President Stevo Pendarovski presented today the award “Macedonian Quality” for 2022 to 10 enterprises, which made a significant contribution to the development of the national economy and its promotion internationally.
The traditional event is organized by the Union of Chambers of Commerce of Macedonia, under the auspices of President Pendarovski.
In accordance with the established criteria, the winners of the annual “Macedonian Quality” awards are the companies “Sloga Prom”, “Geo Network”, “Duna”, “Vita Nova”, “Reptil”, “Perpetuumobile Security”, the company “Trimex” Skopje, the “Bovin” winery, the “Klimetica” and “Maiva” hotels and the “Donate a Computer” initiative.
Dear members of the Union of Chambers of Commerce,
Dear attendees,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my honor to be the patron of the traditional awarding of recognition for Macedonian quality. This year, ten successful companies from the Republic of North Macedonia will deservedly receive this prestigious award, given by the Union of Chambers of Commerce.
Tomorrow, December 24, marks the 118th anniversary of the birth of Joseph Juran, one of the greatest popularizers of the concept of quality in production and the product itself. Juran is one of the first to talk about the high price of low quality. According to him, the quality of the product or service is the best business plan that a company can make. Besides making the company more competitive, higher quality also means fewer errors and losses in the production process. It is not by chance that one of his modern admirers was Steve Jobs, who believed that part of his responsibility was the standard of quality, and that in order to be successful, the company should maintain an atmosphere of excellence.
However, in times of economic and energy crisis, high inflation and price shocks, the temptation for companies to compromise is great. Some to raise prices, and others to reduce the quality of the products and services they offer. Regardless of how necessary they are at times, both approaches can have negative consequences. In the long run, both companies and customers pay a high price for poor quality product – companies through lost production and customers through lost trust.
As everywhere in the world, many companies in our country are in an unenviable position. To insist on quality, and to invest in the development of one’s potential in times of crisis is a real feat, which requires not only courage, but, above all, a plan and a vision. It is known that companies that persevere on this path overcome crises much more easily and quickly.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today we have the real pleasure of rewarding those Macedonian brands that, without compromising on quality, remain attractive enough for both customers and consumers.
Considering the complex economic situation, these enterprises not only did not deviate from their commitment to quality, but also contributed to higher economic growth, which is the number one national priority. This priority implies increasing productivity, raising competitiveness of economy, massive investment in innovation and technological development and new domestic and foreign investments. Many of these aspects depend precisely on the readiness of each of the companies not to deviate from the quality paradigm in both crisis and calm times.
In the end, allow me to once again congratulate all the winners for the recognition, and wish them, as well as the other members of the Union of Chambers of Commerce, successful and fruitful work in 2023.
Thank you.
