President’s welcome
Dear visitors,
welcome to the new website of Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts!
The tradition of crafts and trades in Croatia has grown in the rich and fertile soil of our history. Tradesmen and craftsmen began forming guilds and associations for protection and promotion of their interests several centuries ago. In 1852 Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts was founded and Croatian craftsmen, united and organised, have been effectively promoting the interests of trades and crafts for over 150 years.
Today, in the first decade of the new millennium and with Croatia standing at the threshold of EU membership, Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, as the umbrella organisation of the whole chamber system, is an institution that successfully protects its members, tradesmen and craftsmen owing small and large businesses, and represents their interests through its intensive activities and numerous initiatives and in partner relationships with the legislative and executive branches of Croatian government.
Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts is the most important business association in Croatia, with a large number of members (more than 102.000) which together with the number of their employees (230.000) makes almost a quarter of the whole number of persons in employment in the Republic of Croatia. Our 20 county chambers and 116 tradesmen associations, situated in all counties, larger cities and towns, build a strong network in the whole country.
As our major goal is to promote and protect the interests of tradesmen and craftsmen, we have given special attention to improving public relations, because quality communication with all important internal and external publics is essential for mutual respect.
Thus, the new institutional portal of Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts www.hok.hr has been launched first of all to better inform our existing and future members about all our activities directed at improving their businesses.
It is our intent that www.hok.hr becomes a central virtual information and business service provider, offering more services, useful information and advice for craftsmen and the members of the chamber system than up till now.
Our new website in new, improved and modern attire provides a wealth of information and advice from the field of trades and crafts and about the activities of the umbrella organisation of Croatian tradesmen and craftsmen for other interested parties – potential business partners, institutions from the country and abroad, students, vocational schools and media representatives, too.
President of Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts
Mato Topić
