Sales representative in Slovenia:
MB-Naklo

Matej Bernard founded MB-Naklo in 1990. The company history started in a garage. Matej Bernard built up his small company with confidence in his knowledge and a lot of willpower. He firmly believed that the company would succeed. Last year, MB-Naklo celebrated its 30th anniversary on 1 October 2020. The company now employs ten people and has an annual turnover of around ten million euros.

Matej Bernard and his company specialised in the trade of tools. At first he only sold simple
cutting, hand and measuring tools. In 1991, one year after the foundation of MB-Naklo,
Slovenia declared its independence from the Federation of Yugoslavia. After that, the small
country flourished economically. A domestic industry emerged which gradually opened up
to markets beyond the country‘s borders.
Matej Bernard ran his small company with great discipline. He worked a lot, was managing director, buyer, customer advisor and storekeeper all in one person. The trained toolmaker and former sales manager benefited from the practical experience he had acquired while working for two large companies in former Yugoslavia.
MB-Naklo‘s market launch was a success. Mr Bernard expanded and hired staff. From the very beginning he relied on well-trained and experienced engineers from the mechanical engineering sector. „The expertise of our employees contributes significantly to successful
cooperation with our customers and partners“, Matej Bernard is convinced. This aspiration is also continued by his daughter Nataša, who took over operational management of the company in the summer of 2020. MB-Naklo does not see itself as a classic trading company. „We are first and foremost an engineering company which develops complete solutions for users“, she emphasised. That is also MB-Naklo’s motto: „We want to be a solution provider.“

In order to meet this demand also on the product side, Matej Bernard continuously expanded the MB-Naklo portfolio and supplemented it with sophisticated high-performance tools for machining. In doing so, he met the exact needs of a growing industry which was producing ever more sophisticated components. MB-Naklo took over several exclusive representations in the field of tool technology, and later also secured the distribution rights for process automation equipment and metalworking machines. The first contact with MAPAL came about in 2001. At that time, Janko Kokalj, who heads the tool department at MB-Naklo, travelled to the EMO in Hanover and visited MAPAL‘s stand there. „He immediately recognised the potential of MAPAL products for the Slovenian market“, Matej Bernard recalled. Immediately after the trade fair he came to the MAPAL headquarters in Aalen for initial talks and soon after this the cooperation between MB-Naklo and MAPAL was contractually sealed. It was the beginning of a strong and trusting partnership. „MAPAL‘s high-performance tools established themselves very quickly on the Slovenian market and have now become established as a quality brand“, Matej Bernard recalls. He says
this is also thanks to the tireless efforts of his dedicated employee Janko Kokalj, who is retiring this year after 23 years of service to MB-Naklo. Andraž Kržišnik and Rok Dolinar have now taken over customer care and technical support for MAPAL tools. They are experienced engineers and have been part of the MB-Naklo team for many years.

There are numerous supplier companies in Slovenia working for the major international car
manufacturers. „They are our main customers“, Matej Bernard explained. Automotive manufacturing is the most important industry in Slovenia. Production concentrates on die-cast aluminium components which are preferably processed with MAPAL PCD tools. „We also supply many MAPAL fine boring tools and indexable inserts, and MAPAL PcBN tools for hard machining are also in great demand.“ The crane and construction machinery industries play an important role alongside the automotive industry. „Here, mainly solid carbide tools are used for drilling and milling as well as for boring“, Nataša Bernard explained. MB-Naklo also has the matching hydraulic and shrink chucks for the MAPAL tool range in its range.

The needs of the customers are the Bernards‘ top priority: „We see our customers as important business partners with whom we work closely and in a spirit of trust.“ The company therefore attaches great importance to staying in touch, be it by phone or, as far as currently possible, through on-site visits. MB-Naklo is represented at trade fairs and on social networks such as Facebook and Linkedin. The company has been publishing its own trade magazine since 2008, where it reports on the latest technological developments. Specialist seminars are also offered for the customers at the company headquarters in Naklo or also at MAPAL in Aalen. „These training courses are always very well received. Because in addition to gaining a lot of skills, the participants also develop an understanding of our technological approach to the design of machining solutions“, Nataša Bernard said.

MB-Naklo’s comprehensive concept has proven itself. „Our company is built on a stable foundation. Despite the global crisis in many areas including the COVID 19 pandemic we have not been critically affected“, the Bernards emphasised, and are approaching 2021 with a great deal of optimism. „We are planning to hire additional staff. And together with MAPAL we want to work intensively to provide the best possible support for the customers in Slovenia with innovative solutions, a wide range of services and individual support“.