Robert Križanović (GEALAN): We are creating a framework for the world of windows – innovative, sustainable, and customer-oriented

Founded in 2004 as a trading company owned by the largest German manufacturer of PVC window and door systems, GEALAN Fenster Systeme Gmbh, based in Sesvete, GEALAN quickly became a successful regional logistics and sales center operating in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania. To understand how they have managed to maintain one of the leading positions in sales and brand strength in the window and door systems market after twenty years of operations in the region, we spoke with the company’s director, Robert Križanović.

To start, tell us something about yourself, your business experiences. How long have you been in your current position at the company, and what has your path to success looked like?

– I gained my first experiences in this industry in the production of PVC construction joinery, where I worked from 2001. I learned a lot and gained valuable experience in the job I performed as a production manager. I started working for GEALAN in mid-2003 in customer technical support. After the establishment of GEALAN d.o.o. in 2004, I continued to do the same job until the end of the year, and then I was appointed head of the Logistics Department. The company director was Mr. Ivica Maurović. He is responsible for the establishment of GEALAN d.o.o. in Croatia. We quickly achieved exceptionally good business results. The potential that Mr. Maurović has was recognized by the parent company GEALAN Fenster Systeme GmbH in Germany, and in 2009 he was invited to be a member of the Management Board responsible for sales and marketing, while I took the position of director of GEALAN d.o.o.

How and when did GEALAN start in Croatia?

– Ivica Maurović started working for GEALAN in 2002 as a sales representative. In 2003, he invited me to join him and deal with customer technical support. The business was developing well, and Maurović proposed to the parent company in Germany that we open a company in Croatia. Thus, on July 1, 2004, GEALAN d.o.o. was established, and we were given responsibility for the markets of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. We started with a team of ten employees, and today we have 37.

The company has been operating in Croatia for twenty years. What would you highlight as the biggest success so far, and what are the main goals for the near future?

– When we opened the company in Croatia, GEALAN was a relatively unknown brand in the world of PVC profiles and construction joinery. We entered the market as the last of all Western European companies in our industry. Very quickly, we became the largest individual supplier of PVC profile systems in Croatia and built the strongest brand. We maintain that position today, which has been a significant challenge all these years. Regarding the future, we have a clearly defined vision, which is to delight people. Together, we are creating a framework for the world of windows – innovative, sustainable, and customer-oriented. We want to truly delight people with our products and services, so I believe this will lead us to the position of leading supplier in the entire region for which we are responsible.

What are customers like in Croatia, and what interests them most when purchasing your range?

– Customers in Croatia are primarily bold and hardworking entrepreneurs. The business conditions are not simple, but they have managed to build respectable companies over the years and elevate the entire industry to a high level of quality. We are proud to have participated in that process together with our customers over the past twenty years. We have a wide range of products in which each of our customers can find the best for themselves and their end customers, but also reliable support in various business segments, which means a lot to our customers.

How does your company and offering differ from existing ones in the market?

– The product that makes us unique in the market is GEALAN-acrylcolor. We have been producing it for over forty years through the co-extrusion process. It is special due to the quality surface of the profile, which is much more resistant to weather conditions, easy to maintain, more scratch-resistant, and its color is durable. We offer it in a wide range of colors, thus meeting the various conditions of today’s modern buildings regarding facade color.

Are you satisfied with your career in the company, and have you and your team met all your expectations?

– I believe that without good collaborators, it is impossible to progress or achieve good results. I am fortunate to work with excellent collaborators, my colleagues. Together, as a team, we have built this company. We have also gone through difficult times, supporting and helping each other, learning together, gaining experience, and progressing to be where we are today. In these twenty years, we have achieved even more than we expected. The team I have gives me the right to expect even more in the future.

Given that this is a responsible position with high expectations, is the job still a pleasure for you, or do you often face stressful situations?

– I consider myself a happy person because I can say that I do a job that I truly love and feel passionate about even after twenty years. Of course, responsibility brings stressful situations, but I still find at least one thing in my work every day that makes me satisfied.

The company achieves greater success year after year. What is key in that process for achieving excellent business results?

– Throughout the entire company GEALAN, we nurture team spirit, trust, open communication, professionalism, and respect. These are the values we work by, both within our team and towards our customers. This is crucial for success, so we will continue to develop these values.

What would you highlight from the product offering, and what new products have you introduced to customers?

– I have already mentioned our unique product GEALAN-acrylcolor, which we produce on various profile systems. I would certainly highlight the entire S9000 system with its special features, GEALAN-LUMAXX, GEALAN-FUTURA, and lift-slide doors. The market has excellently accepted our GEALAN-LINEAR system and the sliding system GEALAN-SMOOVIO. In the GEALAN-KUBUS system, we have incorporated all our special features and innovations: GEALAN-acrylcolor, dry static glazing of the sash using STV adhesive tape, and additional insulating foam in the IKD profiles. The latest new product we have introduced is the GEALAN-KONTUR system with a modern design, which, in addition to excellent thermal and sound insulation, also has excellent anti-burglary properties.

What is important to you in business with companies that have been with you from the beginning? What are your most important projects and customers, and who are your key collaborators?

– At GEALAN, it is very important for us to focus on customer needs and build a good relationship with them. We are very proud that we have managed to find a large number of customers with whom we share common values and build strong relationships, thus overcoming all difficulties. I can proudly say that we have customers who started working with GEALAN even before we opened the company in Croatia. These include PONISTRA from Biorina, IZODAL from Kaštel Sućurca, A.B.S. from Pićan, TRES FILIAS from Sesvete, STOLARIJA BROD from Slavonski Brod, EURO PROZO from Novi Vinodolski, THERMO from Pristina in Kosovo, LIBERTA KOM from Tetovo in North Macedonia, INGPLAST from Cazin in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and BRAVARIJA MARIĆ from Ljubuški in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company IKS FENSTER from Sesvete has also been doing business with us for twenty years. We proudly highlight a customer who has achieved growth of more than twenty times in the fifteen years of our cooperation. This is the company SKELIN MONT from Šibenik, which is now one of the largest manufacturers of construction joinery in Croatia.