Prebold - Bisol, the Prebold-based solar panel maker, saw its sales drop by 5-10% last year from over EUR 42 million generated the year before. While the profit figure has not been disclosed, the management expects record-breaking results this year.

Speaking for the STA, the company blamed last year's fall in sales on the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the availability of the labour force and disrupted supply chains.

"Owing to our business being stable for almost 20 years and our strong brand, we dare forecast record-beating results as early as after the first quarter," the company said, projecting as much as EUR 80 million in annual sales.

Bisol Group generates the bulk of sales in the most developed European markets. It is present in about 100 markets worldwide with just 5% of the sales over the past 18 years generated at home.

Most of their clients are large international companies active in distribution of electronic components, some of which have been marketing Bisol products for over 15 years. They include companies with more than 30,000 staff and an annual turnover in excess of EUR 80 billion.

Their main markets are Benelux countries, Italy, France and Austria and in recent years they are increasingly present in Scandinavian and Baltic countries, Ireland and Balkans as an emerging market.

Bisol's core business is production of photovoltaic modules under its own brand. Bisol is considered by its suppliers to be the largest European manufacturer of solar modules. Its high-tech production is fully automated.

Its products are designed and made in Slovenia.

The company invests EUR 6-8 million annually in production facilities an upgrades with the figure to increase substantially in the coming years to an estimated EUR 60 million by 2027. This does not include investment into own solar plants and other investments.

Expansion of production capacity to new locations is under way. Of several potential options two are currently being worked on, one in Slovenia and one in the Austrian state of Burgenland.