Cortec® in the Spotlight: Hosting the AmCham US Business Delegation!
May 28, 2026
AmCham Croatia recently wrapped up its Business Delegation to the US, bringing together Croatian business leaders to strengthen ties and discuss innovation and digital transformation. The journey kicked off with an impressive lineup of meetings in New York City, where the group visited global giants like Deloitte, Mastercard, Authentic Brands Group, IBM, Marsh, and Amazon Web Services.
The highlight for our team was the delegation's move to sunny Florida. There, Ivana Radic Borsic (Cortec’s VP of Sales for Europe) and Caleb Pheneger (President of Cortec® Corporation) had the pleasure of hosting the group and showcasing our latest operations. On May 21st, the delegation traveled to Sarasota, Florida, for an exclusive, deep-dive look into Cortec’s cutting-edge operations. The day began at the Art Ovation Hotel with a high-level Executive Meeting. Leaders from various industries gathered to discuss how technology, digitalization, and R&D infrastructure drive global competitiveness. After that, the delegation was taken on a tour of the Cortec® Biotechnology Campus, where they had the unique opportunity to see our worldclass VpCI® technology in action.
Operating as a manufacturing, laboratory, and warehousing hub for Cortec®, the facility specializes in producing green, bio-based corrosion inhibitors. Our guests had a chance to visit a world-class pilot laboratory, where high-tech bio-based formulations developed by our central laboratories in Minnesota and Montreal are scaled up for commercial production. This pilot plant boasts zero customer complaints and zero reportable injuries over the past 5 years. Additionally, we are especially proud that our pricing to global customers has remained stable during these turbulent times, even as petrochemical prices go through the roof. The discussion among participants highlighted how technology, digitalization, and R&D excellence support Cortec’s competitiveness, operational efficiency, and regulatory responsiveness in a dynamic global environment. Our guests also learned about the company’s history, including the humble beginnings of our CEO, Boris Miksic, who as a Croatian immigrant built the company from his garage in St. Paul, MN, into a global corporation and a leader in green corrosion protection technologies. Observing active production lines, the group gained valuable insight into how our production system supports long-term sustainable growth. The visit concluded with engaging discussions with our leadership team, offering a deeper perspective on how industrial excellence is achieved while remaining committed to the principles of circular economy. We are very proud of our Ivana Radic Borsic, who is also an AmCham Board Member. Ivana put a lot of effort into organizing and guiding this delegation, and her leadership continues to be key in connecting Croatian innovation with global markets. A special thank you goes to our visionary CEO and Company Owner, Boris Miksic, for initiating the visit, and to Cortec’s President Caleb Pheneger for warmly hosting the delegation. Although our CEO, Boris Miksic, could not attend in person, he sent an inspiring welcome speech that was read to the delegation by Ivana. Addressing the group, he shared:
"My dear Croatian guests, your mission to advance business and technological projects between American and Croatian companies is highly commendable, and we are especially grateful that you have elected our director, Ivana Radic Borsic, to the Board of Governors. I gladly share my longstanding experience as an investor in Croatia with many business people in America and around the world. The negative image often attached to us by our political adversaries simply does not hold water; investments in Croatia and its people are highly profitable. My Croatian companies can certainly testify to this, as they export to all European countries and even to China, which best demonstrates the competitiveness of 'Made in Croatia' products and our local know-how. Once again, I wish you a highly successful continuation of your 'expedition."
From a wonderful joint dinner at the Longboat Key Club to opening the doors of our biotechnology facility, Cortec’s hospitality demonstrated the very best of our collaborative spirit. It also highlighted the U.S.–Croatia business model as a technologically integrated transatlantic platform that supports long-term growth and knowledge transfer.
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