In a family-owned enterprise understanding the inner workings of a family is just as important as understanding business processes. As told by EY Slovenia, this is especially as enterprises are implementing professionalized corporate management. EY Slovenia is proud to present the 8th Family Business Slovenia 2021 book with 10 new stories of Slovenian family businesses.
EY Slovenia has been highlighting 10 family business stories every year since 2004, supporting and strengthening Slovenian family businesses. In the last years, many Slovenian family-owned enterprises have faced the issue of professionalizing their organizations.
Competencies that can help Slovenian family businesses in their progress
“More and more family businesses are facing the question of when and how to consider transferring from a lean, family-oriented company to a more complex enterprise. A recent study by the American Family Firm Institute focused on the sets of competencies for current and future owners and leaders. These go beyond the running of business and broadly touches upon family dynamics, personal development and understanding of the time and place in which we live. These competencies can serve as a foundation for Slovenian family enterprises to consider their next steps in the development of the family and the family company,” says Mojca Emeršič, head of Family Business at EY Slovenia, responsible for the Family Business Slovenia books, including this year’s edition.
The common denominator of all ten entrepreneurial stories: Persistance
“The data published by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia shows that the Slovenian economy has been relatively successful in dealing with the crisis. In 2020, GDP fell, but only by 4.2% compared to the previous year and the data for the second quarter of 2021 show positive trends in household consumption, import and export, investments and employment. Regardless of all the additional challenges facing family businesses, the one quality they all have in common is persistence. We are glad to add 10 more excellent family business enterprises to our list. As every year, their stories made a special impression and were very inspiring,” says Janez Uranič, Country Managing Partner at EY Slovenia.
You can read the stories in Slovenia and English in the book or here . Thanks to the support of the Slovenian public agency SPIRIT, 200 sets of the Family Business Slovenia series are available in Slovenian libraries, helping inscribe the series into Slovenian national identity. Since 2016, SPIRIT actively supports and partially co-funds the publication of Family Business Slovenia books and promotes Slovenian family enterprises in Slovenia as well as abroad through Slovenian business clubs and Slovenian ambassies.
10 stories of Slovenian family enterprises from 2021
Frigotransport Pišek&Hsf : A champion among providers of agri-foods and pharma logistics
The Pišek family enterprise directs its success story from headquarters in Lopata, near Celje. Peter Pišek, Director and owner of Frigotransport Pišek&Hsf d.o.o bought his first used truck at the age of 19. Today, he and his sons lead one of the fastest growing logistics and transportation companies. The Pišek Group has 100 employees and a vehicle fleet of 50 trucks. They generate around €12 million in revenue, 70% of which comes from foreign markets. The company’s main activities concern logistics and transportation, with specializations in agri-food and pharmacy, but the Pišek Group also includes a restaurant. Their competitive advantage stems from refrigerated warehouses in the Netherlands and Germany, and a 10,000 m² logistics center in Lopata, near Celje.
Jagros: Common sense and hard work lead to long-term success
The story of Jager Stores began in 1989, when Franc and Marija Jager opened their first store in Tržišče, near Rogaška Slatina. Within 30 years, their small business had grown into the large Slovenian family retail company Jagros d.o.o., with 42 branches, which is known under the brand Jager Stores. Last year, they had €167,6 million revenue and more than €12 million in net profit. Their turnover growth rate is stable, at around 10% per year and was almost 15% last year. Their profits are also growing, last year by 47% compared to the previous year. The company is now managed by the three brothers, Aleš, Boštjan and Miha Jager, and members of the third generation are also actively involved.
Kuzma: Every single product is a masterpiece
The Kuzma company from Kranj has been a leader in the field of premium turntables and tonearms for more than 40 years. Every product they make is a masterpiece, earning them a reputation as one of the best premium audio equipment companies in the world. This quality has also brought several awards from the most respected audiophile magazines and is reflected in their prices – Kuzma turntables range from a couple of thousand to tens of thousands of euros.
Perger 1757: Family is our circle of power
Not so long ago, the traditional gift from a boy to a girl was honey bread in the shape of a heart. “This was before mobile phones, so the sweetheart had to be decorated with a love message and a small mirror in which the girl could admire herself,” says Hrabroslav Perger, head of the Perger 1757 family enterprise from Slovenj Gradec. Perger 1757 keeps alive the traditional crafts of honey confectionery, honey breadmaking and chandlery. Their business was started 250 years agor by their great-great-great-grandfather and today, the company features its 9th generation.
