The awards went to: Sogefi Filtration, d.o.o. (in the category of best employer and investor in the region), Optotek, d.o.o. (in the category of best operating results and business-driven development), Willy Stadler, d.o.o. (in the category of long-term presence and focus on sustainability) and to the company Schenker, d.d. (in the category of logistics hub).

The expert committee included in its selection those companies or foreign investors which have at least 50 employees, operate profitably, have settled all tax obligations, enjoy a high credit rating and create added value of at least EUR 35,000 per employee.

Sogefi Filtration, d.o.o.
The company was established in 1993 by Sogefi SpA from Italy. Sogefi Filtration, d.o.o. is a manufacturer of air and oil filters for private motor vehicles, but primarily for large lorries, buses, movable working machinery and custom-made filters. The company has 160 employees and generates EUR 30 million in sales exclusively on foreign markets. The company has a credit rating of AAA (credit rating is calculated on the basis of a failure model for assessing the companies’ risk level). The company’s future plans are also ambitious.

Optotek, d.o.o.
The foreign investor of the company is the Polish subsidiary of the Japanese Canon, Canon Ophthalmic Technologies, which today holds a 73-per cent equity stake. In 1990 it established a Slovenian subsidiary, which develops innovative optical and laser solutions and technologies for medicine. With 58 employees, the company generates annually EUR 7 million of which only 10 per cent is generated in Slovenia. The added value per employee amounts to EUR 45,000. In the production of lasers used for the treatment of eye diseases, the company has a 15-per cent share of the world market and an average annual growth of 15 per cent. The company has a credit rating of AA.

Willy Stadler, d.o.o.
In 1997, the German investor, Willy Stadler GmbH & Co., established the company Willy Stadler, d.o.o. Now with some 76 employees, the company generates revenue of EUR 14 million, more than half of which is generated on foreign markets. The added value per employee is almost EUR 50,000. The parent company, which is a full owner of the Slovenian subsidiary, has been in the metal processing business for over two hundred years. The company has a credit rating of AA, with business risk rated as minimal.

Schenker, d.d.
The German investor, DB Mobility Logistics AG, established the company Schenker, d.d. in 1989 and is the 100-per cent owner of this Slovenian company. Some 130 employees generate annually EUR 36 million, a quarter of which derives from sales on foreign markets. The added value per employee is almost EUR 65,000; their yield is above average. The company has a credit rating of AAA.