Marko, in the lab equipment industry – which is pretty traditional in some business aspects – you were among the pioneers of digitalization. If I'm not mistaken, almost two decades have passed since the beginning. What was the first step, and why did you decide to take it?
offer – without multiple calls or email exchanges.
This was a huge challenge on the development level, but honestly, an even bigger one on the user education front. The industry was – and still is – traditionalist. Convincing scientists and technical staff to trust online ordering isn't easy, and it took time. But today, the results speak for themselves: more than two-thirds of all consumables sales happen digitally. While some of our foreign competitors are bigger, very few can boast this level of digitalization.
"We faced a challenge many people only understand once they're in it themselves: we're growing very fast.
Most people know Mikro+Polo as a distributor, but you also have your own manufacturing. Are these two worlds connected?
Only partly. It's true that we primarily operate as a distributor for foreign lab equipment brands in Slovenia, but we've also developed our own production of laboratory furniture. The difference is this: while we sell most lab equipment in Slovenia, we export more than 90% of the furniture. In that area, it's almost exclusively project-based sales, often in partnership with architects, research institutions, or hospitals. There's another difference too. In lab equipment trade, digitalization is now deeply embedded. But furniture sales are still driven by a very personal, project-based approach. Professional consultation and a high degree of customization are essential there, since labs rarely go for mass-market solutions.
As for distribution, I'm proud that today we represent some of the most prestigious global brands in the industry. If you compared them to the automotive industry, you could say we cover Audi, Mercedes, and BMW. e've built truly authentic relationships with suppliers who trust us with the Slovenian market, and we constantly strive to introduce innovations – whether we're working with global corporations or small labs. 
You recently tackled a webshop overhaul in partnership with FrodX. What was the main reason for that decision?
At that point, our needs outgrew the capabilities of our local technology partner. Implementing a more robust platform with better support and more customization options was the logical next step. We wanted a partner who could grow with us – if we hit 1.5 million products tomorrow, we don't want to overhaul the entire system, right? Most importantly, it was crucial to have complete control over data, security, and connectivity with the ERP system we use. FrodX played a key role in this process – both in planning and during launch. They contributed strategic expertise on data flows and digital segmentation. For our team, knowledge transfer and a transparent relationship were also important. The switch to the new solution had to be seamless for customers, even though it was a pretty major technological leap for our internal team.
Where are the growth opportunities? How much room is there left in Slovenia, for example? What are your plans for the future?
Another important goal is strengthening segmentation in B2B lab equipment trade. Our industry is extremely fragmented: a specific product might only be needed by 10% of our clients, but that segment can be highly specialized and demanding. With new digital tools, we're building systems for personalized marketing communication, automated consultation, and faster order processing, while also introducing processes that give customers even more self-service options – from advanced filtering to AI-powered advisory functions in the future.
"The most interesting moments are when we find out we're selling something we didn't even know we had. Like when someone called asking for the smell of a three-day-old drowning victim.
We're also paying special attention to the broader customer experience: in the lab industry, precision isn't just a marketing buzzword – it's the foundation of everything we do. A delayed delivery or the wrong material sample can mean an entire experiment, project, or clinical trial fails or gets pushed back. We want to offer our clients a service where we take care of all the concerns – from timeliness to quality – so they can focus on their work.
Working with lab equipment, you probably run into all sorts of things. Got any interesting stories you could share?
And we actually do stock aromas that simulate natural decomposition processes.
We're also often surprised by specific orders from forensic labs, requests for extremely rare reagents, or exotic materials. Our really broad inventory means we can find – or at least try to find – almost anything a client asks for. This requires flexibility from the entire team and an awareness that we work in an industry where you have to be ready for a new surprise every day.
GAME CHANGER
