WINNING THE RACES The owner of one of the largest ski factories in the world, whose winter products cover one seventh of the entire market, the Slovenian Elan group is a modern company with an innovative philosophy. Mr Leon Korošec, member of the management board, talks about the ways Elan fosters a philosophy which permeates all levels of their business. Vanja Švačko reports.
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hough primarily known for its famous skis and snowboards, Elan has a presence in other sports fields as well. It comprises a nautical division manufacturing performance sail yachts and Elan Inventa, the leading brand in equipment for the sports facilities. The youngest division Elan Wind Power produces complex composite components for the wind turbine industry. Elan’s major ski factory is located in the mountain town of Begunje in Slovenia. All products from the nautical division are also manufactured in Slovenia. Elan has four companies in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Japan, as well as independent distributors globally. Elan has an interesting history of ownership. After experiencing bankruptcy, it was bought by a Croatian bank in 1990. After a decade, Industry Europe 91