Darko Pervan of Välinge Innovation and the Bjelin Group was one of eight recipients of this year’s business medals at the Swedish Royal Patriotic Society’s annual ceremony on May 21 at the House of Knights. Pervan was honored “for transforming the flooring industry with a clever invention and building a world-leading company.” HRH Prince Daniel presented the medals.
Darko Pervan founded Välinge Innovation in 1994 and invented a clickable floor that enables the installation of floors without glue or nails. 100 million bottles of glue were no longer needed every year.
Pervan stated: “I think I’m quite analytical, because everything you develop is new. There’s no demand, no market. So, if you only go by feelings, you’d think it won’t work because no one uses it. But if the calculations show that the product is very good, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and so on – why wouldn’t it work? To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to start with the most important thing: identifying a genuine problem.”
Pervan has created a technology development company that today holds more than 3,500 different patents and 300 licensees for its products worldwide. The family has recently consolidated the flooring products under the Bjelin Group. With seven factories in Sweden and Croatia and sales companies in about 10 countries, the company says the aim is now to become a world-leading producer of eco-friendly wood flooring.
The Royal Patriotic Society established a special award medal in 1982 to honor commendable individual contributions to Swedish enterprise. The award is given for leadership achievements on an ownership basis.