Military equipment store “Pleter usluge d.o.o” opened

Official opening ceremony was attended by Assistant Minister of Defence for Material Resources Viktor Koprivnjak, president of the company “Pleter usluge d.o.o” Denis Skubic, Director of Economic Interest Group “Opteko grupa” Zdravko Pavelić, and representatives of the Ministry of Defence and some of the companies manufacturers of military equipment in Croatia.

The audience was addressed by Assistant Minister Koprivnjak, having emphasized the importance of cooperation between the MOD and the Croatian military equipment manufacturers. Ministry of Defence strongly supports the manufacturers, and expects them to maintain the quality of CAF equipping, Koprivnjak said. When speaking about the Info Centre situated in the store, he said it would be beneficial to all young people who would be interested in the military profession.

Denis Skubic from “Pleter” pointed out shop’s dual role: in addition to commercial, it will have informative and educative function. The next goal is the opening of similar stores in Split, Karlovac and Osijek, Skubic said.

Zdravko Pavelić, director of “Opteco grupe” which brings together the leading Croatian producers of non-combat military and police equipment, expressed the belief that the shop would in the best way demonstrate all the features of the Croatian military production not only to Croatian soldiers, but to all interested citizens.

The aim of the store of military equipment is sale of military equipment to active military personnel in the Defence Ministry and Armed Forces with valid military identification card, and sales of the product assortment without limitations for all citizens. So far, about 400 different items of military equipment manufacturers from the Republic of Croatia, with which the Ministry of Defence has agreements on cooperation, have been exposed in the shop. Some of the exhibited items are: officer uniforms kits, military uniforms kits, military boots, caps, hats, various military badges, T-shirts, key chains, military bags, sleeping bags, berets, cases, special equipment (glasses, knives, etc.), publications, CDs, DVDs, MOD and Armed Forces souvenirs, etc.

Up to now 13 domestic companies manufacturers of equipment that have the agreement on cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, sales its itmes:  “Kroko International d.o.o”, “Čateks d.d.”, “Inkop obuća d.o.o”, “Varteks d.d.”, “Orljava d.o.o”, “Hemco d.o.o.”, “Šešir d.o.o”, “Kap-ko d.o.o”, “Jacquard d.o.o”, “Uriho”, “Arena d.o.o”, “Darteks d.o.o” and “Jadran d.o.o”.

Terms and method of operation and range of military equipment items, as well as retail conditions of military uniforms and other military equipment have been determined by the Agreement on the conditions, mode and range of stores of military uniforms and equipment between the MOD and “Pleter usluge d.o.o.”, signed on 19 September 2011. The said agreement defines range of products designed exclusively for the sale to active military personnel and other assortment intended for sale without limitation. Agreement defined unrestricted sale of items from a range of military uniforms and other equipment contracted by the MOD, except for the following items: ceremonial and official military uniforms of all services of the Croatian Armed Forces, camouflage military uniforms – uniforms with a new camouflage pattern (green), and official badges belonging to the Croatian Armed Forces. These items are planned for selling to only active military personnel and also for retired military personnel, veterans and Croatian war disabled except for camouflage military uniform (digital camouflage pattern).

The agreement also defined unrestricted retail items from a range of military uniforms and other non-combat military equipment of altered style, pattern and design (without official CAF badge), and it also determines selling of items from a range of publications, CDs, DVDs and official souvenirs of the MOD and Croatian Armed Forces.

Info Centre of the Ministry of Defence and Croatian Armed Forces has been designed and modelled upon similar information and recruitment centres of western countries, as a space where all interested visitors can get all the information related to the possibility of working and serving in the Croatian Armed Forces (Kadet, voluntary military service, military scholarships, etc.).