Tradition and global prestige: Minister Fajon visits Kopitarna Sevnica and Stilles

SLOVENIA, February 17 - First, Minister Fajon visited Kopitarna Sevnica, a company with a 140-year tradition that represents an important part of the industrial heritage of Sevnica and the wider region. Andrej Mesar, Director of Kopitarna, presented the company's activities, which include manufacturing comfortable indoor footwear, slippers, work footwear, slip-ons and fashion shoes. The company generates 55 percent of its revenue through exports, primarily to European markets and the Balkan region. The discussion focused on ways to encourage exports, such as arranging visits by business delegations and utilising diplomatic networks. It also covered promoting tradition, comfort and quality in the Slovenian creative industry. Minister Fajon noted that Kopitarna Sevnica is an excellent example of a company that successfully combines tradition and production with modern business flexibility. She also expressed the Ministry's support for strengthening exports and opening new markets.

Minister Fajon then visited Stilles d.o.o., a Slovenian company with a history spanning over 80 years and a reputation for high-end interior design and hotel furnishings. She noted the company's contribution to furnishing the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, which was ranked among the world's top 50 hotels in 2025, and demonstrated Stilles’s global reach by highlighting its presence in highly competitive European and third-country markets, such as Georgia. During the Minister’s visit, she and Director Rok Barbič discussed growth opportunities in the EU and third markets, and the support available from the diplomatic network and economic advisers. They also talked about the challenges of operating in the global woodworking and furniture industry, such as maintaining production and talent in Slovenia, and implementing technological and sustainable innovations.

Minister Fajon said that Stilles is a leading exporter of high-value products from the Slovenian wood processing and furniture industry, and expressed the Ministry's support for opening up new markets and maintaining global competitiveness.

The visit to both companies demonstrated that companies in the Posavje region can successfully combine tradition and innovation to remain internationally competitive while retaining knowledge, jobs and production in Slovenia. Minister Fajon emphasised the importance of further cooperation with the business and diplomatic network to support the international growth of Slovenian companies.