Actions instead of words

"I started my business as a sole trader in 1999 and transformed it into a legal entity in 2004. We started modestly—in a garage in the Neresnica district of Zvolen. Gradually, in 2008, we expanded the company’s activities by adding a welding division. This year marks the 25th anniversary of our existence, which we will celebrate in our newly built corporate park in Lieskovec near Zvolen," explains the company’s journey, according to its owner, Peter Valent.

As he further explains, the company’s portfolio is currently diversified into three divisions, each distinguished by its own color identity. "The red division is ZVARCENTRUM, which represents several welding technology brands. For some of these brands, we are the exclusive distributor for the entire Slovak market, while for others, such as Milwaukee, we represent only part of the territory. Within this segment, we provide comprehensive service, support, an application center, and robotic solutions. An important part of our ‘Everything Under One Roof’ concept is the Valtec Welding School, through which we provide training and education in welding for future professional welders. The school includes ten practical training stations and a large classroom with capacity for thirty people dedicated to theoretical instruction."

Thanks to our extensive stock levels and wide range of sought-after products, we plan in the near future to offer our products and services through our e-shop to customers in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, and Croatia as well.

The second division, represented by the color blue, is PROPERTY, focused on the rental of non-residential premises, including mostly air-conditioned office, industrial, and warehouse spaces and buildings in the vicinity of Zvolen.

The third and final division, represented by yellow, is CONSTRUCT, which focuses on two main activities: transportation and logistics services, and construction. "We build our own facilities ourselves, and our construction activities are carried out not only for our own projects but also for third-party clients. We provide project documentation, engineering services, and complete turnkey construction solutions. In the field of transportation, we support not only our own operations but also provide outsourced transport services for companies such as GLS, Packeta, Messer, Paletexpress, and others," explains Peter Valent.

Diesel and Electric Power

As part of its transportation activities, Valtec expanded its fleet last year with 38 new Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 317 CDI 4325 panel vans. The company had already operated two Mercedes-Benz Actros trucks before this addition. As the company owner explains: "We purchased nearly forty diesel-powered Sprinters to support our services for GLS. More importantly, this spring we plan to expand the fleet by approximately five to eight electric eSprinter models. We also intend to purchase one electric eActros truck this year, along with an additional twenty to thirty diesel-powered commercial vehicles—most likely Mercedes-Benz models as well."

Valtec has also installed a photovoltaic system on the roof of its headquarters. According to Peter Valent, the company plans to expand solar installations to the roofs of its other buildings in the near future and complement them with battery energy storage systems. This will enable the construction of charging facilities for up to 20 charging stations within the company premises, serving both the company’s electric vehicle fleet and employees’ electric cars.

And what has their experience with the Sprinter fleet been so far? "We are very satisfied with their operation. They meet our expectations and are utilized to the maximum, including high daily mileage," confirms the company owner.

He adds that across all company divisions, Valtec collaborates with approximately one hundred people. Around half are permanent employees, while the remainder—including drivers—are self-employed contractors providing services to the company.

At the same time, he emphasizes: "As we continue to grow, we have become a proven and reliable partner capable of offering clients more favorable conditions for comprehensive, dependable, and trouble-free transportation services. We are also able to provide high-quality transport using reliable and safe vehicles. This allows us to secure competitive terms and excellent support from vehicle suppliers, as well as from the authorized Mercedes-Benz service partner Motor-Car Banská Bystrica."

“Star” Preferences

The Mercedes-Benz brand is not represented at Valtec solely in the commercial and heavy-duty vehicle segment. "In addition to those vehicles, we also own several passenger cars bearing the silver three-pointed star: an EQB 300 4MATIC, a CL 63 AMG, and a V 300 d 4MATIC van. Until recently, we also had a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC," notes Peter Valent.

According to him, based on his own experience, the V-Class is a truly outstanding vehicle, especially for long business trips. "We purchased the extended version and equipped it with every available option. My wife, who is also actively involved in running the company, drives the electric EQB model. She covers approximately 150 to 200 kilometers per day and is extremely satisfied with it. In just one year, she has driven 45,000 kilometers without the slightest issue, either with the vehicle itself or with charging. That is why we consider it an ideal vehicle in terms of size, comfort, safety, and all-wheel drive capability..." explains Peter Valent.

As our meeting draws to a close, we try to uncover the secret behind Valtec’s success story—what has driven its continuous growth and stability over the past twenty-five years. Finally, the company owner shares his answer:

"You know, many things you set your mind to in life can be achieved. The key is not to keep talking about them, but to work hard and remain determined to make them happen. That is my philosophy, and all of my colleagues have embraced it as well. It is also the reason why we always strive to meet as many of our clients’ expectations as possible—regardless of the time required, the challenges involved, the obstacles encountered, or the level of commitment needed..."