About the company

Letter from the CEO

I want to be what I am!

Somewhere I read the following words, which I feel do not only characterise me but all who want to work, to live fully and to succeed:

You do not have to be your mother unless she is who you want to be. You do not have to be your mother’s mother, your mother’s mother’s mother, or even your grandmother’s mother on your father’s side. You may inherit their chins or their hips or their eyes, but you are not destined to become the women who came before you. You are not destined to live their lives. So it you inherit something, inherit their strength, their resilience. Because the only Person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. (Pam Finger)
Ambition, desire for success and optimism are Words which have characterised Vegrad ever since it was founded back in 1957. Vegrad, which this May celebrates an interesting anniversary - 44 years - began its development as a successful construction company well established in Slovenia and abroad (Germany, Russia and Croatia). Today we also count on the markets in the other former Yugoslav republics. This focus has required the constant monitoring and introduction of the latest technology, a modern project approach and the use of modern materials. Only in this way have we always been able to overcome the difficulties which often face the construction industry and establish ourselves as a solid and competitive contractor and reliable partner in the domestic and foreign marketplace. Vegrad has specialised in all phases of the construction process, with an emphasis on high-rise constructions, and today is one of the 40 most successful companies in Slovenia. We can justifiably say that Vegrad is one of the pillars of Velenje’s economy. We constructed most of the housing and infrastructure in the town of Velenje and the wider Šalek Valley area, and we have never forgotten our good neighbours and fellow citizens - last year, for example, we built a new galvanising plant for Gorenje after the old one was destroyed by fire. In recent years we have carried out an analysis and thorough international reorganisation of the company and set up some new limited liability companies, in this way ensuring the best possible organisation with an emphasis on the responsibility of individual parts of the group for successful business, with the help of project management of individual projects and increasingly efficient management. New products include the ALU ranges and plastic building elements and facades, which are being incorporated with increasing success into our overall range of products and services. Part of the strategy we set ourselves was the achievement of the ISO 9001 certificate of quality - and this we did in March 1999. We have already held three shareholders’ meetings and introduced a system of administration which ensures good management and demarcated responsibility, a precondition for the successful running of the group and good relations between management, employees and shareholders. It is only fair to admit that as well as times of growth there are times of drought, when good projects do not spring up like mushrooms after the rain. But even in such moments we need to stand together and draw on all of our resources. With a positive and confident approach to work nothing can stop us from achieving good results.

I would like to close by asking a question:
You have already experienced failure many times, haven’t you, although perhaps you don’t remember? You fell down the first time you tried to walk. When you tried to swim you almost drowned, didn’t you? Did you hit the ball the first time you swung the club? Good players, those who score the most points, often miss too. Don’t let failure worry you. Worry instead about opportunities you have missed without ever even trying. TRY
Small boy looked at a star and began to weep.
The star said, "Boy, why are you weeping?"
And the boy said, "You are so far away I will never be able to touch you."
And the star answered, "Boy, if I were not already in your heart, you would not be able to see me," (John Magliola)
SEE!?

Hilda TOVŠAK
CEO
Vegrad d.d.