The new office of the company in Varna, officially opened in early 2021, announced open positions to build a strong local team
At the beginning of 2021, Gopet Trans officially opened its regional office in Varna. The new branch will cover the cities in Northeastern Bulgaria, i.e. Shumen, Ruse, Razgrad, Targovishte, etc., as well as Burgas. “Opening a branch of Gopet Trans in Varna was a logical and fully justified decision which allows us to offer our full range of services to our customers in the region and attract new ones,” said Zhivko Petrov, regional sales manager at Gopet Trans and company representative in Varna.
Additional considerations when choosing the sea capital as a location for the new branch of the company was the expansion of sea and air transport divisions within Gopet Trans. The office location is specially selected nearby the port of Varna – in the Western Industrial Zone, and the distance to the Romanian port of Constanta is a mere 120 km, which offers additional options for transport if needed. “Should it be necessary, we can quickly assist our colleagues who operate the sea shipping division. We can offer our customers also assistance for air freight”, points out Zhivko Petrov, referring to the fact that the company’s branch is situated also near Varna Airport. “However, the focus will stay on our customers in the region – both current and potential – he added. – It is essential for us to be close to them, because we can respond quickly and on time to their needs and inquiries, and will be able to act immediately on the spot. We know from our experience that being close to customers and partners is a very important factor in achieving better communication. Gopet Trans’s philosophy is aimed at developing the company internationally and locally. We are now ready to respond promptly to inquiries and requests from customers, as well as in cases where our partner carriers need assistance in the region.”
The northeastern region is rapidly developing, especially after the new industrial zone in Shumen was founded, but also as a result of recent big scale investments in Ruse, Dobrich, Silistra, Devnya, and, of course, Varna. “The business in the region is getting more dynamic, so we have to be present here to “capture” the processes as they evolve, to be able to respond quickly to the trends and adapt our business to the conditions, and to talk with the regional businesses “face to face”. This defines the extreme importance of having a representative office in Varna and the region”, commented Zhivko Petrov.
“Our aim for the regional branch is to build a network of customers and partner carriers locally. Of course, we are relying on the synergy with our Headquarters in Sofia and GOPET offices in Romania, Greece, and Turkey. Our priority is to build a new network of clients and partners. The branch in Varna will offer the same high-quality services and expertise that Gopet Trans is known for, so, we can assure our customers that they will get the same level of quality wherever they are”, explains the company’s representative in Varna.
Among the companies served by the branch of Gopet Trans in the coastal city are businesses in the very developed agricultural sector in the region – exporters/importers of agricultural products, as well as companies from the automotive industry, furniture companies, importers of raw materials for the furniture industry, companies in the construction industry and many others. The company’s customers are mostly small and medium-sized businesses. Many companies were contacted even before the official opening of the branch in Varna. “We planned to open the regional office on April 1, 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was rescheduled to early 2021. We did not postpone the start of our operations in the region, we only adapted to the new reality and we worked remotely, as did most of the businesses in the region at the time. As a result, by the end of 2020, we developed our strategy, we used every chance to meet with local businesses to present our portfolio, and we started a collaboration with some new partners. The second half of last year brought us many new customers and now – in early 2021, we are eager to invite them to our new office in Varna,” explains Zhivko Petrov. “Until recently, many the companies in this region were not familiar with the activities of Gopet Trans, so we are now pleased with our strong partnerships with them, proving the high quality of our services – he added. – We aim to be flexible enough to work efficiently with both large corporate clients and smaller companies, who need a logistics partner. Among our customers are many small companies from Varna, Dobrich, Shumen. I can proudly say that our relationships with customers are built on mutual trust and understanding.”
As a direct result of growing the number of Gopet Trans clients in the region and expanding the activities, the team in Varna is growing. A recruitment campaign was launched, aimed at attracting specialists with diverse experience, within the forwarding and logistics sector. To start with, the plans to create a strong local team include hiring specialists for 4 open positions for freight forwarders and sales representatives. “We do not require mandatory long-term experience or high specialization – specifies Zhivko Petrov. – We are looking for ambitious people who would like to develop. We are open to any applicant, and we will offer to the selected ones internship programs and further training, as well as integration into the team of Gopet Trans, so they can benefit from our extensive knowledge and experience, and get multiple opportunities for professional development.”
Varna branch of Gopet Trans offers the full portfolio of services of the company. The business plan for its development also includes opening a logistics base in the region and offering logistics services jointly with Gopet Trans’s logistics bases in Sofia, Bucharest, and Greece. “Developing the local market, increasing the staff, opening a logistics center and improving our services – these are our business goals to achieve by the end of the year. As I use to say – it is important to work daily to improve further the services we offer, no matter how good they are at the moment. We must continue building on top of what we have already achieved and move forward and upwards”, concluded Zhivko Petrov who has extensive operational and management experience in the transport and logistics sector.