About RSD 900,000 for family firms - Akvapan, Geourb Group and Mali podrum Radovanovic win Vip BizPartner 2014 awards

Source: eKapija Wednesday, 28.01.2015. 13:37
Comments
Podeli
Akvapan from Cacak, Geourb Group from Belgrade, and Mali podrum Radovanovic from Krnjevo are this year's winners of Vip BizPartner 2014 awards that were today presented for the second time.
Vip BizPartner 2014 is an award presented to representatives of the most successful family firms in Serbia by the Vip Mobile company in cooperation with the Chapter 4 agency and with assistance of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce. Cash rewards totaling RSD 900,000 are paid to the three most successful domestic family firms, while another ten companies won awards for exceptional performance, innovation and sustainable development.
Vip BizPartner 2014 awards are also presented to 10 companies with a smaller growth rate than those recorded by the top three family firms, but their operations clearly show investments in education and development, and there is also their aspiration to outgrow their current status. Among them are: flying ticket sales company Flyfly Travel, diet products and natural cosmetics manufacturer Herba Svet, exclusive furniture maker Linea Milanovic, digital printing and graphic design company No-kaci, roof and facade manufacturer Pan komerc, family dairy company Velickovic, graphic firm Pre-print, building material vendor Tehnokomerc, water meter maker Vukas, and jewelry shop Zlatara Andrejevic.
The three-member jury included Milena Avramovic Bjelica, CEO of Chapter 4 agency, Natasa Kecman from the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, and Vojislav Lalic, president of the jury and the director of Business Product Development Sector at Vip Mobile.
- Competition was strong and it was not easy for us to pick 13 out of 40 family firms that applied for the award, most of which are certified to Excellent SME, the electronic credit worthiness certificate issued by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and international insurance company Coface. All decisions were made unanimously, based on applicants' overall business results, but special attention was paid to the figures relating to the growth of staff and revenues as well as sustainable development and the use of highly sophisticated technologies - Lalic pointed out.
(Marko Cadez) At today's ceremony in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Vip BizPartner 2014 awards were presented to laureates by Dejan Turk, director of Vip Mobile, Marko Cadez, president of the SCC, and Dr. Milos Petrovic, state secretary in the Economy Ministry.
- We backed the Vip porodicne firme (Vip Family Firms) project with great enthusiasm because we recognized its quality and innovation on the one hand, and a big market need for strengthening entrepreneurs at small and medium-sized enterprises on the other. A proof that we're on the right path and that the project really brings changes to this economic segment is found in huge interest, engagement and motivation of entrepreneurs participating in our workshops as well as in the support to our project provided by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and regional chambers and business organizations - Dejan Turk stressed.
As Marko Cadez pointed out, the significance of family firms was best shown during the economic crisis, when large multinationals were laying off their employees, while growth of business and staff was only registered by small firms. The president of the SCC noted that the importance of family firms did not lie exclusively in their contribution to the economy, but also in their commitment to the local community and the values they promoted.
Milos Petrovic added that in the making of Strategy for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the focus was on family firms that accounted for two thirds of employees and turnover in Serbia. Petrovic stressed that large companies accounted for only 2 percent of 315,000 business entities in Serbia, while all the rest were small firms that required assistance.
The jury has also explained that all award winners are healthy family firms that operate well, generate increasing revenues and increase the number of employees while investing in their staff and technology. The three companies that also won cash rewards invest in their high technology and conquer other markets as well. Cacak-based Akvapan operates since 1993 and is engaged in the production of pipes that are exported to the markets of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece...
Belgrade-based Geourba Group draws plans and carries out geodesic, geotechnical and urban works. As Deputy CEO Sasa Milenkovic explained to eKapija, the company operates for 20 years now and it was opened by her father.
- We now employ 20 people and have an ambition to increase that number, which is very difficult in current economic conditions – said Sasa Milenkovic.
Small wine cellar Radovanovic from Krnjevo makes about 200,000 bottles of wine a year using grapes from about 27 hectares of vineyards. As its owner Miodrag Radovanovic said to eKapija, they were among the first to start a small production of wine back in 1990, while today three generations of this family partake in wine making, and so do their neighbors who they consider a family. By the way, wines from this winery in the heart of Sumadija bear the sign of geographical indication (GI).
After receiving the awards, representatives of family firms from all over Serbia had a chance to hear the lecture on The Challenges Faced by Family Firms, which was held by Boris Vukic from Adizes institute.

Irina Milosevic
Comments
Your comment
Full information is available only to commercial users-subscribers and it is necessary to log in.

Forgot your password? Click here HERE

For free test use, click HERE

Follow the news, tenders, grants, legal regulations and reports on our portal.
Registracija na eKapiji vam omogućava pristup potpunim informacijama i dnevnom biltenu
Naš dnevni ekonomski bilten će stizati na vašu mejl adresu krajem svakog radnog dana. Bilteni su personalizovani prema interesovanjima svakog korisnika zasebno, uz konsultacije sa našim ekspertima.