Construction workers are a kind of pioneers in the development of the economy and society. This is how Berislav Borovina, a well-known domestic entrepreneur in construction, interprets it. A builder first constructs a road, then vehicles pass on it, then he builds a hospital and a school, where people are treated and children are educated. However, likewise, when the demand for construction work begins to decline, especially for projects and engineers, it is the first sign of a crisis. Thus, builders are also the first heralds of an economic slowdown. Borovina’s Spegra received recognition from the Financial Times last year, which ranked it 10th among European construction companies, about which we discussed, as well as the state of construction, reconstruction, the labor market, and the upcoming transition in his company, with this entrepreneur.
The FT has given a great compliment to your company this year, based on measurable criteria, complex aggregated growth rates. They placed Spegra in 10th place among European construction companies. How would you explain this development and success of Spegra?
Excellence can only be achieved in a narrow field. Stay away from a person who claims to know everything. We are builders, but in a specific part of construction that has experienced rapid development thanks to the advancement of techniques and tools for repairs and the development of construction materials. As the construction materials industry developed, so did the means for their application. And concurrently, we faced the fact that buildings are not eternal. We constructed our first equipment ourselves, and then we communicated with manufacturers in Europe and together we improved the machines. I can say that we are recognized in Europe for that specialized knowledge. The fact that we are not of local character is shown by the fact that the Hvar Theatre, a project where we were the main contractor, was awarded by the European Commission in 2001 for successfully carried out conservation. A leader in remediation works in Croatia, and I believe that in this part of construction we represent an international size.
Do international recognitions help you in obtaining work abroad?
It is impressive that someone in London thinks of us. The first time we were placed among the fast-growing, we received a call from the district of Leipzig. This district was the fastest growing in Germany, and they wanted to renovate numerous old buildings and called us to come and work. And then you are surprised when someone calls you from Germany, while here someone else will get the job who is being pushed. The position on the FT list is impressive and I believe it will help us in communication with future partners abroad. In the end, we did not decide to work in Leipzig, but the benefit of such lists exists. It gives seriousness in our approach abroad, as foreigners pay much more attention to that than locals.
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