Ljubljana, 9 October 2026 – Yesterday, SIJ Group employees once again connected with their communities as part of the 7th Community Partnership Day, held under the slogan “Bonds of steel between us”. In Jesenice, Ravne na Koroškem and Ljubljana, 89 colleagues dedicated 178 hours to volunteer work and, with openness and warmth, contributed to strengthening trust and good relations with the communities where they also work and live.
“For us, Community Partnership Day is an opportunity each year to strengthen the bonds we build in the communities where our employees live and work. This year, around 250 participants helped weave these bonds together – colleagues from SIJ Group companies, users, residents, professionals and representatives of local organisations. Employees dedicated part of their working time to volunteering, thereby contributing to tidier premises, a more pleasant everyday life and, above all, a sense of connectedness. We also pay special attention to vulnerable groups, as we believe that the strength of a community is best reflected in inclusion, cooperation and mutual support,” said mag. Sara Wagner, Head of Corporate Communications at SIJ Group.
At all three locations, volunteers dedicated their time to vulnerable groups. In Jesenice, they played board games with the users of Društvo LEPA SI and enjoyed šmorn together; in Ljubljana, they joined users and professional staff of the Janez Levec Work and Employment Centre in creating clay and paper products; and in Ravne na Koroškem they visited VDC Ravne na Koroškem. Together with the users, they first took part in a short morning exercise session, made small vases using the decoupage technique and sang along to accordion music.
“Through steelmaking, our companies have been closely connected with life in Ravne and the surrounding towns for generations. Our employees work here, live here and take part in the life of the community. We meet as colleagues, friends, acquaintances and neighbours, and this is how we have met with VDC Ravne na Koroškem for the seventh year in a row. These meetings are especially valuable, as they are an opportunity to strengthen our bonds even further, to take time for socialising and joint activities, to get to know one another better and to listen to one another,” said Matjaž Hudopisk, Managing Director of SIJ Ravne Systems.
Mihaela Knez, Head of VDC Ravne na Koroškem, added that for the users of the Ravne na Koroškem sheltered work centre, such events are much more than just a pleasant day and socialising, as “they represent an opportunity for connection, acceptance of differences and, above all, the feeling that they too are an important and equal part of the local environment. The visit by SIJ Group volunteers brings users a great deal of joy, new experiences and positive energy. It is especially valuable that we can create, talk, cooperate and get to know one another together. It is precisely through such encounters that genuine relationships are built, prejudices are broken down and a community is created in which every individual has their place. We therefore see Community Partnership Day as a wonderful opportunity to show how important it is to connect business, the local environment and social care. We are pleased that through such events our users can experience a sense of belonging, acceptance and inclusion.”
In Ravne na Koroškem, volunteers also spent time with residents and users of the KO-RA Senior Citizens Centre, where some former colleagues from SIJ Group’s Carinthian companies also live. They tested their knowledge in a Steel Quiz and enjoyed a musical surprise on the accordion prepared by father and son Janez and Matevž Orešnik from SIJ Ravne Systems. Maja Pučelj Brunec, Head of the KO-RA Senior Citizens Centre, summed up the day as follows: “We are convinced that strengthening ties between business, public institutions, social care organisations and the non-governmental sector is of exceptional importance for the quality of life in the local community. The vast majority of our residents come from the local environment. They are deeply connected with it, as well as with the history of industry in this area, since many of them were an important part of it. This is why contact with the people who continue this story today is especially important to them. Our residents, as well as employees, are always happy to see a familiar face, a smile, a kind word and a handshake – above all, the time that volunteers dedicate to them. It is precisely this human closeness that goes beyond formal forms of cooperation and creates a sense of connection, belonging and mutual respect.”
“Gatherings such as today’s with the residents of the KO-RA Senior Citizens Centre remind us that our steelmaking tradition is written above all in the people who helped shape it over generations. Many residents are connected with the ‘factory’ directly or through their families, so our time together was also an opportunity to revive precious memories. Such meetings confirm how important intergenerational connection is, as it helps us preserve the knowledge, experience and values that have shaped us. We also gave the residents honey from our beehive. Just as bees create honey through joint work, people too build a community through mutual support and cooperation. With the honey, we symbolically wished them above all good health,” added Jernej Močnik, Managing Director of SIJ Metal Ravne.
In cooperation with the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem and the Ravne na Koroškem Beekeeping Association, ground markings along the Ravne Beekeeping Trail were renewed. According to Dr Tomaž Rožen, Mayor of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, “the Ravne Beekeeping Trail, which was established in 2023 also with the support of SIJ Group, is a fine example of cooperation between the local community, beekeepers and business. In Ravne na Koroškem, we are proud to hold the title of the most bee-friendly municipality. This recognition is not only a symbol, but a reflection of the values we live as a community: respect for nature, cooperation and care for future generations. The Ravne Beekeeping Trail clearly reflects these values and passes them on to visitors. We are therefore especially pleased that SIJ Group, as part of Community Partnership Day, helped renew the markings on this educational and recreational trail and thus contributed to its upkeep and visibility. We sincerely thank them for their support.”
