KOVACO is a prime manufacturer of welding positioners, as well as attachments for construction and agriculture machines to undertake various projects, big and small alike.
Interview with Igor Kovačič, the Owner & CEO of KOVACO.
Easy Engineering: A brief description of the company and its activities.
Igor Kovačič: Had it not been for my father’s vision and stubborn single-mindedness, this company would never come into being. Since I was a little boy, he would take me to the factory grounds of the then famous and reputable Montostroj, where he was the Director General, to see and play with real machines rather than toys. I would sit on forklifts pretending to drive them, climb up into crane cabins, and watch in awe the workers drilling and turning and driving power producing machines. I was mesmerised. But as far back as I can remember, my father kept looking for the answer to the ever present question: how to make welding easier, safer and faster? His drive bordered on the obsessive.
He would design and implement modifications to improve reliability, investigate and test ideas to improve existing systems or overcome machinery problems, making parts and installing and testing machinery. Every time he made a tiny step forward. However, he needed a big leap ahead. When the time was ripe, he decided to go independent, do it his own way. That time arrived in 1991 when Ing. Juraj Kovačič’s dream to establish his own company came true under the name IDČ-KOVAČIČ, which he built from scratch. Fast forward, his ambition, creativity and entrepreneurship soon resulted in developing several types of advanced original welding positioners which, until today, have significantly improved our customers’ productivity, precision, ergonomics and safety at work. Later, his company’s talented engineers also started developing and manufacturing attachments for construction and agricultural machinery.
After completing my mechanical engineering studies, I, naturally, became part of this exciting enterprise, running the company alongside my father, learning about all aspects of the business and the manufacturing process. In 2007, the Founding Father deemed me, his son, fit for taking over completely, and appointed me the CEO of the company renamed KOVACO. However, he remained an active force behind the company, striding its production halls with vigor every day, until 2017 when, quite unexpectedly, a fatal disease claimed his life. His legacy, though, and his spirit live on.
Since then, we have keenly followed market requirements, and with a team of flexible gifted engineers we constantly innovate the existing products and develop new ones. “Be like a bulldog, always look ahead” was a favorite saying of our founder, and following his advice we are always on the lookout for new opportunities. This strategy came to fruition in 2016-2020 when KOVACO developed the world’s first battery skid steer loader. Within two months, we also developed a mini crawler loader which won the “Premio de Demolición 2020” prize by the Spanish Association AEDED. Due to the personnel and financial demands of building a sales network, we teamed up with a foreign partner who eventually took over the entire project.
E.E: What are the company’s main areas of activity?
I.K: Welding positioners, their development and production, as well as attachments for various types of machines.
As for the positioners, both types for manual and robotic welding are individually customised. In close co-operation with our customers, we also develop new types and new dimensional series of the positioners to meet their needs.
As for the attachments, we keep developing new devices to find answers for our customers’ challenges. At the same time, we are expanding the size ranges of the existing attachments to cover as much of the demand as possible. We are able to adjust the attachment clamping to any machine in a very short time.
E.E: New products and services
I.K: Every year we add 1 to 2 new products to our attachment portfolio. Last year, the Sorting Shovel and the Trench Cutter were added.
Besides, we are working on the next generation of electric track loaders, this time under the KOVACO brand. We strongly believe that electrification has its rightful place also in the field of construction and agricultural machinery, therefore we urge you to follow our buildout in these thrilling times ahead!
E.E: What are the ranges of products/services?
I.K: Welding positioners are clearly at the heart of the KOVACO production program. We offer various types of the positioners, their capacities ranging from 600kg to 30t. https://kovacocompany.com/category/welding-positioners/. These machines are designed to operate in demanding conditions with maximum reliability, long service life and minimum maintenance. Hence our customers repeatedly choose the KOVACO positioners, be it simple applications of our pantographic positioners or more complex devices with the options of programming positions, even if the prices are a little higher.
As for attachments, we offer almost 40 products https://kovacocompany.com/category/attachments/, from the simplest shovels to more complex equipment. All our products are designed for maximum reliability and minimum maintenance. Among the most popular products are concrete mixing shovels, sweeping devices and a relatively new addition to our portfolio – the sorting shovel.
- https://kovacocompany.com/screening-bucket/
- https://kovacocompany.com/concrete-mixing-bucket/
- https://kovacocompany.com/sweeper/
E.E: What is the state of the market where you are currently active?
I.K: In welding positioners, the market conditions are fairly stable, mostly because of the nature of the equipment. We have witnessed an increased demand for the positioners with a load capacity of 10-30 tons in the arms industry.
As for attachments, nowadays the market is a bit wobbly. We have noticed a slight drop in demand as customers are being cautious with their purchases in these uncertain times. On the other hand, their prudence often lands them in emergency situations when we come to the fore with our short delivery times. The quality, reliability and low maintenance costs of the KOVACO products proven over many years, along with our flexibility and the ability to offer any attachments for any machine within 1-2 weeks are a set of attributes that are winning us loyal customers.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
I.K: The trend is clear: a continuing shortage and increasing cost of labor require ever more manual work be replaced with machines and a higher workforce productivity. Therefore, in cooperation with our customers, we are preparing our standard positioners for work in a semi-automatic mode or for their collaboration with robots and cobots. As for attachments, we are for example offering a road widener which significantly increases productivity and efficiency in road works.
E.E: What are the most innovative products/services marketed?
I.K: Without a doubt, it is the Welding Positioner SP 100DL adapted for robotic welding. Although this type of the positioner is primarily made for manual welding, its design allows it to be used also for welding with a robot. The integration of the positioner with the welding robot is achieved merely by modifying the control system rather than any changes to the mechanical part of the positioner.
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2024?
I.K: In 2024, the company celebrates its 33rd anniversary with the goal to continue asserting our position as a constant in the market of both welding positioners and attachments. It may not be an easy ride, however, the challenges are what move us forward. We keep expanding our dealer network to include new countries overseas, such as Canada. We are also further strengthening our presence within the EU and other countries to which we have long been exporting our products. All in all, we are working hard to fulfil this year’s plan outlined in our strategic document with sales revenue increased from the previous year. We are committed to maintain employment and benefits for our valued employees. And to top off our overall performance, we are determined to continue to offer our customers the best service, short delivery times and products that boast both reliability and a long service life.
Contact for Welding Positioners:
Peter Danihel
+421905759078
Contact for Attachments:
Maroš Tužinský
+421918873496