2,200 residents of Etropole and Srednogorie are employed by GEOTECHMIN GROUP
Etropole Municipality was selected by Standard Newspaper to host the first regional forum “The Demographic Future of the Regions”, with Geotechmin OOD as an event partner.
‘People move to Etropole to live and work, build homes and start families thanks to the presence of a major employer like Ellatzite-Med,” said the newspaper’s publisher Mrs Slavka Bozukova.
Mr Dominic Hamers, Executive Director of Geotechmin OOD, presented GEOTECHMIN GROUP – the largest employer, providing jobs to approximately 2,200 people from Etropole and Srednogorie regions. 82% of Ellatzite-Med employees are local residents, with 40% of them coming from Etropole, 24% – from Mirkovo Municipality and 18% – from Chavdar Municipality.
According to the Institute for Market Economics (IME), the average gross salary in the mining company is 37% higher than the national average. Based on IME data, the contribution to the local economy amounts to BGN 78 million, driven by the consumption of workers at Ellatzite-Med and their families.
To help people stay and pursue a career in their hometowns, GEOTECHMIN GROUP has been conducting three key educational programmes: a scholarship programme, an internship programme, and dual vocational training. Furthermore, the Group’s companies support towns and villages in Etropole Municipality and Srednogorie region by implementing donation projects through Bulgarian Virtues Charity Programme.
At the forum, M.Eng. Dragomir Draganov, Executive Director of Ellatzite-Med AD, announced that the average gross salary in Ellatzite-Med for 2024 is BGN 3,088. ‘Last year, salaries increased by 18%, and they are adjusted annually for a raise,’ added M.Eng. Draganov. The company invests between BGN 70 million and BGN 90 million annually, ensuring both its competitiveness and continued employment for its workforce. In conclusion, M.Eng. Draganov emphasised that if the company’s concession contract is extended until 2041, it will guarantee an additional 17 years’ period of job security for its employees.
