Interview: "We trust each other"

Employees in Dialogue

Tímea Holicza (31) currently works at the controlling department. She started working at Duna-Dráva Cement Kft. in April 2010 as a sales trainee. Then she was the assistant of the sales manager until April 2012, and is currently working as a sales controller in Vác.

István Lenhardt (61) started out as a mechanic at the Beremend Cement Plant shortly after finishing his secondary school. During the decades spent at the company he has worked in various fields. In the beginning, he worked as a norm technologist and when the new lime plant was launched, he became a control operator and later the facility manager there. Since 1984 he has been with the HR department, where he is now working as an HR coordinator.

Gyula Zsobrák (61) was only 15 when he joined the company as a conveyor belt operator in 1970, and has since occupied several positions. He used to work in the lab, spent some time operating the furnace, and since 1985 he has been working in the central control room as an operator.

How did you start your carrier at the Duna-Dráva Cement Kft.? What were the first few days at work like?

Holicza:
I have been in contact with the company since I was a child, because my parents have been working for the company for a long time, and took me to company events. Therefore, when I started work at the sales department as a trainee in April 2010, getting to know the company was a piece of cake. Everybody was friendly and helpful, I was introduced to the process of sales, and the regional representatives gave me first-hand information about the cement market. I was shown around the company, and the view from the top of the heat exchanger is an experience I will never forget, it was surprisingly beautiful.

Lenhardt:
As I used to spend my school practice here, I was also quite familiar with the place when I started work. So the first days went the same way as before.

Zsobrák:
On 12 August 1970 I was 15 when I started work at the company, which was called the Vác Plant of the Cement- és Mészművek at the time. The first days were very exciting, full of learning and experience.

What has changed since you started work at the company?

Zsobrák:
Oh, there have been many and big changes. We had to learn new things over and over again, and the learning process continues. In the past few years we have formed a great community with the Hungarian and also with the German colleagues. 

Holicza:
There have been several changes during my time here that we can be proud of. Out of Hungarian cement producers, DDC was the first to introduce a sales promotion for its customers, in 2013 we launched an on-line cement ordering platform, and the successful integration of DDC’s subsidiaries we also created the Concrete and Aggregates Business Lines besides the Cement line.In the autumn of 2014 seven of our products obtained the Hungarian Product Trademark, and 4 of our products were awarded with the National Product certification. 

Lenhardt:
For me the most memorable is how the company name changed: when I started, we used to be called the Beremend Plant of CEMÜ, and after privatisation we became BCM Rt., and now we are Duna-Dráva Cement Kft.

How did your tasks change during the time you have spent at Duna-Dráva Cement Kft.?

Lenhardt:
When I started work here, I was a mechanic, then became a norm technologist. When the new lime plant was established, I went to work there as a control operator, and then as a facility manager. In 1984 I relocated to the HR department, and was soon promoted to be HR and wage accounting team leader. Since 2007 I have been working as an HR coordinator.

Holicza:
I started out as a sales trainee, and in October 2010 I became the assistant of the sales manager until April 2012. During that time I learned a lot about sales and experienced the demand for information in sales. In the meantime, I finished my MA studies in Pécs, and after graduating I got a title which was new at the company back then, as a sales controller. Since March 2013 I have been working as a controller at the controlling department. This means that beyond my tasks supporting sales, I have new ones such as providing logistics data, pricing internal product sales, and all the related planning, etc.

Zsobrák:
I had several positions at the company. First I was a conveyor belt operator, then I was employed at the lab as a sample carrier, and I also became familiar with operating the furnace. For me the biggest milestone was to pass the school-leaving examination, as that was a requirement to be promoted to the operator position. In 1985 I passed this exam, and have been working in the central control room ever since, and I still love it. Naturally, I continuously do new trainings, attend courses, because professional development is a must. I spent almost half a century at this company, full of learning and gaining experience. When I changed jobs there were always new challenges, both professional and personal ones as well. As an operator I have a lot of responsibilities, which suits me perfectly, and I get on well with my colleagues.

Why is it good to work at Duna-Dráva Cement Kft., why do you like it?

Lenhardt:
This is a reliable and predictable company. The continuous technological development encourages workers to gain more and new knowledge. My personal reasons include the fact that my parents and grandparents used to work here, too.

Zsobrák:
During the decades we have formed a great community with the colleagues. During the 46 years I have spent here, I have always felt the company needed me (and the other way round as well), we trust each other and that is a good feeling. Employees are appreciated here both financially and morally.

Holicza:
Duna-Dráva Cement Kft. is a stable company with a long history. There are challenges and interesting tasks, and at the same time people here are like a big family. I enjoy working here because of these challenges and varied tasks. It is also important for me that my bosses encouraged and supported my university studies. Also, my colleagues are open towards new ideas.

Mr Lenhardt, what do you recommend, from an HR perspective, those who are joining the company now?

Lenhardt:
My advice is to be committed and loyal in their work.

(The interview was made in February 2017.)