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Darko Pervan—Välinge’s founder, former CEO, and industry visionary—has been announced as the recipient of the 2021 Founders Alliance Founder of the Year Honorary Award.
Darko is a titan of the flooring world, involved in the industry’s leading innovations. Apart from founding Välinge Innovation in 1993, he initiated and managed the development of the world’s first laminate floor in the late seventies. He also developed the first floor with a mechanical locking system in the early nineties and drove Välinge’s wood powder project that led to the innovative Woodura® surface technology that features in the groundbreaking Hardened Wood Floors.
Today, he continues to revolutionise the industry as CEO of Pervanovo — recently announcing plans to build the largest wood flooring facility in the world in Croatia. The company also acquired two Croatian veneer mills in Vinkovci and Otok to become Europe's largest manufacturer of high-quality FSC-certified oak veneers for the flooring and furniture industry.
“Over the years, I’ve received many awards, but this one is different,” says Darko Pervan, Välinge Innovation founder and CEO of Pervanovo Invest AB — which owns a majority stake in the Välinge group. “This award was given to me by my peers — other founders and entrepreneurs — and that makes it extra special.”
