From a small auto parts store of 35 square meters on the ground floor of a family house to the largest retail chain in the country with 130 stores and a logistics-distribution center of 22,000 square meters. This is a summary of the successful entrepreneurial story behind the Tokić family and 25 years of work.
Tokić, a leader in the auto parts market, is now a large enterprise employing 320 people, with 68 new hires this year alone. Last year, they had a revenue of 314 million kuna, and according to initial estimates, this year’s revenue will exceed 400 million kuna.
– We are growing organically every year by 15 to 20 percent, and this year we will have a growth of as much as 30 percent – emphasized Ilija Tokić, co-owner of the company and chairman of the Supervisory Board, who was awarded the Manager of the Year award last night by the Croatian Association of Managers and Entrepreneurs (HUM-CROMA) for his successful work. To grow, we had to invest, says Tokić, explaining that all profits have been redirected into new investments since day one.
Thus, they expanded their range to include programs for commercial vehicles, a complete offer of parts for motorcycles and scooters, as well as for buses. This year, they are also recording significant growth in exports to foreign markets, focusing on brands they own, such as TQ and Hector. Recognizing the importance of quality personnel, the company launched the unique Tokić Educational Center (TEC) in 2014 for staff training, which today participates in the development of curricula for secondary education. They are also members of the association of manufacturers and traders of auto parts ATR International AG, which they joined in 2008, since when they have offered more than 150 brands from the largest global auto parts manufacturers. However, the crown of their work is the new logistics-distribution center in Sesvete on the site of the former Baumax, which, as they hope in Tokić, will accelerate and automate distribution.
