In the current situation, family enterprises showcase their resilience and their long-term focus, says EY Slovenia upon the publication of the 9th edition of Family Business Slovenia 2022. The book puts 10 new success stories on the map of Slovenian family enterprises.
In Slovenia, family enterprises make up as much as 83% of the economy. Even though private entrepreneurial initiatives have only been encouraged for the past 30 years, many family business stories collected in the book Family Business Slovenia 2022 began much earlier in one form or another.
Today, the generation of founders faces important and impactful decisions. How to keep the company going forward? Will the next generation take over the leadership and ownership of the family company? To ease this transition, EY has developed a process to support companies with the transfer of leadership and ownership. They have noticed that more and more family enterprises decide to prepare a family constitution, where the focus in not only the legal process of succession, but also on the family values, purpose and the relationships between family members.
Insight into 90 successful Slovenian family enterprises
In recent years, more and more family enterprises are focusing on transitioning the leadership and ownership of the company to the next generation of family members and on professionalizing their organization. This is also true of the 10 family enterprises presented in the latest Family Business Slovenia book. The collection of stories that EY has collected and written down in nine editions of the book, starting in 2014, offers insight into 90 successful family enterprises.
Family companies move things forward at all levels of the economy
“At the global level, some of the challenges remain the same as last year, such as recruitment and retention of the best talents in several industries and sectors,” commented Janez Uranič, EY Slovenia Managing Partner in the foreword to the latest edition. He pointed out that an important aspect of family business operations is their close connection with the local community and added that event the most difficult times can bring forward something positive. And what connects the 10 companies presented in the Family Business Slovenia 2022? “All the families we interviewed this year are unafraid to move things forward at all levels,” concludes Uranič.
Good relationships are the most important measure of success
“It takes courage to publicly speak about yourself and your plans, and to share your story with others, so that it may serve as an inspiration and motivation even during these uncertain times,” says Mojca Emeršič, Family Business Leader at EY Slovenia, who is in responsible for the Family Business Slovenia books. “Many family enterprises took the current circumstances as a catalyst to consider their future. We have received numerous questions related to transfer of assets or companies.” However, she adds, success is not guaranteed simply by water-tight documents and rules (though these can be helpful), but is usually the result of good relationships. “All this is much simpler if the family business has a clear path and if the family clearly defines what guides it, its purpose, its higher goal, or, as we like to call it, its “northern star”. A joint purpose that motivates members of different generation can act as a glue and a foundation that allows the entire family to work together,” concludes Emeršič.
10 new stars: Which Slovenian family business stories stood out in 2022?
Comark: Project logistics specialists
Comark, a Ljubljana-based project logistics company specialized in large, heavy and difficult transports can easily meet such challenges. They are proud of their ability to ensure high-quality out-of-gauge transportation all over the world. More than half Comark’s revenues are generated by foreign clients on the global market. In collaboration with their related company Paklog d.o.o. they can offer a comprehensive packaging and overseas transport solution to their clients. Discover their story.
DVIG: Taking on challenges others cannot
Lifting and moving a helicopter, statues, chapels, and haystacks, or moving a submarine into a military museum are challenges only a few can take on, but in their 40 years of operations, Dvig d.o.o. has done all that and more. Their team of experienced professional takes care of machine relocations, transport and can lift even the most difficult loads. The company with around 40 employees is based in Sinja Gorica near Vrhnika and has the largest lift fleet in Slovenia. Discover their story.
EKO DIM: Seven decades of chimney sweeping and bringing luck
Chimney sweeping company EKO DIM has been bringing us luck and keeping our homes safe for 70 years. EKO DIM is based in Ravne na Koroškem and offers services in the Koroška region, in Zgornja Savinja and Spodnja Savinja Valleys and beyond. With 20 employees, it is one of the largest chimney sweeping companies in Slovenia and has been recognized as a trustworthy partner both by home owners and larger companies. Discover their stories.
Hermi: Finding a way to catch the lightning
Almost four decades ago, Herman Rauter, the founder and now retired former Director of Hermi, entered the commercial world to focus on electrical measurement and restoring lightning protection systems. Today, Hermi is internationally successful manufacturing company with four main product ranges – lightning protection, surge protection, cable trays and cable ladders, plus mounting systems for solar power plants. Their advantages are the ownership of a large number of patents, a cutting-edge development department, reliable production and exceptional before and after sales support. Discover their story.
Klančar cranes appear even in Planica
Klančar Žerjavi, based in Križ pri Sežani, provides various maintenance services for operation of cranes, rents out their cranes and other construction equipment. It is testament to their success that passers-by can observe these mighty structures on the construction sites of many ambitious and far-reaching construction projects, such as the ski-jump in Planica. Discover their story.
Magneti Ljubljana hold firm even during difficult times
Magneti Ljubljana have been making permanent metallic magnets, bonded magnets and magnetic systems since 1951. In these seven decades, the company survived many turbulent situations. Today, they are an important player in their industry and are looking forward to a bright future. Based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Magneti Ljubljana is already a European manufacturer of magnets, with practically all their clients based in other European countries, but the goal is to become a global company. Discover their story.
Mizarstvo Jezeršek: Local team and customers from 40 countires
The three Jezeršek brothers who took over the successful family business of Mizarstvo Jezeršek from their late father Karel. The company based in Hotavlje specializes in producing stairs and can proudly claim that they have left a mark in more than 40 countries around the world with their products. Despite their success reaching far beyond their home, they are still aware of the significance of their local environment and the continued importance of manual work. Discover their story.
Piskar: Part of almost every Slovenian household
The Piskar products, such as polyethylene films and bags, mainly for household waste, are indispensable in every household. The company is known for scented waste bags, zip-lock bags, wet umbrella bags, doggie bags and baby diaper bags. They were the first in Slovenia to start producing completely biodegradable bags for biological waste, which are suitable for composting. Today, their brand includes more than a thousand products. Discover their story.
Solis Timber: Niche focus and automation
Innovations and breakthrough are the guiding principles of the Solis Timber family sawmill and woodworking company, whose scope of operation extends across Europe and even to the USA, Africa and Asia. They export timber to more than 30 countries. Using state-of-the-art woodworking equipment, Solis Timber aims to develop the best products for its clients; the goal is to become the first company in Slovenia with its own technology for production of wooden walls for prefabricated houses. Discover their story.
Vigros: Bringing world-renown gastronomy brands to Slovenia
Vigros has been a leading representative and distributors of food item in Slovenia for more than 30 years. The company is well-known to all large and small retailers, caterers, hoteliers, cooks in schools and hospitals. Vigros creates more than EUR 20 million in revenue per year and delivers culinary items to more than 1900 satisfied clients. It offers a wider range of products that will satisfy even the most discerning clients. Discover their story.
The stories in Slovenian and English are published in a book format and on EY website. Supported by the SPIRIT Slovenia Business Development Agency, the books are available in public libraries. Since 2016, SPIRIT actively supports and partially so-financed the publication of Family Enterprise Slovenia books. It also promotes Slovenian family enterprises both nationally and internationally in collaboration with Slovenian business clubs and ambassadors.
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 enterprises, bringing them into a global networks through events such as EY Family Business Award of Excellence. The 2022 EY Family business Award of Excellence went to Varis Lendava, leading European specialists for development and manufacturing of prefabricated bathrooms. The company joined previous winners of the award: Intra lighting, LOTRIČ Meroslovje, Vivapen, Lumar IG, KLS Ljubno in Roto.
