Talking About Slovenia
Zdravo!
We’re not supposed to mention Slovenia until at least 4pm, and it’s not a key territory for most B2B revenue teams, but ahead of this evening’s big game here are a few facts that you might get away with discussing at your desk today!
The Central European country has a population of just over 2 million. It’s best known for its lakes, dragons, Luka Don?i?, tourism and (of course) Melania Trump. ?
The Slovenian Space Race
Last week, Slovenia officially joined the European Space Agency. It has 40 growing companies involved in developing technology and new materials for the ESA. There are already 3 Slovenian satellites in space.
Slovenians LOVE Bees…
Honey is a staple food for Slovenians with each citizen consuming more than a kilogram of it on average every year. To support the Slovenians' sweet tooth are the country's 90,000 beekeepers, which is 4.5% of its population.
They’re Split on Melania…
Melania Trump was born in Sevnica, a small town of just 17,000 people which was most famous for its salami, but tourism then doubled when Donald Trump ran for president. While she seems a polarizing figure across the country, her popularity is sky-high in her hometown and she even has her own salami named after her.
Partners in Wine
Slovenian wine has been tipped for great things, and its Vipava Valley produces world-class red wines. The current best-selling wines according to Vivino are:
1.????? Kobal Wines Bajta Haloze Belo 2020
2.????? Fornazari? Rubino U.V.
3.????? Jakoncic Carolina Rde?a 2020
4.????? Matic Wines Frankovka 2021
5.????? Edi Sim?i? Kolos 2017
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Companies expanding to Slovenia:
You might think it’s not a key target growth region, but some companies are betting big on it. Here are a few companies discussing Slovenian expansion this year tracked by Honch:
Sandoz: The pharmaceutical company is opening a state-of-the-art Biosimilar Development Center in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The plant should be fully operational by 2026 and will create around 330 new jobs.
Bestseller: The international, family-owned fashion company with stores in 32 countries across the globe, is opening a new office in Ljubljana, Slovenia. From there, the local team will increase their business activities in?Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo.
ResponsiblSteel: The company have put Slovenia on the global map of sustainable steel production, as part of their aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Key B2B Terminology
Newly appointed buyers = Novoimenovani kupci
Signal-based selling = Prodaja na podlagi signala
Wine exporting = Izvoz vina
Companies focused on international growth = Podjetja, usmerjena v mednarodno rast
Ground control to Major Tom = Zemeljska kontrola majorju tom