Belmir Bosnjak from Zenica was personally decorated by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf for successful business
Belmir Bošnjak was born in December 1988 in Zenica. He spent his childhood in a family house in Donja Gracanica, where he lived with his parents, younger sister, grandfather, mother and uncle. He spent his days learning and playing football with friends from the neighborhood, thus trying to forget, at least briefly, about the difficult financial situation of his family:
"Growing up was not something to be proud of, my parents could not afford us to grow up normally and we had to be satisfied with the minimum conditions. There was no money for travel and some larger gatherings. As a boy, I didn’t dream big things, it was important to me to have food on the table and to be alive and healthy. The only wish I had was to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina, move to a European country and start a better life. "
At the urging of his uncle, who moved to Sweden in 2000, the Bosnjak family decided to try their luck and start a new life in this country. In 2003, they sent requests for permanent relocation and joint asylum to the Swedish and Finnish authorities. After being rejected (first in Sweden, then in Finland and once again in Sweden), they lived illegally in the Swedish city of Tranås for some time. At the end of 2003, Belmir's youngest sister was born, which is why they were granted amnesty in 2006 and the request was finally accepted. Members of the Bosnjak family became legal residents of Sweden and from that moment on they were able to get an education, work and prosper.
"It is very difficult to describe that happiness. All the possibilities for a normal life opened up for us, we were able to put our ideas into action. I continued my education, completed a Swedish language course, and in 2007 I managed to get a job. Our lives have stabilized, just as we imagined. "
Belmir was first employed in the machine industry and worked as a CNC train driver. His wife, whom he met in 2008, worked as a painter. Due to the consequences of the great world economic crisis, both lost their jobs in 2009. However, the troubles that befell them did not discourage them and a year later they decided to open their own company. Although made in uncertain times, that brave decision proved to be the right one, Belmir recalls:
"As two foreigners in Sweden and without special education, the two of us went into business. We opened the company Full-Fart AB, which provides relocation, labor hire, cleaning, maintenance of residential buildings (eg lawn mowing, snow removal, maintenance of common living space, renovation, painting and painting). At the beginning it was very difficult to get jobs because we had no acquaintances. We worked day and night, everything was aggravated by the financial crisis, but persistence soon began to bring results. "
After some time, other companies started contacting them and asking for their services. While the business was booming, Belmir and his wife learned administrative tasks and everything needed to successfully run a business. The company currently employs between 65 and 75 workers, and the number will grow over time as Belmir and his wife plan to open branches and expand in other cities in Sweden, in addition to the headquarters in Tranås and the offices in Jönköping, Linköping, Norrköping and Nyköping.
Becoming more and more experienced and skilled, the couple decided to open another company, Full-Fart Fastigheter AB, which deals with real estate and rental of residential and commercial space. In that project, they achieved great success relatively quickly, and today they own three residential buildings with 25 apartments and three industrial buildings with offices and warehouses.
The hard work and dedicated work of Belmir and his family have been recognized and rewarded by the Swedish authorities, this thirty-four-year-old from Zenica proudly points out:
"In 2015, we were included among the most successful foreign private individuals in Sweden. This award in Stockholm was personally presented to us by the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. Two years later, we were awarded as the fastest growing company in the Jönköpings län region (with over 400% growth) and as the best and most successful company in the municipality of Tranås. ”
As Belmir points out, the BiH diaspora (and the diaspora from other countries of the former Yugoslavia) is highly valued in Sweden for its diligence, culture and hospitality, especially the younger generations who are highly educated and have yet to occupy important and high positions in society.
Although Belmir has lived and worked in Sweden for almost twenty years, he has not forgotten the country in which he was born and where he grew up. Together with his wife and two daughters, he often visits Bosnia and Herzegovina, where many of his friends and family remain:
"We travel to BiH seven or eight times a year. I am trying to pass this habit on to my two daughters, Amina and Alma. I want them to learn our customs and to love our Bosnia and Herzegovina as much as Sweden. At the moment, I have some plans to start a business in BiH, but everything has yet to be agreed and launched. "
Given the results of their work so far, their determination and acquired knowledge, it is certain that the Bosnjak family will continue to achieve exceptional business achievements. In their future projects, especially those they plan to launch in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we wish them a lot of patience, success and happiness.
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