Sustainable management on 8th November 2023 at the Management course

On the 8th of November we, first-year students of the English track, had a guest lecture with Lucija Gartner. She co-owns a touristic farm, which is located in Triglav National Park near the lake Bohinj. It is a family business which was started by their father in the 1990s. Lucija and her brother were involved in that business right from the start, although they were still children. Firstly, the farm was producing cheese and selling it in the small local markets near Bohinj area. They have increased production, expanded to new markets, and started to develop new projects. When the Gartner family was just entering the cheese market, many locals considered them crazy. At that time, a big company produced cheese, and it was also located in the Bohinj area. So everybody thought that is pointless to compete with this company and it is simply impossible to take a market share from them. But Gartners did it, and they have succeeded.

I like the business approach of Lucija and her brother. The main product they sell is cheese. And they use several sales channels. They participate in the local farmer’s markets, but now it’s not only in Bohinj but also Bled. Apart from that, they have partnerships with a few grocery and health food shops, so buying Bohinj cheese in Ljubljana is possible. Moreover, the farm has contracts with ski resorts and other places of tourist interest, so they are also selling their cheese there. And of course, Gartners have a web page, where you can find all the necessary information about the products, degustations, and other offers. This website is well made and has a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate. And that’s super important because potential customers can quickly find the desirable information.

The production process is also on a high level. Recently, Gartners have renewed equipment for cheese making. That has optimized the process and also lowered the costs of production and it has become more efficient. Another important factor is that all milk for cheese production is made on a Gartners farm. So the production is more or less self-sufficient, which is good for the business.

The thing I liked the most about Gartners’ business is the diversification. They do not sell only cheese. They also rent out a few apartments for tourists, organize degustations on the farm, and provide “how to make cheese” workshops. And they don’t stop there. For example, now they are building a new warm building for organizing the degustations, so they could also organize these events in winter.

I’ve enjoyed this meeting with Lucija. I found it very interesting and useful. She has a proper attitude to business, and I am glad that I was able to learn something from her. And I am grateful to the faculty for providing such an opportunity to us. It’s crucial to communicate with real entrepreneurs and managers, to listen to their stories, and to ask them questions. After such meetings, I understand repeatedly that if you are passionate, everything is possible.           

Written by Artem Skovorodin 

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