Povodom 44. obljetnice Knauf Insulationa Novi Marof, izuzetna nam je čast predstaviti intervju s jednim od naših najdugovječnijih zaposlenika, Marijanom Kišakom. Marijan je s nama gotovo 39 godina, što ga čini svjedokom razvoja i rasta naše kompanije kroz gotovo 4 desetljeća. Sve ove godine, svojim predanim radom, stručnošću i nepokolebljivom lojalnošću, Marijan je postao ne samo važan dio naše povijesti, već i izvor inspiracije za sve nas. U ovom intervjuu će s nama podijeliti svoja sjećanja, iskustva i misli o prošlim vremenima, sadašnjim izazovima i danima pred nama.

Marijan, 39 godina ste zaposlenik Knauf Insulationa. Sjećate li se svojih početaka? Kako je izgledao vaš put?

Vrijeme leti pa će mi za nekoliko dana biti punih 39 godina kako sam u Knaufu. Kada sam se tek zaposlio, radio sam kao materijalni knjigovođa. Pomagala mi je, sada nažalost pokojna kolegica, Nedjeljka Bagadur. Radilo se sve ručno, na kartice, i sve se slalo u Ljubljanu. Imali smo godišnju proizvodnju od oko početnih 16.000 tona kamene mineralne vune i uspijevali smo to odrađivati ručno, ali kako se proizvodnja povećavala, nakon nekih 8 godina, dobili smo prvi računalni sustav koji nam je uvelike pomogao. Danas kada nam je godišnja proizvodnja preko 50.000 tona, ručni unos bi bio nemoguć.

Nakon materijalnog knjigovodstva sam prešao na izradu računa za izvoz jer smo tada bili više orijentirani na izvoz nego na domaću distribuciju. To sam isto radio nekih 7-8 godina. Kada je došlo do promjena u strukturi kompanije, dolaskom direktora gospodina Zagorca, prihvatio sam radno mjesto voditelja skladišta. To je bilo izazovan posao jer je skladište jako veliko s puno robe i novih proizvoda. Na tom mjestu sam radio 14 godina, a kasnije je opet došlo do promjene. Sada već pet godina radim kao koordinator otpreme.

Zbilja zavidna karijera! Što Vas je motiviralo da toliko dugo ostanete u Knauf Insulationu?

Vrlo sam organizirana osoba pa me posao u kojem mogu vidjeti što sam napravio na dnevnoj bazi ispunjava - koliko kamiona se otpremi, koliko robe je ušlo u skladište, koliko je izašlo. Stalno se treba brojati, uspoređivati stanja i slično, svaki dan imamo između 40 i 50 kamiona otpreme i radimo u 2 smjene. Izazovan je to posao, ali nisam nikada razmišljao da bih tražio neki drugi posao. Osim što mi je blizu doma, ispunjava me, a tu su i dobra primanja te cijeli niz dodatnih benefita koje ova kompanija nudi.

Koje biste trenutke izdvojili kao prijelomne u svojoj karijeri u Knaufu? Primjerice, spomenuli ste kontinuirani razvoj tehnologije, promjene vlasnika kompanije i slično.Velika je razlika od prije 39 godina do sada jer smo se i mi razvijali zajedno s tehnologijom. Kako sam rekao, u početku smo proizvodili 16.000 – 17.000 tona godišnje, a kako je proizvodnja rasla tako se više ulagalo u tehnologiju kako bi nam se olakšao posao.

Sada već nekoliko godina proizvodimo po Ecose tehnologiji tako da su naši proizvodi prirodni i prednjačimo u usporedbi s konkurencijom što je veliki plus za nas. Puno proizvoda izvozimo pa smo naša izolacijska rješenja prilagodili inozemnim kupcima, ali i domaći kupci su nam važan dio, kako bi se zadovoljila sve veća potražnja za izolacijom naših domova, poslovnih i industrijskih objekata. Osim toga velika prekretnica je i izgradnja proizvodne linije koja će novom tehnologijom smanjiti emisije za 80%, što će dodatno pozicionirati našu kompaniju kao lidera na tržištu.

