Augustinas Rakauskas (born: 1946) is the founder of the wholesale and retail trade chain for construction, renovation and household Senukai, owner of Žinių Radijas, UAB, author at radio show Verslumo Dvasia (The Spirit of Entrepreneurship), founder of the Harmony Park, founder of Senukai Charity and Support Fund, shareholder and board member at Litvalda, author of the books ‘The Spirit of Entrepreneurship’ (first published in Lithuanian in 2002), ‘The Global Spirit of Feeling Mind’ (first published in Lithuanian in 2014), „Sielos dvasios jautimas svarbiau žinojimo“ (first published in Lithuanian in 2023) and dedicated articles.
Start of business: Augustinas Rakauskas is one of the first entrepreneurs in Lithuania to have believed in democracy and started business in Kaunas following the restoration of independence of Lithuania. In 1988, he was a member of the initiative group for Kaunas Cooperativist Union and one of the first to establish a cooperative. In 1992, he founded Senukai, UAB; 1993 – opened the first Senukai store. He launched wholesale trade and started cooperating with the Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German, Czech manufacturers. In 1996, he founded a retail park in Kaunas, creating jobs for about 100 people at its stores and supply units, offering 20 thousand different articles. In 1997, A. Rakauskas started developing the retail chain operating as franchise. It took just 3 years before the number of franchise stores in this one-of-a-kind retail system started exceeding 50.
In 2001, Senukų prekybos centras, UAB (the company changed its name to Kesko Senukai Lithuania in 2016 as a result of becoming international), the president’s office was taken over by his son Artūras Rakauskas.
Augustinas Rakauskas and his son Artūras Rakauskas completely separated their businesses in 2019 and have been running their businesses independently since then.
More significant projects for the public: in 2001, Augustinas Rakauskas and his family established the Senukai Charity and Support Foundation. The Foundation presided by Augustinas Rakauskas’ wife Dalė Rakauskienė primarily assists the employees at Senukai Group and their families in times, when they encounter various misfortunes, supports treatment of little patients, support children’s homes, etc.
The Rakauskai have been the long-standing patron of Operetta at Kaunas Castle, the international festival which was first held back in 2002.
The Spirit of Entrepreneurship, another book by Augustinas Rakauskas was published in December 2002 and eventually translated into Russian and English. In 2005, a CD resonating with the book was produced. The CD content uses the symbols as the mediators to convey information about the intrinsic need for harmony in the human soul, the acting principles behind the axiom of wisdom, justice, faith and love, the dual trinity acting in the constant change of the feeling and mind. The articles published in the Lithuanian media since 2002 have been analysing the burning issues of Lithuania and spreading the values dedicated to the Easter, Christmas, Lithuanian educators, etc. Over 40 articles have been published and actualize the goal of human’s life on the Earth, the necessity to look deeper into and realize the patterns acting on the life, and cultivate the consciousness.
In 2005, radio station Žinių Radijas (The News Radio).
In September 2010, Augustinas Rakauskas founded the Harmony Park covering the area of 160 ha in Vazgaikiemio village, Prienai district, Lithuania. The Harmony Park is intended to develop the conditions of harmonious leisure time, create the conditions for the people of Lithuania to socialize in a peaceful, friendly atmosphere favourable for creative communication. The Park is very well known for its symbols which embody human’s aspiration to unify, awaken his good origins, and cultivate the consciousness. One of the most prominent symbols is the 13 m high sculpture The Children of the Sun – the symbol of physical unity and spread of the spiritual light – which is located on an artificially formed hill.
In July 2014, The Global Spirit of the Feeling Mind, the second book by Augustinas Rakauskas, was published. In 2017, the book was published in Russian, 2019 – in English.
The Team
More about The Spirit of Entrepreneurship