Alen Kajmović
Episode · #608
VRIJEME JE ZA GOSPODARSTVO Alen Kajmović
Guest Alen KajmovićHosted by Darko BukovićMay 3, 2026
Alen Kajmović
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Running 37 active construction sites might seem like a feat of logistics, but for Alen Kajmović, CEO of Međimurje PMP, it's the baseline of a business culture that believes 'if I stop, I fall.' His company, one of the largest construction firms in Croatia's northern region, operates in an environment where the challenges of labor shortages and economic alignment have been acute for decades. Kajmović offers a blunt assessment of what it takes to thrive in such conditions, and the stark reality of an education system he believes is actively undermining the national economy. This conversation will make you rethink the real costs of a misaligned workforce and the quiet resilience of regional economies that have learned to adapt.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Taking over Međimurje Beton from bankruptcy in 2015, Alen Kajmović’s company grew its annual revenue from 40 million HRK to 40 million EUR in seven years. The lesson isn’t just about financial transformation; it's that some of the most overlooked opportunities exist in the ashes of what others have given up on.
02
Međimurje PMP rarely bids on public projects, focusing almost exclusively on industrial halls for the private sector, with the 22,000-square-meter Alka facility as a prime example. When you define your niche by what you refuse to build, you don't just find a market; you become the market.
03
In Međimurje, the regional business mantra is 'if I stop, I fall,' driving constant investment in facilities, equipment, or people. The most effective growth strategies aren't always found in white papers; sometimes, they're embedded in the local culture itself, a relentless pressure to move forward.
04
Kajmović points out that 70% of students in Croatia end up working in fields unrelated to their education. An education system that produces labor for other countries' markets, or for jobs that don't exist, isn't just failing its students; it's actively undermining the economic future of its own nation.
05
Half of all jobs in Croatia are directly or indirectly tied to state administration, creating an economy skewed towards 'desk jobs' and away from critical trades. When the public sector becomes the dominant employer, the challenge isn't just a labor shortage; it's a structural imbalance that starves the productive economy of talent.
06
Međimurje has faced a severe labor shortage for decades, long before it became a national issue, due to its proximity to higher-paying markets in Austria, Slovenia, and Germany. For regions competing directly with international economies, local solutions are insufficient; the only path forward is a national strategy that addresses the structural pull of cross-border opportunities.