Ako bacite pogled unatrag i pokušate se prisjetiti svih tih godina u Knaufu, možete li izdvojiti neke zanimljivosti i anegdote koje su vam ostale posebno urezana u sjećanje?

Bilo je toliko zanimljivih situacija tijekom ovih 39 godina. Bilo bi nepravedno izdvojiti samo jednu jer je svaka od njih imala svoj poseban utjecaj na moj život. Svaka godina donijela je nešto novo i jedinstveno, što je sve zajedno stvorilo bogato iskustvo.

Knauf Insulation je kompanija koja je poznata po kontinuiranom ulaganju u poslovanje i zaposlenike? Koliko ste zadovoljni s podrškom kompanije u profesionalnom razvoju?

Tako je, kompanija uvijek ulaže u dodatna osposobljavanja i zapošljavanja novih radnika. Na mojim radnim mjestima, otprema i skladište, najviše prostora za napredak je bilo u tehnologiji i edukaciji zaposlenika, gdje je Knauf Insulation ulagao u sladu s novim trendovima i potrebama.

Koje su, po Vašem mišljenju, bitne kvalitete svakog zaposlenika da bi uspio u ovoj industriji? Što svaki zaposlenik mora biti da bi bio uspješan i da ima dobru i dugu karijeru poput Vas?

Svaki zaposlenik treba prihvatiti činjenicu da posao nije jednostavan i treba se prilagoditi organizaciji posla. Treba biti otvoren razvijanju i poboljšavanju svog iskustva, ali i tim iskustvom doprinijeti cijeloj kompaniji.

Kako vidite budućnost Knauf Insulationa, primjerice u idućih 10 godina?

Mislim da će budućnost kompanije biti dobra, pogotovo sada s novom, tehnološki naprednom i održivom proizvodnom linijom. Primjerice, kada sam tek počeo raditi, bila su zaposlena 22 radnika a otpremali smo 20.000 tona godišnje, dok danas imamo 10 radnika na tom mjestu a otprema se gotovo 60.000 tona. Poboljšanjem tehnologije ubrzala se i optimizirala proizvodnja. Na novoj liniji će se uvelike pojednostaviti i ubrzati procesi i posao što svakako daje pogled na svijetlu budućnost Knauf Insulationa.

Koje biste savjete dali mladim kolegama kako bi i oni ostvarili zavidnu karijeru kao Vi?

Savjetovao bih ih da ne odustaju na prvoj prepreci jer će se ponekad susretati s njima. Treba ih 'progurati' jer nakon izazova će biti puno lakše i jednostavnije. Naravno, kao i na svakom poslu ima težih i lakših trenutaka.

I za kraj, koliko godina Vam je ostalo još do mirovine i želite li uopće u mirovinu?

Do mirovine mi je ostalo još dvije godine, a ako me zdravlje posluži, volio bih raditi i duže jer volim svoj posao i lijepo mi je – atmosfera je ugodna, kolege su mi stalna potpora, benefiti su odlični. Preporučam svima da dođu u Knauf Insulation!

To celebrate the 44th anniversary of Knauf Insulation Novi Marof, we are thrilled to share an interview with one of our most dedicated employees, Marijan Kišak. Marijan has been a valuable member of our team for almost 39 years, witnessing the evolution and expansion of our company over nearly 4 decades. Throughout his time here, his hard work, knowledge, and unwavering commitment have made Marijan an invaluable part of our history and a true inspiration to us all. In this interview, he will share his memories, insights, and reflections on the past, the challenges we face today, and our future endeavors.

