2018 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Award in the Czech Republic

7. March 2019, 08:45 | Owner of MARLENKA international s.r.o. was nominated among the 5 finalists of the international competition of 2018 EY Entrepreneur of the Year of the Czech Republic. In the gala evening in the Slovanský dům, the Special Jury Prize for Business Inspiration of the Decade was awarded to him by an expert jury.

 After many years, the main jury decided to award a special prize again, this time for business inspiration of the decade, for Gevorg Avetisjan, the founder and owner of MARLENKA international s.r.o. In 2013 and 2014, Gevorg Avetisjan was awarded the title of Regional Winner and Best EY Entrepreneur of the Moravian-Silesian Region, and this year he was also among the finalists of the competition.

“This award means a lot to me. It gives me a feeling of even greater responsibility, incentive to continue our work and produce more products, thanks to which we can continue to promote the town of Frýdek-Místek and the Czech Republic“, said Gevorg Avetisjan from MARLENKA international s.r.o., the winner of the Jury Prize for Business Inspiration of the Decade.

The nineteenth annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year competition presented a number of prominent entrepreneurial characters who are inspiring not only for their surroundings but also for beginners or established entrepreneurs. “Through honest work and effort, courage to take a risk and to innovate, thanks to all-society responsibility and employee care approach they are models for all of us. This year, the main jury of the competition has awarded six regional titles and one special prize“, says Magdalena Souček, EY’s leading partner in the Czech Republic and in the Central and Southeast European region. 

This year, the main jury decided to award a special prize to Gevorg Avetisjan, the owner and founder of MARLENKA International s.r.o. for business inspiration of the decade. By his life story, Gevorg Avetisjan proves that everyone has a chance to change his or her life – to take root in a foreign country, to find a new home, but also not to be afraid to trust your idea to start a business from scratch and build a successful and internationally renowned company. His business intention came into being in his head by coincidence when his sister arrived from Armenia and baked a honey cake according to an old family recipe. The honey delicacy, which he named after his mother and daughter, was quickly popularized by all his friends and Avetisjan’s sister was not able to bake enough of them. Therefore, he bought second-hand equipment, rented small premises, and the company Marlenka international was established in 2003. Today, Gevorg’s Marlenka employs 265 people and has an annual turnover of almost CZK 600 million. The flagship of the company is still the Marlenka honey cake, of which they normally produce around 50,000 pieces per week. The overall assortment includes more than 30 products. All production takes place at the factory in Frýdek-Místek and Marlenka company exports to 43 countries all over the world including China, the USA or the entire Arabian Peninsula. A third of the production remains in the Czech Republic. The secret of the success of these honey products made according to the family recipe is an exceptional taste, high quality and almost impossible durability, while the only preservative is the best-quality honey. In 2018, they produced a total of 8 million products. For the future, Avetisjan plans not only to recruit new employees and launch new products, but also to build a larger production hall and a network of cafes. For this he was inspired, among other things, by the success of his own tourist center within the Marlenka premises. Marlenka is more than just a business for him, not only because he still manufactures his products according to the family recipes. He is proud of the opportunity he has received in the Czech Republic and of being able to successfully represent this country in the world by this high-quality Czech-Armenian product. He believes that someday his son will take over the company and will lead it in the same spirit.