This year, the Sunce Marinković Company is celebrating its 90th anniversary, a jubilee that only a handful of companies in Serbia can boast. Since 1929, when it was founded as a small family metalworking workshop, Sunce Marinković has grown into a leader in the production of energy efficient aluminium and PVC windows with a strong market position, both in the country and abroad. Ljubiša Marinković, the director of this extremely successful company, has even bigger plans for the near future. He wants to position the company as a respectable producer in its branch in Europe too.
The grandfather of today’s owners, Aleksandar Marinković, also a renowned metalworker and a top-notch craftsman whose fences are a testament to a long tradition and exceptional quality to this day, founded Sunce Marinković. The company got its name from the sign of the sun that is hanging on the stone bridge in Kragujevac that the Marinković workshop had made. Today, the company’s name is recognized not only in Serbia, but also abroad. The metalworking trades and the true values that make one company prominent have been passed on from generation to generation. Aleksandar Marinković’s successor today successfully runs a company that employs a highly qualified workforce, engineers and managers.
Which principles, established 90 years ago when the company was founded, have you remained loyal to this day?
— When Aleksandar Marinkovic took the exam for his guild membership letter in 1929, he probably did not realize that his business endeavour will continue to shine for a long time; 90 years long, to be exact. Grandpa Aleksandar was a top master. We have definitely inherited from him our dislike for improvisation in the business. My father always taught my brother Dušan and myself that “the scales must be precise at all times”. Whatever we do, we always have to bear in mind that all parties in the business should be satisfied. We would like our legacy for the future generations to be the following – whatever you do, blaze a trail, leave your mark and build long-term relationships.
What are your key markets today?
— Regardless of how important foreign revenue and positioning on developed markets are, we, in business, just like in football, seek to win and be strong on home turf too. Furthermore, we have managed to position the third of our capacities in very demanding markets such as the Swiss, German, Norwegian, Australian, French and British.
In which way should we be modern and in which traditional in order to survive in both domestic and foreign markets?
— Being modern often doesn’t have a very positive connotation in our language, because by definition, it is opposed to traditional (conservative) values. In fact, in our company, top-notch values are running a prudent business and learning. This means that the company survives by investing in people, cutting-edge equipment and software. In other words, here, at Sunce Marinković, “modern” values are actually upgraded traditional values.
What is your development vision for the future?
— To transform Sunce Marinković into the most respectable manufacturer of doors and windows, and a supportive partner to architects and contractors in Europe by 2030.