Franc Vesel
I fell in love with wood and wood production in my early youth when I observed and helped my father at work. On a lathe machine, he was creating wonderful wooden items since 1949. After his untimely death, I continued his craft at the age of 16, I graduated from the secondary school of wood engineering and Faculty of Administration. Since I registered my own enterprise to this day, I have been making wooden hair rollers, comb and hairbrush handles, furniture and paintbrush handles … Because of the growing automation in manufacturing, the Slovene market soon became too small for me. Thus I have been exporting almost all of my wooden products to European markets since Slovenia gained independence. As an entrepreneur, I became an active and leading member of the Regional Chamber of Craft Ribnica and later in the boards of the Chamber of Craft and the Small Business of Slovenia where I am still active today.
I realise that only by working shoulder to shoulder we can parry the growing competition in the field of planning, producing and selling wooden items at home and in the world. When the idea of funding the Handicraft Cooperative Sodražica emerged, I gladly became part of its initiative board and later also its funding member. In the Cooperative In situ I see realistic possibilities for survival and development of every single member, especially in the upcoming more and more turbulent times.
