83 percent of all Slovenian companies are family-owned. EY Slovenia presented its third book featuring ten family businesses in Slovenia to promote best practices and positive aspects of family business and to raise awareness about its importance for Slovenian economy.

Family businesses today represent a key form of enterprise in the global and EU economies. More than 85 percent of companies in Europe are family-owned and responsible for generating 70 percent of Europe's GDP. Similarly, 83 percent of all Slovenian companies are family-owned, they employ as high as 70 percent of working-age population and contribute 67 percent added value of Slovenian companies, says the study, based on survey results gathered from 360 family businesses in Slovenia, which EY Slovenia conducted in cooperation with Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana.

The book Family Business Slovenia 2016 features ten successful Slovenian family-owned companies, which have already included the second generation in their business operations: FerroČrtalič, Jezeršek, Medex, Orodjarstvo Gorjak, Skupina Plastoform, Vinarstvo Ščurek, Skupina Smart Com, Mesarija Prunk, Mlekarna Krepko and Varis Lendava. Some of them already cooperate with global corporations like BMW, Goodyear, Airbus, etc.

"Making the most of tradition, entrepreneurial spirit, experience and innovation, a large number of Slovenian companies have made it to become players in regional or global markets, or leading businesses domestically," says Janez Uranič, Country Managing Partner of EY Slovenia. Special emphasis in family businesses is given to the successful transfer to the next generation, as according to the studies, only 30 percent of family businesses successfully continue to operate in the second generation of family members, and only 13 percent in the third.