In 2005, when I was assembling the first composition of the Chamber’s Management Board, one name was inevitable — Ilija Gechev, a man who, over time, has become synonymous with “aggressive” business as the defining trait of the new era. On Friday (24 October 2025), he turned 70. On behalf of the Economic Chamber — the most significant business association in our country — I would like to extend heartfelt congratulations on his milestone birthday and wish him continued success and a long life.

Ilija Gechev is as devoted to the Chamber as the Chamber is to him. This means that he is one of its driving forces, while the Chamber remains a constant presence in his daily life. I can freely say that some of the most important and progressive ideas in the Chamber’s operations are his creation. Even more importantly, he has passed on his spirit to his successors — modern patriots who love their country and strive for its economic prosperity.

Though now 70, he looks no older than 50. The same goes for his spirit — always as if he is at the very beginning of his career. Well-informed about everything, equipped with modern tools, and in constant communication, he represents a hub of top business talent in our country. Open in conversation, he is a businessman who speaks the truth directly, who knows how to strike and how to take a hit, and most importantly, who publicly praises every successful move, business result, and forward-looking solution.

There may be those who don’t share my view, but the numbers are the most reliable proof of what I am saying. Since 2005, this is a man who has executed business operations across the entire Balkans, building several significant factories and production facilities in Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia. Such an achievement, realized in a short period, in the best possible way, and with continuous growth in business, profit, and employment, can only be described as business deluxe.

I have often said that the Chamber is the greatest incubator of human potential in our country — home to developed experts in all fields, excellent workers, successful managers, and capable owners. The example of Ilija Gechev confirms this statement — yet unlike others, he stands out as perhaps the finest businessman among them: one who constantly invests, modernizes, upgrades technologically, and rapidly expands across the region.

Companies such as Alkaloid, Makpetrol, Komercijalna Banka, Feroinvest, Brako stand at the top of the pyramid representing this potential, while Vitaminka, Adora, Tikveš, Makprogres, Makstil, Pekabesko, Granit, the two breweries in Skopje and Prilep, Johnson Matthey, Kromberg & Schubert, Kostal, Philip Morris, Socotab, NLB, Stopanska Banka Skopje, Triglav Insurance, and many others make up the foundation of the Macedonian economy — a true guarantee of the future.

P.S. It is both an honor and a privilege to work with such a man — one who surprises daily with his ideas, his way of thinking, and his tireless project initiatives. I can say with certainty that we will all be pleasantly surprised by what comes next, because for Ilija Gechev, time never stands still.