were developed, new manufacturing facilities were put into operation while the old ones have been renovated and refurbished. The results led to a decrease in the regulated technological scrap. In the summer of 2003, a system for monitoring and control of the energy consumption was introduced. This helped for a better power management and set up the basis for the creation of a long-term energy efficiency program.
As compared to Year 2001, our prognosis is for an increase in the production by 67% by Year 2005. This goal will be achieved trough:
(a) introduction of new products;
(b) increase in sales because of the excellent price/quality ratio; and
(c) gaining of new market shares in Europe, and the United States, and regaining lost
grounds on the Bulgarian and Russian markets.
Zebra AD is shareholder in two joint ventures. The first one, “S.I.S.A.S. ZEBRA International”, established in 1996 between Zebra AD and the Italian company “S.I.S.A.S. Segnaletica”, was set up for the manufacturing of rubber-made products for horizontal road marking.
A second joint venture between ZEBRA AD and the Austrian company “Gummiwerk Kraiburg” for production of precured treads for re-treading of heavy truck tires was started in November 2001. It is located in the Sofia’s district of Iliyantzi on a site which was previously owned by ZEBRA AD.