General Electric Evaluates Orao as a Potential Strategic Supplier
Representatives of the American multinational company General Electric visited Orao to assess the company’s potential to become one of their subcontractors. Dubravka Banjac, Head of the Electroplating and Chemical Surface Protection Department, stated that Orao received an exceptionally high evaluation for its technical capabilities and production capacities.
Banjac explained that General Electric operates six companies across Europe and that the visiting delegation came from the company’s facilities in Prague and Turin.
"Their objective was to assess our capabilities and consider engaging Orao as a future subcontractor. We can confidently say that cooperation is on the horizon, as Orao received the highest possible evaluation, which is a rare achievement among companies undergoing this type of assessment. They are primarily interested in our electroplating and chemical surface protection processes, specifically hard chrome plating, cadmium plating, and silver plating," Banjac said.
She added that the General Electric representatives will prepare a comprehensive assessment report for their management, after which she expects negotiations to lead to the signing of contracts covering several specialized electroplating and chemical surface treatment processes.
Marko Mrkajić, General Manager of Orao, emphasized that the visit by General Electric representatives and the prospect of future cooperation confirm that Orao is the only company in this part of Europe possessing the specialized technologies and highly qualified workforce required to meet the demanding standards of both the defense industry and the civil aerospace sector.
"Although Orao's core business is the overhaul of aircraft engines and the manufacture of components for turbojet engines, I would like to emphasize that our Electroplating and Chemical Surface Protection Department is qualified to perform more than fifteen special processes, several of which are unique in Europe and worldwide. We are already a supplier to Pratt & Whitney, and I am confident that we will soon conclude agreements with General Electric, as well as with other companies that are increasingly approaching us as an external manufacturing partner," Mrkajić said.
Founded in 1944, Orao has evolved through every stage of aircraft engine overhaul and maintenance, developing into a highly organized aerospace company equipped with state-of-the-art technology and supported by a highly skilled workforce. Today, the company possesses advanced capabilities for the production, overhaul, and maintenance of turbojet engines and their components, serving both the defense and civil aviation industries while meeting the highest international quality standards.
