NIS and Mercedes-Benz SM (Serbia and Montenegro) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which confirmed a successful partnership and identified directions of further cooperation. The Memorandum was signed at the NIS company stand at the Energy Fair in Belgrade, on 10 October, by Kirill Kravchenko, NIS CEO and Andreas Binder, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz SM. This document defines the business cooperation between the two strong brands, which means, first of all, recommendation and promotion of NIS petroleum products and G-Energy motor oils. Accordingly, Mercedes-Benz will use the fuel produced by NIS, and will also recommend it to their customers, since it is a high quality fuel produced in compliance with Euro standards, with strictly controlled quality. G-Energy oil, lubricants and technical fluids are approved for use in authorized Mercedes-Benz service network. In addition, Mercedes-Benz also participates in the process of purchasing new vehicles for the NIS. The purchase of 44 modern Mercedes-Benz Actros tank trucks and two vans Mercedes-Benz Vito has been agreed in the framework of this cooperation. In addition to 20 tank trucks already delivered, by the end of the year the fleet of NIS will be renewed with another 24 modern vehicles for transport of petroleum products. New specialized road vehicles - Actros 1841 are featured with Euro 5 engines with EEV filters, and multi-chamber aluminum tanks “Schwarzmueller”, capacity of 35,000 liters, designed to the highest European standards with low fuel consumption and reduced emissions. This will allow more efficient and faster transportation of goods to the destination. Tanks and tractors with semi-trailer will be driven under a new, three-colored brand of NIS Petrol. As the new Mercedes-Benz vehicles are equipped in accordance with European regulations, this procurement is also a contribution of NIS to the road traffic safety and the environmental protection. Safety of vehicles and goods is ensured by the modern control systems and navigation from the Control Center, respecting the legal procedures for transport of hazardous materials, as well as European standards for health, safety and environmental protection. Environmental protection of the air is provided by bottom filling of tank trucks and vapor recovery systems for oil products. The built-in measuring equipment ensures precision measurements on delivery of goods to the destination, and the novelty is the possibility of simultaneous transport, unloading and measurement of two types of goods. Each tank truck travels approximately 120,000 kilometers a year, supplying 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, about 350 gas stations of NIS Petrol in the territory of Serbia, from Subotica to Bujanovac, as well as numerous consumers across Serbia. After the complete renewal of the fleet, with 44 new tank trucks NIS will be able for monthly transport of almost the same amount of goods that is currently transported by twice the number of tank trucks. Kiril Kravchenko, the NIS CEO, said: "Signing this Memorandum is the result of successful cooperation between our two companies, which confirms the high quality of NIS products, same as the Mercedes Benz company standards support. Constant innovations that NIS applied in the business development are conditioned by the desire to be as efficient as possible, in line with global trends of sustainable development, but also the market requirements. Our goal is a strategic and stable development, but above all, we must be responsible to the consumers and work to meet their expectations. It is a common interest of NIS and Mercedes, and I am confident that we will accomplish it easier by a joint approach." Andreas Binder, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz SM, addressed the audience and expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation: "The partnership includes not only the purchase of vehicles, even though it is an important contribution to the recovering market. It is much broader cooperation that aims to achieve the highest level of long-term services for all clients. Our two companies set the technology standards in their respective areas. New technology and high quality products are the links that connect NIS and Mercedes-Benz. This cooperation is also a platform for future projects that are focused on electric vehicles and vehicles powered by natural gas, where we recognize the NIS company as a strategic partner. "
