Blic and Banca Intesa awarded the prize to the best entrepreneurship in the year of 2007

01. II 2008.
The winner, Mr. Srdjan Pavlovic was awarded a cheque for 30.000 EUR

Awarding for the first time the prize ’’Blic entrepreneur 2007’’, on the formal ceremony in the presence of the numerous guests both from the business and public life, as well as media representatives, the daily magazine  Blic’’ and Banca Intesa, announced the finalization of the campaign for the choice of the best entrepreneur in Serbia for the year of 2007 within small and medium enterprises segment. According to the decision of the jury of experts, Mr. Srdjan Pavlovic, the owner of the enterprise ‘’Obuća Pavle’’ from Bela Palanka, a company manufacturing children footwear and employing 105 workers,  was chosen as the best entrepreneur in the year of 2007. The winning trophy ‘’Blic entrepreneur 2007’’ was awarded to Mr. Pavlović by Mr. Božidar Đelić, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, whereas. Mr. Veselin Simonović, editor in chief of the magazine Blic, Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi, Deputy President of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa, awarded the appointed winner a cheque for 30.000 EUR. The award is aimed at the promotion of the business operations, and the best entrepreneur is chosen according to the criteria defined in advance and among the competition of 96.000 small and medium enterprises.

‘’I am very happy for having been chosen as the best entrepreneur and because of the fact that I found myself in the company of the best ones. This acknowledgement shall be an additional motivation for my increasingly better and successful business operations. I wish this award to become the traditional one. The award worth 30.000 shall be invested in the building of the new hall for footwear manufacturing, of surface 1000 square meters, where 55 workers more shall be employed’’ said Mr. Srdjan Pavlović, the awarded entrepreneur.

Upon awarding the prize, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Božidar Đelić, stated that the concerned campaign proved that Serbia had been recovering and having quality entrepreneurs, as well as that in three to five year time, Serbia should have powerful small and medium enterprises segment. ‘’No one could assume either that the best entrepreneur would be from Bela Palanka or that it employs more than 100 people, or that it is in the children footwear manufacturing business. However, as we can see, it is possible and therefore I take pride in the fact that I am the one who awarded the first prize to the best entrepreneur in our country. This proves that the awarding was not rigged, but the result of the comprehensive analyses of 200.00 entrepreneurs employing almost 300.00 people, struggling at the market on everyday basis and having no privileges, but who invest their knowledge, effort and believe in success’’ – said Mr. Đelić.

Upon greeting the entrepreneurs and presenting the initiative for the choice of the entrepreneur of the year, Mr. Veselin Simonović, editor in chief of the magazine Blic, stated: ’’ Newspapers, including ’’Blic’’ are full of reports on graet businessmen, and also of those popularly called controversial. In brief – newspapers are full of tycoons. Majority of them gained its initial capital during the somber years and in a suspicious manner. Almost no one writes about thousands of people having ideas, knowledge, consistency and especially courage to enter into unfair competition with those previously mentioned.  It is my strong belief that the significance of small and medium enterprises in terms of development of Serbia is greater than the contribution of business magnates. With this campaign, that is certainly to last, we want to correct the mistake.’’

‘’As a representative of Banca Intesa, I would like to express my gratefulness to the management of the daily magazine Blic for giving us the trust to be partners in the concerned campaign and enabled us to demonstrate our strategic determination and dedication to segment of small and medium enterprises also in this way. Awarding the financial prize amounting 30.000 EUR, the concerned recognition is getting more than mere symbolic importance, since this money shall enable the entrepreneur the further promotion of its business operations. Although the propositions envisage prize for the only one, the best entrepreneur, we decided to provide consolation prizes for the ten companies that placed themselves in the closest choice, enabling them to use Banca Intesa loans under the conditions considerably favourable in comparison with the market ones.’’ – said Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi, the Deputy President of the Executive Board of Banca Intesa.

On the occasion of the awarding, Ms. Vesna Perić, director of Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency, and also the president of the jury, stated the following: ‘’I have the honour to greet you on behalf of the members of the Commission for awarding  the Blic prize for the entrepreneur of the year. I was pleased to accept the invitation form Blic to be the president of the Commission since this is the splendid campaign, designed to attract public attention to the importance of the entrepreneurship and also to promote in public the benefits and indispensability regarding the export, competitiveness and innovativeness, what is in accordance with the mission of SIEPA.
This prize was awarded pursuant to the decision of the jury of experts including: Ms. Vesna Perić, director of Serbian Investment and Export Promotion Agency, the president of the jury, Mr. Dejan Trifunović, Secretary of the Small Business Association in Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi, Deputy President of the Executive Bord of Banca Intesa, Mr. Vladimir Ilic, State Secretary for Employment, Ms. Snezana Filipović, educational and training manager in Agency for small and middle enterprises, Mr. Mijat Lakicević, editor in chief of the ’’Ekonomist magazine’’ and Mr. Milos Zutić, editor of the daily magazine ’’Blic’’.

In terms of the choice, the jury of experts was guided by profitability, productiveness and liquidity of the enterprise, the achieved results in course of the previous business year, as well as by the further criteria: export results in the year of 2007 and export potentials, number of employees and newly employed in 2007, assortment of newly launched products, introduction of technological innovations, the proven orientation toward the environment protection and the realized contribution aimed at he development of the local community. Business operations of the owners and managers of almost 96.000 of enterprises were taken into consideration and pursuant to the decision of the jury, the priority is given to the enterprises and entrepreneurships whose business activities are characterized by production and creation of the new.