Marijan, 39 years as an employee of Knauf Insulation do you remember your beginnings? What did your path look like?
Time flies and in a few days, I will be 39 years in Knauf. When I first started working, I worked as a material accountant. I was helped by my now-deceased colleague, Nedjeljka Bagadur. Everything was done manually, on cards, and everything was sent to Ljubljana. We had an annual production of around 16,000 tons of stone mineral wool and we managed to do it manually, but as production increased, after about 8 years, we got the first computer system that helped us a lot. Today, when our annual production is over 50,000 tons, manual entry would be impossible.
After material accounting, I moved on to preparing invoices for export because we were more oriented towards export than domestic distribution. I also did this for about 7-8 years. When the company structure changed, with the arrival of director Mr. Zagorec, I accepted the position of warehouse manager. This was a challenging job because the warehouse is very large with a lot of goods and new products. I worked in that position for 14 years, and then there was another change. For the past five years, I have been working as a shipping coordinator.

Really impressive career! What motivated you to stay at Knauf Insulation for so long?
I am a very organized person, so I am fulfilled by a job where I can see what I have done on a daily basis - how many trucks are shipped, how much goods entered the warehouse, and how much went out. We constantly need to count and compare states and the like, every day we have between 40 and 50 truck shipments and we work in 2 shifts. It's a challenging job, but I've never thought about looking for another job. Besides being close to home, it fulfills me, and there is also good pay and a whole range of additional benefits that this company offers.

Which moments would you highlight as turning points in your career at Knauf? For example, you mentioned continuous technological development, changes in company ownership, and the like.

There is a big difference from 39 years ago to now because we have also developed together with technology. As I said, in the beginning, we produced 16,000-17,000 tons per year, and as production grew, more was invested in technology to make our jobs easier.
Now for several years, we have been producing according to Ecose technology, so our products are natural and we are ahead of the competition, which is a big plus for us. We export a lot of products, so we have adapted our insulation solutions to foreign customers. Still, domestic customers are also an important part of us, to meet the ever-increasing demand for insulation in our homes, businesses, and industrial facilities. In addition, a major milestone is the construction of a production line that will reduce emissions by 80% with new technology, which will further position our company as a leader in the market.

If you look back and try to remember all those years at Knauf, can you highlight some interesting facts and anecdotes that are particularly etched in your memory? 

There were so many interesting situations during these 39 years. It would be unfair to highlight just one because each of them had its own special impact on my life. Every year brought something new and unique, all of which together created a rich experience.

Knauf Insulation is a company known for its continuous investment in business and employees. How satisfied are you with the company's support in professional development?
That's right, the company always invests in additional training and employment of new workers. In my workplaces, shipping, and warehouse, the most room for advancement was in technology and employee education, where Knauf Insulation invested in line with new trends and needs.

What are, in your opinion, the essential qualities of every employee to succeed in this industry? What does every employee have to be to be successful and have a good and long career like yours?

Every employee should accept the fact that work is not easy and needs to adapt to the organization of work. You need to be open to developing and improving your experience but also contribute with that experience to the entire company.

How do you see the future of Knauf Insulation, for example in the next 10 years?
I think the future of the company will be good, especially now with the new, technologically advanced and sustainable production line. For example, when I first started working, there were 22 employees and we shipped 20,000 tons per year, while today we have 10 employees in that place and we ship almost 60,000 tons. With the improvement of technology, production has been accelerated and optimized. The new line will greatly simplify and accelerate processes and work, which certainly gives a view of the bright future of Knauf Insulation.

What advice would you give to young colleagues so that they too can achieve an impressive career like yours?
I would advise them not to give up on the first obstacle because they will sometimes encounter them. You need to 'push' them because after the challenges it will be much easier and simpler. Of course, as with any job, there are harder and easier times.

And finally, how many years do you have left until retirement and do you even want to retire? 

I have two more years left until retirement, and if my health serves me, I would like to work longer because I love my job and I have a good time - the atmosphere is pleasant, my colleagues are my constant support, and the benefits are excellent. I recommend everyone to come to Knauf Insulation!