Complementary companies, satisfying exacting customer requirements

The entrepreneurial story of the Medle family started over 40 years ago, when Alojz Medle commenced business as an installer of blinds and then opened a small manufacturing plant in 1976. “This used to be a great logistical challenge, as the blades were manufactured solely in Ljubljana. At first, our father had to drive to the capital, where he would purchase finished blinds and then install them. Later it became easier, when he could rework the materials into final products at home,” his son Robert recalls. Even though some items were initially unfamiliar for local people, the business soon thrived within the region. Four years later, Alojz’s wife Marta joined him. “Our father spent a lot of time working with clients and he needed someone to take care of administration. Our mother, a medical technician by profession, took over the accountancy,” adds Robert. His brother Gorazd also has vivid recollections of the early days: “We attended many fairs linked to our field of work abroad, and searched for the most advanced and suitable material and system providers in Europe and beyond. It is much easier to access information today, for you can come across numerous ideas, discover how things are done abroad and see all the newest trends on the internet.”

It has been more than 10 years since Alojz and Marta took the decision to withdraw from the company; however, preparations for the new  generation to take over began well before. “In 1994, at the age of 26 and after consultation with my parents, I decided to open my own company, Senčila Medle. We started manufacturing different blinds from those made by Roletarstvo Medle, leadership of which my brother Robert  assumed roughly six years later, at the age of 30,” says Gorazd, recalling his entrepreneurial beginnings. While Senčila Medle, with €2.8m revenue in 2016, specializes in manufacturing insect screens, awnings, screen blinds and decorative interior shades, Roletarstvo Medle manufactures shades and windows. “We do not manufacture identical products, but complementary ones. Most of our clients know us as Medle and they do not differentiate between the two companies. We always cooperate and offer our clients the best combination of the two,” adds Robert. The two brothers place utmost importance on client satisfaction: “Our main goal is to keep our clients happy. Profits are merely a side product and if a business is run correctly, they look after themselves.” 

Who can a man trust, if not his wife?

The Medle brothers grew up with the company and helped out with various chores from a young age. “We always had money, but we had to earn it. I was extremely thrifty with the money I earned, for I had to work hard for it. I was not given pocket money as some children were,” recalls Gorazd.A similar approach can be seen today with their children. Alongside their wives Vanja and Anastazija, who have both been employed in the company from the start, they have another four young people who can occasionally help out. “It is good to have at least a few people in the company you can trust unconditionally. And who can you trust if not your wife?” asks Robert. The brothers both agree that the children will decide their own futures. Regardless of wishes for them to continue in the family tradition, the children’s ambitions come first.

Fair payment for fair work

Roletarstvo Medle currently has 128 employees, working alongside Medle IP (offering employment opportunities for handicapped people) which has 12 and Senčila Medle has 33. Gorazd remembers how times were different in 1994, when Senčila Medle was just emerging: “In the beginning it was just my wife and me. Over the years as the company grew, new employees joined us. With growth, responsibility towards customers and employees also increased. I feel nostalgic looking back at the times when my wife and I, with a small baby at the time, spent all day in the workshop. It was difficult, but at the same time it brought us a great feeling of satisfaction.It was all manageable and simpler. Today, the responsibility is much bigger than it used to be.” Robert takes a contrary view and believes it was much harder when the company was smaller: “It was hardest when there were about 20 or 30 of us. We were already quite big, but on the other hand we could not afford someone to work just on the time schedules for the installations, or somebody who would work exclusively in the warehouse. All of us had to perform multiple tasks and had to be good at a vast array of them. It became easier with additional employees, because we could employ specialists for quality control, head of production, head of sales, etc..”

The Medle brothers strive to offer their employees the best possible working conditions, which is why they try their hardest to avoid the requirement for shift work, and they always want to establish a fair relationship. “We expect a lot from our employees, but we also pay them fairly. Our salaries are above average,” explains Robert, while Gorazd adds that they do encounter certain limitations. “Unfortunately we cannot stretch the season across the entire year, which is why we have to work longer hours during our busy time. However, the employees remain with us,” concludes Gorazd.