Välinge’s founder and former chief executive officer, Darko Pervan, has been awarded the 2021 Founders Alliance “Founder of the Year Honorary Award.”
Pervan is known for his many flooring innovations including developing the first floor with a mechanical locking system in the early nineties and driving Välinge’s wood powder project that led to the Woodura® surface technology featured in the company’s Hardened Wood Floors. Today, he continues his work in the industry as CEO of Pervanovo – which recently announced plans to build the largest wood flooring facility in the world in Croatia.
“Over the years, I’ve received many awards, but this one is different,” says Pervan. “This award was given to me by my peers – other founders and entrepreneurs – and that makes it extra special.”
The Founders Alliance is a collaborative business forum established in Stockholm, Sweden in 2002. It has expanded to include 50 international founders with headquarters in 11 countries. The organization’s mission is to help founders of global growth companies and large-scale corporations to form long-term relationships that inspire, develop, and enable more – and better – business. The “Founder of the Year Honorary Award” is the organization’s most prestigious. The recipient is deemed to have made a lifelong contribution to sustainable and long-term company building – and is a role model for other founders, businesses, and society as a whole.
“Darko is an extremely worthy winner of the Founder of the Year Honorary Award, and everyone at Välinge is very proud of his achievement,” says Niclas Håkansson, CEO, Välinge Innovation. “Our company was built on Darko’s vision and drive – and those principles guide us to this day as we continue developing our floor and furniture technologies and begin our journey to become the world’s largest, most innovative, and sustainable flooring manufacturer and distributor in our chosen categories.”