PODKRIŽNIK Group: Architects of intelligent drive solutions
The success story of the Podkrižnik company began in the town of Ljubno ob Savinji. In almost three and a half decades since then, the company has become one of the European leaders in the field of special drive technology. Last year, Podkrižnik Group had €42 million in revenue and profit of €3.4 million. Their philosophy is simple. “We have ambitious people, incredible will, excellent knowledge, state-of-the-art technology and the power to do even the impossible,” says the founder of the company, Iztok Podkrižnik.
ROLTEK: An innovative approach setting trends in the field of roller shutters
Two generations of the Kosec family, who have written the success story of ROLTEK together, have roller shutters in their blood. ROLTEK is a leading manufacturer of roller shutters and venetian blinds with their own production facilities in Slovenia. Their care for the environment and desire for a better tomorrow guide their constant development. Today the family and around 100 ROLTEK employees follow their vision to meet the desires of even the most demanding customers with a sustainable and socially responsible approach both in Slovenia and abroad. Last year, ROLTEK achieved €10.8 million of revenue, which is a 20% improvement on the previous year.
Scan: Selling and servicing state-of-the-art equipment
Scan from Preddvor pri Kranju has been selling and repairing electron microscopes and other laboratory equipment in the former Yugoslav region for 31 years. They sell and represent world-renowned manufacturers of electron microscopes, spectrometers, vacuum and other laboratory equipment. The family company currently employs nine people and earns around €1.7 million in revenue. Scan was founded in 1990 by Slavko Žižek and today the second generation of the family is actively involved in the company. Their main values are integrity, responsibility and honesty.
Tinex: Trusting a co-worker to lead the company
Few family companies can say their management functions are so well separated from ownership that no leading roles are taken by the family or even extended family. Tinex from Šenčur is one such company. In three decades, it has become a successful medium-sized seller of bearings, seals, linear and drive technologies, and even opened its own manufacturing facilities. Most of the credit for this success goes to the late founder of the company, Štefan Čebašek, who started out as a small construction material retailer. Today, Tinex employs 70 people and its annual revenue is nearing the milestone of €20 million. After Štefan unexpectedly passed away, the company tradition has been successfully continued by his wife Marija Čebašek and daughter Andreja Jeraj.
Uniforest: Decisive sustainable steps forward
Uniforest is known world-renowned as an innovative manufacturer of high-quality forestry equipment. Their product development strategy prioritizes safety, ease of use, unique design and environmental sustainability. The Uniforest brand is protected in almost 40 countries and has 22 active patents, with four more waiting for approval. They believe the largest added value of the company are their employees and their knowledge.
ZELINKA: Bringing computers to our offices and homes
ZELINKA & sinovi is a company that sells integrated computer equipment in Slovenia and abroad. For more than 30 years they have been an importer and partner for leading hardware and software manufacturers such as Lenovo, 3M, IBM, ELO Touch, Targus and Overland-Tandberg. The family company, ZELINKA & sinovi Zastopanje in trgovina d.o.o., was founded by Martin Zelinka in 1988, when Slovenia was still part of Yugoslavia. Martin retired in 2012, but his mission is continued by his sons, Luka and Jurij, and his grandson Leo.
EY Slovenia 2021 Family Business Award of Excellence went to Intra lighting
EY Slovenia has been actively supporting family entrepreneurship in Slovenia, which includes highlighting success stories and good examples of Slovenian family business practices. In June 2021, they awarded the sixth EY Family Business Award of Excellence. This year the awards went to Intra lighting. Last year, the winners was LOTRIČ Metrology and previous winners include companies Vivapen, Lumar IG, KLS Ljubno in Roto.
About EY Family Business
EY Slovenia offers several services to support family businesses through organizational, tax, legal and other aspects of inheritance transfers, as well as with other aspects of development and (international growth). To help support all generations of the family, EY services are targeted and adapted to each individual organization and to specifics of the company’s industry. EY Slovenia’s local activities connect and highlight Slovenia family enterprizes, bringing them into a global networks through events such as EY Family Business Award of Excellence.
