PROFILE SPWA  

     The Slovak Public Works Association exists in the Slovak Republic since 1992. It associates subjects, that provide public works services or partake in its delivery. Since 1998 it's name is "Združenie organizácií verejných prác" abbreviated: ZOVP in Slovak and in English it is "Slovak Public Works Association" abbreviated - "SPWA"  The major activities of SPWA membership focus mainly on communal waste management, road cleaning and maintanance incl. snow-service, public lighting, landscaping and green maintanance, funeral and cemetery services.  On these activities focus SPWA's 6 sections for: transportation and local roads section, waste management section , landscaping and cemeteries section, section for public lighting, for the needs of SPWA membership there is section for economics and legislature, and especially in the last two years members of international affairs section are working on establishing international contacts of SPWA.  At the present SPWA has 70 members that operate in cca 1200 communities in the Slovak Republic. The membership changes quite often - in the meantime about 50% of the members are contributionary and budgetary organizations set up by towns or communities - several of these however are preparing to transform to bussines subjects. Among other members there are bussines companies owned by communities, companies with partial private shares but also purely private companies. About 15% of the members are manufacturers, supply and service organizations for equipment and know-how in public works field.  SPWA gains its financial means through annual membership fees and through incomes from educational activities, advertisement and propagation.

     In the years 1997 - 1998 as a part of activities of foreign institutions supporting development of self government democracy in Central and Eastern European countries SPWA participated in Total Quality Maintanance training program in Slovakia. As a part of this project a Strategic Plan for upcoming 5 years was prepared and approved by SPWA bodies. Since this time SPWA closer cooperates with other professional associations in Slovak town and community-governments. SPWA has also established contacts with partner public works associations in the Czech Republic, North America and later with Hungary and Poland. These contacts are developing and in more cases following the agreements of the official collaboration alliance. 

     In the spring and in the autumn every year General Assembly of SPWA takes place. These assemblies have in the recent years included exhibition of communal equippment and presentation of domestic and foreign companies from the public works field. This kind if cooperation of communal equippment manufacturers, resp. importers and its users, seems to be very beneficial and perspective. This way we would like to introduce you our association and individuall members. We hope this information will be usefull and interesting for you and we are looking forward to meeting you. 

Mgr. Peter Kuba
SPWA president