In Jesenice, volunteers joined employees of Koroška Bela Primary School in clearing out storerooms with old books and scrap iron and tidying the flower beds. With a donation of steel bars from SIJ SUZ, the school will be able to renovate the fence around its mobile school beehive, which also houses a beehive donated three years ago to the school’s beekeeping club by SIJ Acroni.
“The employees of Koroška Bela Primary School and SIJ Group volunteers once again joined forces this year as part of Community Partnership Day. In previous years, together we have tidied the school grounds and beehive area, planted melliferous plants, cleared rooms in the old school, painted the fence and whitewashed changing rooms. Every such cooperation has brought something good – not only a tidier and more pleasant school environment, but also an opportunity for socialising, connecting and strengthening good relations with the local environment. We are pleased that this year’s activity ended a little differently – with a sports get-together and new balls donated by SIJ Group, which will from now on enrich our physical education classes,” said Sanda Zupan, Principal of Koroška Bela Primary School.
Last year, SIJ Group donated two indoor football goals to the school, while this year it delighted the children and physical education teachers with new volleyballs, basketballs and footballs. This year, two indoor football goals were also donated to the Kres Sports and Recreation Centre, managed by the Jesenice Institute for Sport. They were made by SIJ Acroni colleagues, while Kolektor KOV d.o.o. contributed hot-dip galvanising, as the goals will be used outdoors. On behalf of the Slovenski Javornik – Koroška Bela Local Community, the goals were accepted at the event by its president, Matej Brus.
“SIJ Acroni is closely connected with the local environment, and Community Partnership Day is an opportunity to show this connection each year through concrete actions. In doing so, we are always happy to listen to the initiatives of our employees, who are themselves part of the local community. This is how our colleagues used their knowledge to make two football goals that will improve the conditions for recreation at Kres, while pupils of Koroška Bela Primary School will be able to aim at the goals we donated to the school last year with new balls. I hope these will make physical education classes – where young people move, grow stronger and learn cooperation – even more enjoyable. This is the essence of Community Partnership Day: contributing our knowledge, work and time to the community of which we ourselves are part,” said mag. Branko Žerdoner, Managing Director of SIJ Acroni.
Together with employees of Jesenice General Hospital, SIJ Group volunteers helped prepare rooms ahead of planned whitewashing, and donated almost 1,000 pairs of slippers to the hospital, which will be able to offer them to patients who need them.
“What is most valuable about Community Partnership Day is that we personally get involved with our colleagues and help where help is needed. This time, at Jesenice General Hospital, together with the hospital’s employees, we rolled up our sleeves and prepared rooms ahead of planned whitewashing. Together with SIJ Acroni, we also donated almost 1,000 pairs of slippers for patients. At the same time, we are pleased that with a donation of steel bars we were also able to help Koroška Bela Primary School renovate the fence around its school beehive. Such concrete actions show that companies are not only part of the economy, but also part of the environment in which our employees live and work, and where they are active as neighbours and members of the community,” said Andrej Pogačnik, Director of SIJ SUZ.
Across the previous six Community Partnership Days, SIJ Group has already donated a total of 2,048 volunteer hours to communities in Jesenice, Ravne na Koroškem and Ljubljana, with 1,014 volunteers taking part in activities at all three locations. Employees from SIJ Acroni, SIJ Metal Ravne, SIJ Ravne Systems, SIJ SUZ, SIJ ZIP Center and SIJ Storitve take part in the initiative.
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SIJ – Slovenian Steel Group is one of Europe's leading producers of stainless steel and special steels. We are committed to global and European climate goals and operate in line with circular economy principles. With our steel and steel products, we are the right partner for facilitating the green transition in Europe. We confirmed our sustainability credentials by achieving certification to the stringent ResponsibleSteel standard in 2024. This positions us as one of the world's most responsible and sustainable steel producers. Our two largest companies are modern recycling steelworks, and our steel is recycled because it is made from steel scrap. With 3,500 employees, we are one of the largest employers in Slovenia and a pillar of the Slovenian steel sector. We are one of Slovenia's leading exporters. About 85% of our revenue is generated in foreign markets.
Find out more at:
SIJ – Slovenska industrija jekla, d.d.
Mag. Sara Wagner, Head of Corporate Communications
Corporate Communications
Phone: +386 1 242 98 27
Mobile: +386 41 313 532
E-mail: sara.wagner@sij.si
