Bozhurishte is getting ready for opening

The new distribution centre in Bozhurishte, Bulgaria, is not finished yet, but the values of JYSK are already very much alive.

Entering the distribution centre in Bozhurishte on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, is very much like entering the distribution centres in Uldum, Nässjö or Radomsko.

But there are also differences. First of all the fact that the distribution centre is not yet finished.

A lot of workers are busy building the shelves and installing the cranes, which will allow the distribution centre to store more than 81,000 pallets.

Once they are ready for that in June 2019, the cost of transportation will decrease for JYSK in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Greece while at the same time ensuring that the time between ordering and receiving products will be reduced significantly for both stores and online customers.

But although the high bays are not yet finished, there is already a lot activity as Bozhurishte has started receiving products both directly from suppliers as well from distribution centre Radomsko in Poland.

These products are so far only being distributed to stores in Bulgaria, but the stores in the region will be added on an ongoing basis as the activity in Bozhurishte increases.

Setting the tone

One of the colleagues making sure of that is Inbound Manager Iliya Angelov.

He has been working for JYSK since August, and he is very aware that the tone set by him and his colleagues will be crucial to the future for Bozhurishte.

“Right now there are 15 people working with inbound, but in time we will be at least 60, so it is very important to make sure they are the right ones. Another key element is to set the tone and be a good example as a leader. There is a big difference between being a manager and a leader. A leader trusts and delegates responsibility, and that is clearly a key value in JYSK. I have worked in other companies, where decisions were much more centralised, but in JYSK we trust that all employees can make decisions, and that is something I really like,” explains Iliya.

That is also the case when it comes to finding the right people to work in the department, which means that Inbound Team Leader Ivaylo Atanasov will often find that he will be the one making such key decisions.

Safety first

Iliya and Ivaylo knew each other previous to Iliya beginning at JYSK, and it was Iliya that convinced Ivaylo to become part of the JYSK family.

“The first time he asked, I actually said no. But then I heard more about JYSK and decided to take the step and move to Sofia, so I could work in JYSK. I see it as a really interesting opportunity to be part of building the JYSK organisation here in Bozhurishte. I am not here because of money, or because I wanted to move to Sofia. I am here because it is a really great job,” explains Ivaylo.

He began working in JYSK in October 2018, and so far it has exceeded his expectations.

“I like the way JYSK is operated with a focus on safety first and making sure that it is a great and safe place to work,” says Ivaylo.

Before working in JYSK, he worked for other retailers like Lidl and Kaufland, which, just as his role in JYSK, was quite different from his studies in physics.

“Now I only have astronomy as a hobby. Instead I will begin to study logistics management in my spare time, and I am sure that this is where my future lies,” says Ivaylo.

And in that regard, he and Iliya are much alike although Iliya studied marketing during his time at university.

“I have supplemented with a degree in logistics, and I really look forward to keep developing the people and the operation here in Bozhurishte,” says Iliya.