Industrial Disinfectant Exec Chosen as Entrepreneur of the Year
Ruth Oltjer, executive at Chemi-Pharm AS, was selected as the Entrepreneur of the Year for her leadership of a company that develops, produces and sells cleaning agents for institutions that require medical-grade cleanliness.
Established in 1997, the British-Estonian joint venture exports 55 percent of its product to 15 countries, reported ETV.
As a doctor, Oltjer first started to order disinfectants from the UK and soon realized every colleague she knew had a need for such products. This sparked the idea of Chemi-Pharm AS.
Management decisions resulting in no lay-offs is considered Oltjer's specialty, the Delfi news site reported. The first crisis hit the company in 1998 and was dealt with without major setbacks. Recent issues were solved by the judicious use of prepayments, bank guarantees and postponing investments. Success on the Asian markets contributed to the title.
After claiming the Ernst & Young award on Thursday night, Oltjer told ETV this morning that the Asian market is yet to be discovered by Estonians. Slow registration processes and the Asian market's tendency to distrust short-lived European companies complicate the expansion.
When expanding to Singapore and Malaysia - countries with a strong English-speaking business culture - Oltjer sought the help of a local university to understand the cultural differences. Patience is the key on the Asian market, she said.
Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year was selected for the fifth time.