Basler & Hofmann Slovakia celebrates its 20th anniversary

Can you remember your first meeting?

Dominik Courtin: Yes, of course! I met Valerián for the first time when he was still working at Slovak Railways. We had a meeting in his office. At that time, Basler & Hofmann was still involved in a joint venture in Slovakia before we decided to invest in our own local company and founded Basler & Hofmann Slovakia in 2005.
Valerián Horváth: We met for the second time at Basler & Hofmann Slovakia's first ‘company event’. I also got to know Ernst Hofmann, one of the founders of the Swiss group of companies. 
Dominik Courtin: All good things come in threes. At the third meeting in the historic centre of Bratislava, Valerian decided to become Managing Director of the young company.
Valerián Horváth: That was in 2009... a long story - and a big challenge for me. Dominik asked me back then whether I believed that Basler & Hofmann Slovakia could compete with the other large engineering companies in Slovakia. My answer? Yes! I kept my promise... ((laughs)).

Is there a milestone in the 20-year history of Basler & Hofmann Slovakia that particularly sticks in your mind?

Dominik Courtin: I remember when we decided as a group of companies to step up our involvement in road and bridge construction. We realised that we would need a certain capacity to execute large projects in Switzerland and to meet market requirements. I spoke to Valerian about also setting up a team in Slovakia with the necessary expertise to work on our own projects in Slovakia and that could support Basler & Hofmann Switzerland in major projects if required. To somewhat mitigate the risk, I promised him that we would employ the people in Swiss projects if there was not enough work in Slovakia. 
Valerián Horváth: No sooner said than done. Within a short time, I hired three experienced road and bridge construction experts. 
Dominik Courtin: ...and they were busy with Slovakian projects before we could even join forces ((laughs)). This gave us the confidence to further expand the road and bridge sector in Slovakia. A great success story!

You have now been working together for 20 years. What does it take for such cross-border cooperation to succeed?

Valerián Horváth: You have to have capable poeple on both sides who are willing to develop this kind of collaboration. If only one side wants it, it won't work. And the co-operation must offer advantages for both sides. For us in Slovakia, working on Swiss projects offers a second pillar: if we have a challenging time economically, Switzerland gives us the stability we need to survive economically and retain highly qualified employees. And for our employees, working on projects in Switzerland offers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with new approaches and to work on large-scale projects that we would not be able to manage on our own. 
Dominik Courtin: I can only agree with you on that – it has to be a win-win situation, and it has to be fair, which means that both parties meet on an equal footing. And furthermore, that we value each other as people. Even if we are based in two countries, we are one team, and you have to cultivate this shared team spirit.

How do you manage that?

Dominik Courtin: A good example is the traditional annual ‘company event’ in Bratislava. Initially this was organised as a means to strengthen our customer relationships, but right from the start, Swiss colleagues always took part in the event and presented their work together with the Slovakian employees. And when the customers have said goodbye, the party starts among the engineers ((laughs)). It's moments like these that form good teams.
Valerián Horváth: Yes, and throughout the year there are almost always some employees from Slovakia in Switzerland or vice versa. The project teams are fully integrated.

Let's take a look into the near future: What do you currently see as the biggest challenge for your company?

Valerián Horváth: Society depends on our work, and that will remain the case. What is increasingly challenging for us is the shortage of skilled labour.
Dominik Courtin: Unfortunately, that is the case. But here too, I am convinced that integration within the Group strengthens us, along with our other subsidiaries in Germany, South Tyrol and Singapore. The established cooperation gives us the security of having enough expertise in our team for projects of a certain size, whether they are realised in Slovakia, Germany or Switzerland.

What still inspires you about civil engineering as a profession today?

Valerián Horváth: My father was also an engineer, so I had no choice ((laughs)). No, he wanted me to become a military doctor, but I didn't want that. Civil engineer was a valid alternative for me ((laughs)). The profession has enabled me to work and get to know several countries. I'm very grateful for that.

Dominik Courtin: For me it’s still experiencing the result of our work – you can touch it, and in a world that is increasingly taking place in the digital space, this is a great privilege.

About the interviewees

Valerián Horváth studied civil engineering at the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and has been Managing Director of Basler & Hofmann Slovakia since 2009. His tip for a visit to Switzerland: travel on the Swiss railway and visit the vineyards near Montreux.

Dominik Courtin received his civil engineering degree from ETH Zurich. Since 2004, he has managed the Basler & Hofmann Group with offices in Switzerland, Germany, Slovakia, South Tyrol and Singapore. His travel recommendation for Slovakia: take a stroll through the picturesque old town of Bratislava and enjoy a good glass of local wine with a view over the Danube.

To the website of Basler & Hofmann Slovakia