PIVARA SKOPJE SHINES WITH THE LOVE OF THE EMPLOYEES TOWARDS THE COMPANY AND THE PRODUCTS THEY PRODUCE

By vocation journalist, by education historian, our speaker Dejan Azeski is the author of the first edition of the “History of the Macedonian economy” that has been promoted on February 16th this year. In the first part of the edition entitled as “The history of the economy from Antiquity to the World War II”, in his debut, with serious research approach, Azeski addresses to the development of the Macedonian economy in an extensive period of over 2000 years. The occasion for the exclusive interview with Azeski for Glass Full is his latest project in which, its special place has the company’s profile of Pivara Skopje, thanks to the 93-year existence of the company on the Macedonian market.

At the beginning, where did you get the idea for this project?

It is not just an idea but an original need, so far evident by many of us. The fact is that we know very little about our own history, much less or not at all, for the economic history. Additionally, in this time of political uncertainty I consider this achievement will come as a real refreshment for the public and will contribute, at least a bit of the public attention to turn to the economy, as a natural basis of every healthy society.

What exactly is the edition?

The edition is a first attempt in the Macedonian journalism to gather at one place most of the historical knowledge related to the Macedonian economy. It was a very difficult challenge, having in mind the fact that it covers a period of more than 2000 years. The primary purpose and the main message is to encourage the entrepreneurial feeling among the broader public in the country. It teaches us that our ancestors, although often lived in more difficult and less secure conditions than us today, never thought of whether to be economically active and to run their own business. Unfortunately, each day collectively as a society we neglect economic prospects, which is particularly expressed among young people in this country and that must to be urgently replaced. Projects like this are a small attempt to move the Macedonian entrepreneurial machinery.

How much time you worked on the research and are you satisfied with the cooperation of the companies whose development and history are covered in the first part?

I actively worked whole year at the first book of this edition. The book is based on materials, facts and background knowledge gathered throughout the past decade. As for the companies, its simply amazing how through all these past turbulent years they have time to deal with their own history. The commitment of the employees to one activity from which they personally have no tangible material benefit, but still work on it with full enthusiasm, it is something that should be greeted. Obviously, Macedonians besides being famous lovers of the history, they sincerely love, and are extremely loyal to their companies.

The first part of the “The history of the Macedonian economy” covers a period from Antiquity to the Second World War. Is it going to be a second part that would cover the period after?

Two other parts of the same edition will follow and they will be dedicated to the socialist planned economy from 1944 to 1990 and of course the next part will be about the transition, privatization, the new times and the new greenfield stories. The second part will be published in spring 2018, while the last part, a year later.

The project was promoted few days ago. What are the reactions of the experts’ public and in general?

Because this is a journalistic rather than scientific work, the experts were not requested to respond, but the reaction of the public are extremely positive. Everyday I have dozens of calls from acquaintances and strangers who want to find and read this truly unique work for Macedonian conditions.

Pivara Skopje is a part of this very important project. Our readership certainly wants to know why and what is your perspective at the history and the development of Pivara Skopje?

Pivara Skopje is different from all other companies in Macedonia and those in the region that I, as a longtime economic journalist, have an opportunity to meet. People there, they do not sell just beer, Coca-Cola and other drinks, but they widely donate emotions and values. My journalistic instinct leads me to reveal to the readers that behind the fences of the most famous Macedonian factory, simply floats a special love of the employees towards the company and the products they produce. Far from that that everything works perfectly and that those employees are not facing challenges as the employees in any other company. But generally, that positive chemical relation company – employee it`s on a much higher level than at other places. Now after the fact that all above mentioned successfully works for more than nine decades, it is very much clear why the portfolio of Pivara Skopje, among others, has a brand as SKOPSKO, which makes every Macedonian proud and of course, the most famous non-alcoholic drink in the world, Coca-Cola. So if you ask me what was the most important thing Pivara Skopje has made in almost a century of its history, certainly it is not the millions gross or net income and profits. Pivara Skopje found the formula to be loved both internally  from its employees but also externally from the public. And that’s most important that simply has no price.

Seen from a future perspective, what is the value of such a project?

We will have to leave it to the future, to be able to give the answer to this question. The edition can have tremendous value if induce at least a minimal effect and public interest. It requires huge effort to reach the widest possible readership. On the other hand it is certain that it will have absolutely no value if the copies remain forgotten on the dusty shelves of several companies around the country. If you know that in order to write a simplest book it takes hundreds and thousands of sleepless hours, than there is no bad book. But the fact is that in Macedonia thousands of such good books remain unread, their knowledge unused. Therefore, in the 21st century obviously, it is not a challenge to write a book, but to manage to convey the message to those to whom it is truly intended.

What does Dejan do in his spare time? Do you have a hobby, a way to relax that gives you energy for such challenges?

I’m probably one of the few people who has conscious  for spending too much time on numerous leisure activities. I am known in rowing. Probably the only Macedonian who passed all natural and artificial lakes in Macedonia. For five years, I am active in photography and I already organized two exhibitions on fashion and landscape topic. I am an active mountaineer and I am proud of the fact that I reached most of the mountain hills in Macedonia. Cycling is also one of my biggest passions, and the fact that I own five bicycles which I constantly fix, speaks for itself. I do not mind to wake up at 4 in the morning, to take my bicycle and drive to some of the neighboring countries and than to come back in the same day. It is simply a “disease”, diagnosed by my friends and relatives.

Finally, my most interesting activity is definitely modeling. I am an author of dozens of miniatures of airplanes, helicopters and various other types of armaments over the years. Currently I am working on my most ambitious project up to date, which is making of a miniatures of the entire Russian naval leet, composed of different types of ships. If we know that a ship in size 1/350 contains at least a thousand tiny pieces, you can imagine how much work it is. The desire to finally perform at a greater international exhibition motivates me to spend all nights on my favorite corvettes, frigates, destroyers and heavy cruisers.

Perhaps not many people know that your father is a president of the Economic Chamber of Macedonia for a long time. Does your family name and tradition helps you to easily realize such and similar projects?

It will be biased and ungrateful to say no. Especially in the contacts with people from different areas. On the other hand, the publication as a profession is extremely measurable thing that naturally makes it impossible to rely on any authority.

So regardless of the hundreds of contacts throughout Europe and world and thousands around the country and the region, at the end it is yourself that should sit and write a journalistic report, magazine analysis, and in my case even a whole book. It should be known that affiliation often generates high challenges and causes a pressure. But in any case, I am not ashamed to say that many of the successes are based on the transferred knowledge.

What is next that we can expect from you?

The dream of every journalist or writer is eventually to write a novel as the supreme form of the author’s personality. My problem is that I did it even when I was 24 when I closed 700 pages of a futuristic-political novel. From some lucrative and conformistic reasons related to the current domestic and international politics, three years since then, I did not take the courage and strength to publish my capital work. This situation increasingly frustrates me and it grows my self-criticism, so all the energy in the coming period will be directed towards correcting this fault and finally publishing the work in which I direct all my hopes.