References

The three-year collaboration with Nemanja at Mitros began in 2020. The period was marked by many professional challenges, hard work, and numerous successes. As the production manager, Nemanja was responsible for organizing production and meeting the finished goods plan in terms of both quality and quantity. Continuous employee training was also an important part of his responsibilities. Over 150 types of finished products were delivered in quantities of 120-180 tons per week, mainly to the demanding EU market, with delivery times of 2-5 days. After 4-5 months, we achieved an order fulfillment accuracy of 98%, with a negligible number of complaints. Over 40 new products were adopted, and almost all existing ones were improved in terms of quality consistency and sustainability. All quality audits, announced and unannounced, internal or by certified institutions, were rated with the highest marks thanks to constant engagement in training, coaching, and control. Nemanja always demonstrated the highest level of expertise and professionalism, along with a great talent for establishing excellent relationships with the members of his large team (130-150 employees) and motivating them in the right way to give their maximum, even at the cost of overtime or working Saturdays. Of course, Nemanja was most often with them as the chief technologist, and if necessary, in the role of a plant worker, foreman, or controller. I believe that in any meat product manufacturing, he can significantly contribute with his knowledge and rich practical experience and improve quality in many aspects - a great "meister" and a good man in one.

I met Nemanja in 2022, and we have had an excellent collaboration since then. That summer, we faced the challenge of replacing allergens in our products. After several unsuccessful trials with other technologists, I called the technologist from Sremska Mitrovica, who, within three days, created the correct products I had requested from him. He was particularly good in a situation where it was his first time in our production facility, and given the machines and the limited working time on those machines, he showed the difference in knowledge and understanding of their operation. Afterward, we had more requests and his recommendations on what we could improve, be better and more competitive calculation-wise, while always having a standard product, along with increasing the utilization of machines and space. We succeeded in our joint tasks and achieved our plans. The product quality is standard, and we have no problems with returns or quality. He is exceptional with working on presses and molds; I think he is a champion in producing bacon in presses. Nemanja is a quality expert who quickly solves problems analytically, and then he knows how to slowly and surely transfer those solutions to foremen and workers. He participates with them in the process and demonstrates directly, which suits us exceptionally well because practice is what distinguishes him from others and provides quality immediately, and changes are quickly visible. Our collaboration continues; he is always available, and we solve problems quickly, and when the situation is more serious, he comes to the production site. He also participated in setting up new lines for meat curing, set up programs for massaging and thermal processing. After that, he trained the workers for slicing operations, so our slicing waste is below 3%. Excellent results recommend him to be able to react in any production. After the start of the business collaboration, after three years of joint work and support, these are now friendly ties.

At the end of 2023, we engaged technologist Nemanja Kursulic to analyze and, in agreement with us, enhance the quality and standards of our products, as well as to improve organization by structuring the in-plant system. His impact was quickly evident through better organization and reduced labor costs in specific process steps within the packaging department, directly leading to fewer steps, process acceleration, and optimized alignment of worker numbers with machine cycle times. Subsequent tasks focused on improving and standardizing products to eliminate quality fluctuations. He accomplished this with the fermented products program by establishing and controlling particular processes, thereby ensuring consistent quality. Employing an analytical approach, Nemanja identified previous oversights and clearly highlighted them in a well-prepared presentation; everyone was briefed and understood the root of the problem. The following challenge arose in the meat curing department, where we achieved outstanding results. By working with the employees and providing training, he raised their awareness and, through imparted knowledge, helped them understand the processes they were performing. This resulted in products with excellent yields and consistently standard quality. The workers embraced his methodology as he patiently explained each step, and the final results, visible in the finished product, fully met expectations. Furthermore, he actively participated in controlling and upholding the standards in effect at the time; his suggestions and pre-control measures, in collaboration with other colleagues, were instrumental in our collective success in maintaining these standards. Both as an individual and as an expert, he demonstrated exceptional professionalism, reliability, composure, and precision. He proved his ability to respond effectively in any part of the production process, calmly assess issues, and swiftly implement solutions.