Kovačnik Tourist Tarm, Planica nad Tramom

Their products are used successfully to support the growth of companies worldwide, while keeping in step with new developments. Continuous  innovation and research has placed the company among the world’s top suppliers of technological solutions in the field of surface treatment. They are committed to exceeding customer expectations, building honest partnerships and thus expanding their wider “family”. They are extremely eco-conscious, further strengthening their bond with the local community which, despite their globally-directed policy, plays an important part in their business ambitions: “We are closely tied to the local environment; this is our wish and also one of our values, and we are aware that you gain as much from the environment as you put into it. It is not difficult for me to do a good deed without requiring something in return,” says Mojca, who along with the company supports everything from local events to sponsoring various societies and individuals.

“Our dedication to our goals is synonymous with the successful family company, whose doors are never closed to motivated and ambitious employees. Last year, I made it clear that I want to recruit the best talent as this is the only way to achieve progress. Thus, employees who have demonstrated ambition and good results have been posted to more  challenging jobs - both in the sales and the technical section as well as in the assembly department,” points out Mojca.

We never admit how many mistakes we make in tests before finally creating the perfect  machine

Operating in industries including medicine, pharmaceuticals, foundry, nuclear decontamination, automotive and shipbuilding, they focus  particularly on the most demanding of all, aerospace, where they are present with their Shot-Peening technology. They customize their solutions, often using sandblasting, hardening of surfaces in the aviation and automotive industries, plus conversion and cleansing of  decontaminated surfaces. They mostly produce automated and robotic  machinery that the customer can install and use to process a variety of  materials and products. ”All our solutions are customized, made to order, as we develop solutions for individual products and specifically for the known customer. For example, if we manufacture products for foundries in Slovenia and Germany, they will both require very different products, since they have different needs, norms, requirements for surface structure and product forms. However, ultimately both of these products may have the same function or purpose,” says Mojca, explaining their customer  approach.  Her father Bojan adds: ”The FerroCrtalic equipment provides the solution a customer is searching for and we are compensated for our work by the sale of these products. But the key factor is the solution, which in economic terms has no price, while with regards to the time,  economics, ecology and sustainability, it provides a competitive advantage to our customers and their businesses. This is a pure win-win situation.”

They are present at all major trade fairs around the world, including those in the USA, China, India, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Iran and throughout Europe, as they believe this to be the only way to gain much-needed  business partners and references. As Mojca points out, buyers often do  not know exactly what they want: ”They imagine a solution that does not yet exist and for us this is the biggest challenge! What now? Let’s go  inventing! Development and testing takes two, three months, sometimes half a year, or even longer,”  until the customer is presented with what  they really need or want. ”I have never wanted to sell something that  customers didn’t really need. Identifying the customer’s predicament that our solutions must overcome is similarly demanding as is three or more months’ technological development of a machine. To manufacture something that our customer does not need would mean a bad reference for us.”

Half a century of family business

The origins of the company date back to 1964, when a young locksmith, Jože Črtalič, Mojca’s grandfather, decided to start his own entrepreneurial career. From his first workshop  at Grm in Novo Mesto, they moved in the mid-seventies to Mačkovec in Novo Mesto, right at the time when their son Bojan graduated and began his career in the family workshop. In the 1990s, Jože, the father, gradually handed over the company reins to his son Bojan and his wife Slavojka. At that time, due to lack of space, the company moved again, this time to its current location at Sela pri Dolenjskih Toplicah. Today, the successful family story is pursued by Bojan’s oldest daughter Mojca and the younger daughter Anja, who is  particularly successful in selling in the most far-flung markets, while their brother Jernej is in charge of the sister company at the former location in Novo mesto. “We are involved in the manufacturing of machinery, while my brother provides service activities - machine start-ups in customer locations, and the most demanding surface treatment on location. In addition, he performs testing with our machinery for end customers, and together we are building a strong and trusted family business,” says Mojca, explaining the complementary activities.

In the opinion of the Company Director, over 50 years of tradition is one of their major advantages: “Today, all over the world family businesses are highly appreciated. These types of businesses bring competitive advantage as the customer realizes that tradition and loyalty are important and that there is a reason for the company being present on the market for such  a long period.”  Currently the fourth generation of the family participates in the family business, while Mojca’s father Bojan, despite the fact that he has retired, continues to actively maintain contacts with business partners worldwide, and helps in the development of products and the more complex solutions. Mojca’s elder son Leo is a student and recipient of a company grant and thus he helps in the family business during the holidays. He is mostly involved in the administration, marketing and sales. He has recently edited the company’s website in Iranian because they sensed that it would be useful.  Nevertheless, at this particular time he is reluctant to commit his career to the family business. “I want to prove myself, create something worthwile, and gain wider international knowledge. I would like to study Italian and other Latin-based languages, as I believe it is here that my talent lies. While my ideas are slightly different, I am aware of the importance of our company and I am proud and happy to offer a helping hand,” emphasizes Leo. The younger son Teo Tim is 10 years old and spends much of his time in the company. “This way, children can get the feel of the company, they can make contact with people and are a part of the business. Teo Tim is very technically minded and is interested in different aspects of the company business,” points out Mojca.