The Škrabec family
Productive involvement in the local community and environment
The Škrabec family moved from the village of Škrabče on the Bloke Plateau to Hrovača near Ribnica in the early 19th century. They were farmers, horse and cattle peddlers, selling their livestock all the way to Trieste and other northern Adriatic ports, and ranging among the most prosperous villagers with greatest business acumen.
Friar Stanislav Škrabec
The Škrabec homestead is the birthplace of friar Stanislav Škrabec (1844–1918), one of the most important linguists and Slovenists of the 19th century, as well as the founder of both modern Slovene orthoepy (pronunciation) and the Proto-theory of the Performative and Performativity as a verbal tense and aspect.
Stanislav Škrabec
Stanislav Škrabec took on an enviable business path: he transformed the small local Ribnica Metal Company into a leading Yugoslav firm with production programmes for agricultural machinery, tractor attachments, airline and property development equipment as well as highly sophisticated flexible systems. The company was renamed Riko and employed 1,700 people. He was awarded the most prominent professional recognition, the Kraigher Prize, by the Chamber of Commerce in 1984, whereas the city of Ribnica, his place of birth, made him into an honorary citizen in 2002.
Janez Škrabec
His son Janez, founder of the companies Riko, d. o. o. and Riko hiše, d. o. o., is today one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Slovenia enjoying high reputation at home and abroad. He takes credit as a worthy laureate of many economic associations, distinguished by international awards, among which the Medal of friendship of the Russian Federation particularly stands out. He is an active Member (often acting as President-in-Office) of many associations, e.g. Slovene-Russian Business Council and the Ethnological Tourist Association of Hrovača. The nominations as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of Belarus in Slovenia and Honorary Professor at IEDC-Bled School of Management show that he understands and realises his mission in the broadest possible sense. He is one of the most devoted patrons and sponsors of art and culture in Slovenia.