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| Arjeta Puca with her colleagues as they demonstrate the first Albanian military car produced by them |
In Albania, women and girls are making significant strides in the automotive manufacturing industry. One notable figure is Arjeta Puca, the founder of "Timak," a company that relies heavily on the work of women. In just a few years, she has successfully produced hundreds of vehicles, including the prototype of Albania's first armored military vehicle, which will be showcased at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. Under the motto "women at the wheel of change," Puca is building her future in Albania after returning from emigration.
"After 25 years filled with longing for Albania, I finally decided to return. In my family, we always talked about going back to Albania. I didn't know much, just that I missed my country," Arjeta Puca, founder of "Timak," shared in an interview with Voice of America.
Arjeta, originally from Dibra, decided to return to Albania after 25 years abroad. She had left for Ankara, Turkey, with her parents in the early 90s when she was just four years old. Educated in computer engineering, with work experience in Japan and Germany, she brought back everything she had learned with her parents. They own a company in Ankara that has been producing snowplows and solar panel machines for nearly 20 years. The beginning after her return nine years ago was challenging.
"The start was tough. I didn't speak the language well, I had no social circle, and I felt isolated. I tried to create the right communication network and learn as much as I could. It was a lot of learning and making new connections. I learned immensely. My first job was selling snowplow vehicles. There wasn't much demand, and I did every other job," Arjeta recalled.
However, she didn't give up and founded "Timak" as an initiative to increase "Made in Albania" products. During the early stages of her work, which involved trading various vehicles, Arjeta was drawn to ambulances and managed to produce them for the first time in Albania.
"For 2 to 3 years, there was no work; I just made applications. During COVID-19, it was chaos. Then we started producing ambulances. We initially collaborated with a company for their production, but they left the job halfway, and we completed it ourselves. After that, other requests started coming in. We received requests for producing fire trucks, police cars, and mobile medical clinics. We said yes to all of them. We studied and made them. For Ukraine, we received a request from the UN to produce ambulances. We managed to produce 11 of them in two weeks. We worked day and night," she explained.
This was a strong starting point, and today, the company she founded, which centers on the work of women, produces various types of vehicles and markets them in more than 20 countries.
Recently, Arjeta aims to reach another milestone. The latest development from her company is the production of Albania's first armored military vehicle, which will soon be showcased at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris. Her journey exemplifies the potential and determination of women in transforming industries traditionally dominated by men.