The royal flush of investors with the highest impact on Slovenia's economic growth for 2018 includes RLS, Fraport Slovenija, Bosch Rexroth and cargo-partner. These limited liability companies are registered in Slovenia, employ at least 50 people, their value-added per employee is at least EUR 35,000, they are sound and profitable, have no overdue tax debts and their 12-month credit rating is stable.

Rotary and Linear Motion Sensors or RLS d.o.o., Komenda, the winner in the category of research and development orientation and excellent business results, specialises in the design and manufacture of magnetic encoders and components for industrial clients worldwide . The company continues to upscale the business to realise its full potential as demonstrated by a revenue rise of 18% in 2017 to EUR 21m, and EUR 99,000 in value-added per employee. The fact that RLS's strategic partner is the UK-based Renishaw, a global engineering company with core skills in measurement, motion control, healthcare, spectroscopy and manufacturing, mean that RLS will continue to outperform their competitors.

The award for long-term commitment to Slovenia as a prime investment location went to Bosch Rexroth d.o.o. from Škofja Loka. The company operates within the framework of Bosch Rexroth AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Stuttgart-based Robert Bosch GmbH. Acclaimed as one of the leading specialists for tailored solutions in drive, control and moving technologies, it established operations in Slovenia, in Železniki, as Mannesmann Rexroth in 1998. The Slovenian company generated earnings of EUR 40.5m, of which exports accounted for 99.12% of that figure, and its 286 employees achieved EUR 44,400 in value-added per employee. Based on its financing and profitability ratios, the company's outlook is stable.

Fraport Slovenija d.o.o. from Zgornji Brnik, a 100% owned subsidiary of Fraport AG based in Germany operating around 30 airports across the globe, received the highest accolade as the best employer in 2017. Fraport AG acquired Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d. in March 2015 and took the necessary steps for Slovenia's most important gateway to turn profitable. Since then, Fraport Slovenija has increased value-added per employee to EUR 76,000, posted earnings of EUR 42m in 2017 and its plans to expand the business with a call to recruit more employees to support the current employee base of around 400 staff. The company's basic ratios indicate stable operations in the forthcoming years.

A special award for greenfield investment went to the Slovenian subsidiary of cargo-partner, an Austrian info-logistics provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of air, sea and land transport and also warehousing solutions, and is present in more than 30 countries around the world - cargo-partner d.o.o., Ljubljana - for the investment in a logistics and distribution centre built in the vicinity of Aerodrom Ljubljana worth EUR 25m. The new facility will add 30 new jobs to the company's existing headcount of 90, EUR 45,500 in value-added per employee and the nearly EUR 34m generated in revenue in 2017 means that the Slovenia company is firmly on track for sustainable growth. 

These awards honour all those involved in putting investment to work to the benefit of both owners and consumers, as well as Slovenia's public agency tasked with investment promotion and facilitation. SPIRIT's efforts in ensuring that companies investing in Slovenia are well settled and supported are also worth noting as the agency is dedicated to attracting FDI and to aftercare services.