From Putin's palace to hotel in downtown London - Enterijer Jankovic from Novi Sad employs over 500 workers and operates in 19 markets

(Bozo Jankovic)

Bozo Jankovic is the best entrepreneur in 2014. This award was presented to him on February 19 by the audit and consulting company EY (Ernst&Young).

Jankovic is the owner of Enterijer Jankovic, a company he founded two decades ago in Novi Sad. Today, this company is a regional leader in the field of interior design and high-class furnishings as well as in the production of joinery of top quality. Employing nearly 500 people, it has implemented in excess of 1,000 projects of various kinds.

In addition to the headquarters in Serbia, Enterijer Jankovic also has branch offices abroad (in Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Montenegro, and Bosnia-Herzegovina) and few affiliates (in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Lyon, Abu Dhabi, Baku, and Sankt Petersburg).

The company exports goods to 19 markets, including England, Germany, France, America, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the UAE...

- Exports account for 96% of the total revenue, and we always export ready-made products. Our company provides interior solutions for the facilities of the highest rank, from the presidential palaces of Putin and Karimov to top-class residences. Today we signed an agreement for a hotel in downtown London, while negotiations on furnishing another one have already commenced.

the interior of Radisson Hotel in Sochi (Photo: enterijer-jankovic.co.rs)

While trying to win such big deals, Jankovic has never expected assistance from the state. He advocates the position that nobody can ask the state for help unless they first resolve all their internal issues.

- For me, this is the number one priority. I shudder at seeing people whine and blame all their problems on the state without fixing what they can at their own home. My opinion is that the reason for the failure of most companies lies in their internal disorganization - Jankovic says and adds that his company represents a classical example of "how you can succeed without stealing anything, buying another company, having a cousin in high position, or getting help in any other way".

Stay up to date

When asked to give advice to young entrepreneurs on how to be successful in what they do, Bozo Jankovic says:

- First, they need to stay up to date with all the modern technical and technology trends. Second, they should educate themselves and all their staff on a daily basis. Third, they are to adopt to these times of quick changes. If they fail to do that, their companies will lag behind and eventually fall through. Fourth and the most important advice for them is to always keep track of all their costs.

Jankovic says to eKapija that the crisis in Russia and Ukraine had a big impact on the business in general, adding that it is a situation when one must act fast.

(at the EY Awards ceremony)

- I immediately started an aggresive campaign in England, France... and compensated for aforementioned markets. Now it is even all the same to me whether the market in Russia will function or not. We did our best in the Arab and European markets.

Jankovic says that his company works at full capacity and that they have contracts signed for the whole year in advance. He also adds that they have hired 100 workers over the past year without dismissing anyone, stressing that a good manager is always welcome at Enterijer Jankovic.

Award

The owner of Enterijer Jankovic says that there is no doubt that the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award represents the peak of business success for every manager, especially in current working conditions when even the world's best managers face numerous obstacles in their striving for successful management of the company.

- Winning this award today and representing Serbia in Monte Carlo at the competition for the World Entrepreneur of the Year is even bigger acknowledgement of all the efforts we put into the progress of our company and the society in general - says Bozo Jankovic, the winner of this year's EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award.