BELGRADE--Already Serbia's biggest independent distributor of security products, CCTV Centar Master recently got bigger with the opening of a new, state-of-the art facility in Belgrade, and plans call for more expansion and additional employees over the course of this year.

Covering nearly 3,000 square meters, Master's new headquarters consists of a 1,500-square-meter warehouse, a showroom, presentation room and a 60-seat training facility. The warehouse portion of the building is unique in that it is actually two warehouses, Master's executive director Dejan Petrovic, told Security Systems News Europe, with one warehouse serving as a customs-free zone for imported products, which allows the company to pass on savings to clients.

Master is putting an increasing emphasis on training, and with that in mind, the new training facility now plays host to a training session every week. As Master supplies security products across the board, sessions will run the gamut from CCTV (Master's primary area of activity) to alarm systems, fire prevention, access control and intercoms, Petrovic said.

After establishing a commanding position in Serbia over the past two decades, Master began looking further afield, moving into Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Four years ago Master opened an office in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina's second biggest city, and within two years Master became the market leader there. The growth in Bosnia has continued, and as a result Petrovic said the company plans to build a new facility there too, probably before the end of this year.

It's not just real estate that Master is investing in either. In order to better serve its client network, which currently stands at some 750, Petrovic said Master planned to hire 10 to 15 new staff this year, bringing the total number of employees to approximately 45.

Master's clients include prominent government organizations and private companies in both Serbia and abroad, such as the offices of the government of Serbia, the OSCE offices in Banja Luka, the Serbian embassy in Washington, Interpol, the Japanese embassy in Spain, the Hyatt Hotel and numerous banks.