History of LIV
LIV was founded in Postojna in 1954 and has made castors and wheels since 1959. The company that started with one machine tool and 35 people now presses, welds, plates, moulds and assembles more than 10 million parts a year on 12,800 m² in the same town. These are the main steps.
1954
The Postojna district people's committee founds the metal company LIV. The first machine tool is bought with the money from the sale of a car. At the end of 1954 LIV has 35 employees, a foundry and a joinery, and works metal by hand and by machine.
1959
Production of castors and wheels begins.
1961
Plastic injection moulding begins. From then on LIV makes the wheel and the housing under one roof.
1971
The first new production hall is built in the Postojna industrial zone. Wheelbarrow production begins.
1975
New 6,000 m² warehouse. The range of plastic castors and wheels for transport and furniture grows.
1980
A new galvanising plant is built and a 320 t transfer press is bought.
1991
The market of the former Yugoslavia is lost. LIV turns to customers in Western Europe.
1995
ISO 9001 certificate for the quality management system.
1997
LIV becomes a public limited company.
1998
Privatisation is completed. The first general meeting appoints the management board and the supervisory board.
2000
ISO 14001 certificate for the environmental management system. A new waste water treatment plant for the galvanising plant and the wheelbarrow paint shop is built.
2009
New warehouse for finished and semi-finished goods, a new production hall and a 400 t transfer press.
2011
The K10, a new generation of castors and wheels for waste containers, goes into production.
2015
Financial restructuring of the company.
2018
The 10 millionth K10 castor leaves the line. Franc Gregorčič and Floris van Konijnenburg take over LIV; since then G4 Group and Konindustries B.V. each hold 50 %.
2022
Start of an investment programme of EUR 8.75 million (May 2022 to May 2025), with EUR 2.61 million co-financed by the EU Recovery and Resilience Plan: automation, a new zinc plating line, energy savings and digital systems. The 200 mm waste container castor is developed.
2023
The new automated zinc electroplating line receives its temporary permit and starts production. LIV now plates its own steel parts and parts supplied by customers. Two solar power plants on our roofs go into operation, 1.41 MWp in total.
2024
LIV turns 70.
LIV today
We make 7 million castors and wheels a year, offer more than 3,000 products and supply customers in 43 countries. Our largest market is castors for 4-wheel waste containers, supplied to manufacturers such as ESE, SULO, Weber and Europlast and tested to EN 840-5 and RAL-GZ 951/1. Quality and environmental management are certified to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001.