Abstract
<jats:p>This article presents a social scientific case study that chronicles the remarkable business journey of a successful Croatian industrialist, who was recently named European Entrepreneur of the Year. Selected from among 150,000 entrepreneurs in 33 countries in one of the most prestigious, independently judged business competitions, he began his 55-year career in a 35-square-meter garage workshop in communist Croatia. Through semi-structured interviews with the winner, fellow industrialists, colleagues, and family members, the article sheds light on a rarely told story that traces the ideological and political challenges faced in industrial production in the transition of countries from communism to capitalism. The detailed analysis contributes to our understanding of the continuing obstacles to democratic nation-building and economic development faced by former communist countries in overcoming their historically anti-capitalist legacy.</jats:p>