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“Our success has always been based on respecting the competition, partners and customers."
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, AJM’s original production of white PVC windows has expanded to include a comprehensive range of joinery products. Family values are written in capital letters in the structure of their business. They place significant importance on the right balance between the work and family lives of their employees, and consequently were one of the first companies in Slovenia to be awarded a Family Friendly Enterprise certificate.
Who could have predicted a quarter-century ago that two legendary Zastava 101 cars would be instrumental in the successful story of the B & B Driving School, established by Bernarda and Brane Lotrič? Initially, they had no real idea how to develop their professional and commercial interests and their only assets were the vintage cars. Nevertheless, their business has grown into a private high school, where you can still take driving tests.
“Our commitment is to quality, with not compromises or shortcuts.”
Everyone loves chocolate; children and grown-ups alike. We love it because of its delicious and sweet taste and, when eaten in moderation, it is also good for us. Accompanied by the right story and wrapped in beautiful packaging it makes a lovely gift for anyone. Chocolate can be a prestigious product, especially if it is made by the “Čokoladni atelje Dobnik”, with their two decades of tradition in hand-crafted chocolates. All the company’s main strategic decisions are made by the family.
“You can be successful, if you have the support of your family."
The company Don Don was established by brother and sister team Aleš and Alenka Mozetič. They have succeeded in developing it into a bakery business that is present today throughout Southeast Europe. From a small bakery in Metlika, the founders of the “Tvojih pet minut” brand are today the leading producers of bakery products in Slovenia. The company’s presence in foreign markets is so significant that it demanded the permanent presence of one of the founders in Serbia, where today Don Don is one of the largest providers of bakery products.
"Family business is the core thread of our work and life."
This year Elvez hired 15 new employees in a single month, an event which can be attributed to the company’s strong growth and excellent performance, as the family develops new products using their in-house technology. Thirty years ago, the technology was a single machine in the basement of the family home; today the basement has been replaced with modern production facilities, offering employment to 165 people.
“I do not see myself as a director or and owner of the business, merely as its temporary custodian."
Company operations began in their garage, offering simple repairs of hydraulic pipes. Three decades later, one of their tasks is to regularly service the reactor at the Krško nuclear power station. Hidex also successfully markets its services abroad, so becoming a finalist for the award of the 2015 Gazelle for the Dolenjska-Posavje region came as no surprise. This is a family business success story, in which good people made the best of opportunities.
"The new lab and cutting edge technology will for further production of top-notch products."
Termo-tehnika is a leading manufacturer of heat pumps in Slovenia with more than 7,000 annual sales. The products are developed and manufactured in Slovenia and exported to demanding European markets. They are supplied to several renowned European companies in the field of heating technology. Over the past two years they have conquered markets with a new brand, Kronoterm, which is a combination of the family name of the founder Rudi and that of the current Director Bogdan and the already established Termo-tehnika brand.
"Those who accept our values, become members of our family."
Metrology, the science of measurement, is such an integral part of our lives that as soon as a child is born, it is weighed and measured. LOTRIČ Meroslovje, a family business from Selška dolina, has been involved in measuring for the past 24 years, a business devoted to developing and implementing a large variety of metrology solutions. As a visitor you can immediately sense their commitment, their devotion to precision and accuracy and their love for both metrology and family. Their wider “family circle” encompasses a total of 83 staff.
Read their whole story here
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Chapter 9
LUMAR IG, d. o. o.
"We have developed and believed in technologies, which other have initially made fun of."
At this year’s Expo in Milan, Slovenia proudly presented a unique form of construction from Lumar IG, Maribor. It is this particular project that inspired Milan and Marko Lukić to attempt projects they never thought possible. The family business employs 61 staff, cooperates with an additional 150 staff through their subcontractors, and sees their special contribution as being to their environment. Their low-energy and passive prefabricated houses have long been found beyond the Slovenian borders; nowadays, around 40% of sales are in foreign markets.
"It was important to appoint a director who was not part of the family, as my father was too emotionally tied to the company."
The advantage of a two-family business is that you have two available bedrooms, which you can transfer into offices, and from which you can conclude a contract with a global US supplier. This is exactly what Miran Senčar and Albert Bene did when they concluded their first major contract in the 1990s. Today, Tenzor is a socially responsible company providing technical security services. Through its subsidiaries, the company is present in the markets of the former Yugoslavia, and by contributing to regional development, it takes care of entrepreneurial talents and the local environment.
In 2015, we are highlightning stories of family-owned enterprises AJM, B&B, Čokoladni atelje Dobnik, Don Don, Elvez, Hidex, Termo-tehnika, LOTRIČ Meroslovje, Lumar IG and Tenzor.
