About us

Company name Protektor - Bandag - Katalinic d.o.o. was changed to Protektor - Katalinic d.o.o. in year 2025.

The company Protektor - Katalinić d.o.o. Gerovo records its many years of development. The creation of the company began on November 2, 1976, when Ivan Katalinić founded in Gerovo, Čabar municipality, a independent craft shop that deals with carriage services. His activity soon expands and, together with his family, performs all forest work on forest exploitation. At the very beginning of business of felling the forest, he does it himself, and hauling out logs with a horse-drawn cart, however, the jobs are increasing and he is hiring in the shop 5 workers. With the employment of workers, he buys forest machinery - chainsaws and tractors, which makes him competitive for taking over larger jobs contracted and carried out in forests in the territory of the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina Herzegovina and of Slovenia.

Tireless work from morning to night, without a day of rest, brings results, and living and working outside the municipality is an opportunity to learn new production and technology.

A chance meeting with representatives of the American tire retreading corporation "BANDAG" resulted by investing which in 1992, he built a tire retreading plant. This economic venture with the American corporation at the time is widely recognized in the region and beyond.

This was among the first technologies for retreading tires in Croatia with which notable results were achieved for the purposes of carriers in Croatia. The entrepreneurial initiative and restlessness of Ivan Katalinić did not stop, and in 1994 besides drive for tire retreading he opens a sawmill for the production of sawn timber. Shortly after that in 1997 he opens gas station and family Katalinić, in which he actively involves his sons Dragan and Ivica, gets the edge characteristics of a respectable economy in Croatia. The number of employees is constantly growing, and investments in production are getting bigger every year.

Today, the company Protektor - Katalinić d.o.o. Gerovo is managed by Dragan Katalinić and his family. The company has increased its sawmill capacity and is able to saw up to 30,000 m3 of logs annually. In its production there are new sawmills, a dryer for drying timber, a wood chipping machine and a powerful vehicle fleet for log delivery and delivery of the sawn timber to customers in Croatia and outside the borders of Croatia.

The quality of production, the attitude towards customers, and the deadlines for the delivery of materials are recognized by domestic and international customers. Today, the company has no difficulty in selling its products even in times of unstable business conditions and crisis, because responsible family management of production processes overcomes crises. With a policy of respect for customers and workers, modesty, honesty and tireless work it is only possible way to survive on the market. Safe operation and survival of the company contributes also to raw material suppliers - Hrvatske šume, and the location of the company, which is located in the immediate vicinity of raw material potential - forests. Location of the company is somewhat less favorable to outside customers in comparison to domestic customers due to the distance from roads and larger cities, however, the proximity of the ports of Rijeka and Kopar provide advantages in exporting products to the foreign market in relation to the competition.

Today, the company follows technological developments and invests in production, because this is the only way it can maintain its position of a serious manufacturer in Europe and other markets.

Our advantages

  • Modern technology

    The use of modern technologies in wood processing.

  • Base of satisfied clients

    The number of satisfied clients is proof of the quality of business.

  • Location

    The production plant is located near the main traffic routes.

Why choose Us?

Many years of experience

The sawmill has many years of experience in wood processing, and as such it passes it on to the next generations.

High standards

The sawmill follows the standards of quality and product quality according to the Croatian standard HRN D.C1 041 for sawmills.