This leading company, which boasts 40 years of tradition in the field of starter ring gear production for the automotive industry, has climbed to the very top of this industry within just two generations. They supply more than 60% of the European market and 15% of the global market in their market niche.
The company’s premises stretch on a surface of on 30,000 m2 and the 240 employees created 42 million euros of revenue last year. So what makes them different from all the others? The owner and director of the company, Bogomir Strašek, says their business culture is founded on self-respect. It is based on the fact that "‘you first need to respect yourself, for the one who respects himself will also respect others."

The company’s growth also felt by its employees
Mr. Strašek heads the company together with his two daughters and their husbands. Answering how it is possible to reach the very top of the automotive industry within just two generations, Strašek says that the key factors are investing in development and innovation, as well as having daring, yet realistic goals.

Employees feel the growth and success through yearly salary increases. Their salaries are currently 22% higher than the Slovenian average, stresses Sebastijan Levar, the president of the workers’ council. Executive director Barbara Strašek Mirnik adds that the company is happy to have employees who progress every year, as this increases their competitiveness and maintains the company’s long-term stability in the global market.
Plans for expansion
Their products are built into the engines of more than 30 of the biggest car brands throughout the world. Last year, the company generated 120,000 euros of added-value per employee. "We currently have 150 robots working for us," says Samo Mirnik, the executive director for production and IT, adding that they plan to further increase that number.
The biggest obstacle in the growth and expansion of KLS Ljubno is the bureaucracy in the planning and construction of the company’s new buildings.
Vesna Deržek Sovinek, TV Slovenija; translated by K. J.