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.