The Slovenian economy has strong connections with the international business environment. In the first half of the year, Slovenian companies sold almost 14 billion dollars’ worth of goods in foreign markets and purchased imports valued at more than 12.8 billion dollars. Data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia shows that Slovenia increased its export business in the first six months by 4.5 percent compared to the previous year, and its imports by 1.8 percent.
Most sales in Slovenia are generated by industrial companies. They sold over 22.4 billion dollars’ worth of products and services last year. That is 3.9 percent more than in 2014. Over 73 percent of the nation’s income from industrial products and services sales was generated in foreign markets last year.
Data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia shows that 873 Slovenian companies were exporting to the USA last year and 770 the year before, while 6,251 purchased imports from the USA last year, and 6,007 the year before.
Slovenian exporters created 287 million dollars in sales on the US market in the first six months of this year, which is 10.1 percent more than in the same period last year.
We checked the levels of success in the USA of various Slovenian exporters.
Impol present with its products in the USA for half a century
Impol is a Slovenian manufacturer of aluminum products and can boast some 190 years of history. The company made over 610 million dollars of sales income last year, and has been a presence in the USA for more than 50 years.
“We have been selling our products to the USA under our own brand since 1990, when the Impol Group founded the Impol Aluminum Corporation. We mostly export products with high added value to the American market. Our most important product group is aluminum rods for use in the automotive, electrical and aviation industries. The USA is the ninth largest export market for Impol, and we generate 3 percent of our sales there,” said Edvard Slaček, Chief Executive Officer of Impol Group.
The Impol Group increased the sales of their products in the USA by 35 percent in the past six years. “High product quality, reliability of after-sales support and quick supply are crucial for succeeding in the American market. Customers also appreciate the helpfulness of sales staff and help in finding technical solutions,” explains Mr. Slaček.
Boxmark Leather will expand their business in the USA
Boxmark Leather are a manufacturer of leather seat covers and generate most of their income in the automotive industry. The company hired 600 new employees in the past year. They export outdoor furniture, manufactured in cooperation with the Slovenian company Talum, to the US market.
“We also export leather seat covers for the automotive and aviation industries to the USA. We manufacture these in Slovenia and send them to the USA through our German partner. In Boxmark Individual we manufacture for the shipping industry. We create the leather interiors of small boats for individual projects as well as the interiors of yachts for serial projects. We also equip the interiors of cruise ships for large corporations (tourist cruise ships) as well as ferries. Our latest projects are a worldwide innovation: leather flooring for the aviation industry which meets all of that industry’s strict standards,” states the Director of Boxmark Leather in Slovenia, Marjan Trobiš.
Boxmark acquired so many new businesses during the past year that the company increased their income by 15 percent, almost reaching the 168 million mark. “The USA is one of our crucial markets for further expansion of our business, and it has proven to be a long-term growth market,” says Mr. Trobiš. He adds that market presence is very important for success in the American market.
“We are constantly investing in trade fairs and other business meetings. This way we also familiarize ourselves with customer needs and can consequently offer them high-quality products which meet their demand. I can say that our quality convinces every customer,” says Marjan Trobiš, the Director of Boxmark Leather in Slovenia.
Gorenje has been exporting home appliances to the USA since 1987
Manufacturer of home appliances Gorenje has made over 681 million dollars of income by selling in foreign markets and is a major presence in the American market with Asko, the global premium brand of home appliances.
“We have been exporting to the USA since 1987. Asko home appliances are available across North America, which is one of Asko’s main, oldest and largest markets. We market our washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the USA through our exclusive distributor Sub-Zero, who are synonymous with prestige cooling-freezing and cooking appliances of the highest range, and are the representatives for the Sub-Zero, Wolf, Cove and Asko brands,” explains Franjo Bobinac, President of the Management Board for the Gorenje Group.
The Gorenje Group will increase its sales in North America by 35 percent compared to last year. “We plan to grow even further with our distributor. In 2017 we will introduce completely new platforms or generations of dishwashers, washing machines and dryers to the market. They will have supreme Scandinavian design, exceptional adjustment and precision, attention to detail and numerous unique functions,” announces Mr. Bobinac.
Port of Koper wants direct shipping lines with the USA
The Port of Koper, the only Slovenian international cargo port, plans to transship 21.4 million tons of goods this year while creating 218 million dollars of sales income in the process.
Last year American goods were mostly transshipped for import. “This totaled almost 820 thousand tons, consisting mostly of coal and gas oil. Clients for the goods or services originate from our continental background in Central and Eastern Europe,” the port management explains, while also pointing out that they will try to increase quantities in other areas of goods as well. “Mostly for our strategic cargo, which is containers and vehicles, and we will also strive to establish direct shipping lines with the USA.”
On the question of how important is the flow of goods from and to the USA for the Port of Koper and how important is the Port of Koper for the flow of goods from the USA to Europe and from Europe to the USA, the Slovenian port management responds: “Due to the geographic position of the Port of Koper western and north-western European ports have the advantage in trade of goods between the European Union and the USA. The sea route from these ports is shorter for the USA and they also offer a widespread network of direct shipping lines that the Port of Koper still does not have at the moment. Regardless of this, the opportunity or the advantage of Koper is in the proximity to Central-European markets, mostly for distribution and cargo where quantity justifies the costs of direct sea transport.”
SIJ Group will sell more than 70 million dollars’ worth of steel products to the USA
The Slovenian Steel Industry (SIJ) steel group will sell steel products worth upwards of 70 million dollars on the American market this year, giving a more than 10 percent increase to the company’s entire sales income. “This puts SIJ Group in first place among Slovenian exporters to the USA,” emphasized Dušica Radjenovič, Sales Director at SIJ Group.
The US market is one of the most important export markets for SIJ Group. They entered it in the early nineties with steel rods, tool steel and special steel manufactured by SIJ Metal Ravne.
“We also founded our own trading company, Kopo International, due to the large distance involved and to provide easier control over the market. As well as tool and special steel from SIJ Metal Ravne, Kopo also successfully markets stainless and special sheets from SIJ Acroni. To ensure better customer care and faster supply, a challenge for most European exporters, we also opened our own warehouse,” explains Mr. Radjenovič.
At Power-Gen International, Orlando, in December
The company oriented its market activities towards end customers in the automotive, food, recycling, nuclear and oil and gas industries. According to the company’s spokesperson, SIJ Group steel is used by all the larger manufacturers of industrial knives in the USA. “We have successfully begun to enter the energy market and we earned the trust of General Electric (GE) and Siemens USA as a certified supplier. We are also established as an important supplier for special stainless containers for nuclear waste. The US is our largest market for special VOD (vacuum oxygen decarburization) steel rods, an area in which we expect our largest growth in the coming year.”
This year the SIJ Group will sell over 22 thousand tons of steel products to more than 80 different American and Canadian customers. “Customers grow with us, they remain loyal because they trust our quality and they appreciate quality sales and the logistics service of our local team,” emphasizes Dušica Radjenovič, Sales Director at SIJ Group. Shee concludes, “The recent inclusion of Slovenia on the DFARS list of authorized suppliers will definitely contribute to further growth of our sales in the US market as we managed to acquire seven new customers just because of that. SIJ Group will also have a strong presence at the world’s largest energy fair, Power-Gen International in Orlando this December, where we will present our SINOXX and SIPREME brands, which we use to sell steel for the energy sector.”