BUSINESS ROZHOVOR

“I’ve Never Had a Moment

Where I Wanted To Give Up,”

says Jan Hasík, the founder and chairman of the board of directors of HSF System.

In a reflective, and at times personal interview, Jan Hasík will take you through what twenty

years of business in the construction industry has been like. He shares how he always kept

his head held high and introduces his life‘s philosophy about living a life filled with joy

and optimism. He also confirms that HSF System wants to continue to be one of the best

construction companies in Europe.

THROUGH THE EYES OF EMPLOYEES: According to

the Atmoskop.cz ranking (company evaluations from

employees themselves) for 2019, 2020 and 2021, HSF System

is ranked 14th among 168 evaluated construction companies

in the Czech Republic.

Twenty years in the construction

industry is a long time. What would you

say are the most important milestones?

A simple evaluation can be seen in

the figures. We went from an annual

turnover of several tens of millions to two

billion in sales and from a share capital of

CZK 200 thousand to CZK 310 million.

We have 920 successfully completed

buildings and zero debt.

Where do you get the motivation?

I think I’ve kind of got it in me. I always

want to achieve something, change

something and create something.

Has any period of business been more

difficult than the current one?

Business in the construction market has

always been complex and specific. For

example, the years 2009 and 2010 were

much more difficult for our company.

The construction market came to

a complete standstill at that time, at least

in our market segment.

One of the reasons why it was more

challenging was that we were not yet

sufficiently established on the market and

did not have the reserves that we have had

in recent years.

And what if the next big crisis is yet to come

for you and the whole Czech construction

industry. Are you prepared for it?

We are preparing for it, should it come.

That’s just the way the economy is, after

the boom comes the recession. We

14 ǀ POSITIV 3/2022

have reserves, a strategy and a plan in

place if it does happen. If we have less

work on the actual construction sites,

we will focus more on improvements of

internal processes, implementation of

digital technologies or training of our

employees.

“from the same construction dough”, we

kept fighting together... and in the end we

made it.

What do you think has earned you such

loyalty from your employees?

I think, at the heart of it all, is the fact

that I deeply respect their work and

that I am not afraid to stand up for them

in any complicated or uncomfortable

situation.

Life is not just work. How do you

“recharge your batteries”?

Due to my age, I need to be alone

sometimes, so I recharge either during

RABF 2020: The last published Rating of Building Contractors

2020 (RABF) ranked HSF System among the top five

construction companies in the Czech Republic. 339 construction

companies were evaluated in total. The ranking, which is

compiled by the Architecture and Building Foundation,

consists of the quality scores of participants from 23 domestic

competitions headed by the prestigious Building of the Year.

When you are at your worst, what do you

think of?

I wasn’t at my worst yet and I am not

planning it for the future (smile).

Has there ever been a moment in your

business when you wanted to give up?

I don’t want it to look like I’m bragging,

but I have to say I’ve never had a moment

like that, where I wanted to give up. Yes,

we had some very difficult moments,

especially in 2009 and 2010. There was a

crisis in the construction industry and a lot

of customers owed us huge sums. But,

the more hopeless the struggle looks,

the more fiercely I can fight! And since

the vast majority of my colleagues are

hiking or cycling (smile). But now seriously,

my main source of energy and joy comes

from my family and friends. Last but not

least, it’s also music. When I play with

the band, the normal flow of thoughts

stops and I focus on the individual notes

and the overall harmony. And that’s very

refreshing.

So you still play in the big beat band

Skrat?

Yes, we founded it in 1981 in high school.

After all that, we had a 30 year break until

2011 and then the concerts died down

because of covid, we revived the line-up

and added some young musicians.