Monday, June 12, 2017

Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia

For our third visit, the class was introduced to Akrapovič, fabricator of top-of-the-line and custom-designed exhaust systems for motorcycles and racecars, in the city of Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia.  The company's founder, Mr. Igor Akrapovič, gave us a presentation and a tour of the facilities.  His having built the company from scratch, he spoke with a familiarity and a satisfaction in his accomplishments.  As we saw the fabrication process, test environments, and demonstrations, I contrasted and compared the company's workflow with that of my own in the semiconductor industry. The major difference for me was that there was little to no automation.

It was meanwhile interesting to note that the facility lie somewhere out in the Slovenian countryside, and from a cultural perspective, I am familiar with many similar such facilities sprinkled throughout the USA.  This part of Slovenia has a dryness that reminds me of southern Spain.

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