Dejan Slavulj, general manager of the company Armont - We defend quality to the limit

A large number of residential and commercial buildings, trade, industrial and sports centers bear the signature of Armont`s designers, architects and fitters. Quality, efficiency, safety and responsibility are the four key words of their business philosophy.

We talked about the rise of the company, with a special focus on the Sava Center project, with the general manager, Dejan Slavulje. He also shared with us his view of the business environment, when it comes to the industry, referring to participation in tenders and unfair competition. He also gave us his view on the development of the domestic economy and the role of dual education. Find out to what extent legal regulations are applied during construction, as well as the fact that "green" construction is sometimes not entirely "green".

- When we talk about our business area of ​​design, production and installation of facade systems and locks, in terms of technologies and materials, things have changed a lot and developed for the better over the past 18 years. However, if we talk about the business itself, the situation is unchanged in many respects - disorderly and ungrateful.

The field we deal with is very responsible, it implies that there are safety and quality criteria that must be met in order for a certain facility to last and be safe for its users. Unfortunately, everything is mainly based on price, which is an important factor, but it must not be the only one. Choosing the most favorable financial offer requires a lot of knowledge from both sides, because many factors influence its formation, from the quality of the products themselves, the abilities and experience of the entire team that is involved from design to assembly, but also the production technology itself.

- During almost two decades of the existence and operation of the Armont company, until today, we have not received a job without being the most financially favorable at the time of the selection. However, it is important to note that we choose the "competitions" in which we will participate, and so far in those jobs, quality has been a very important factor in selection and decision-making. I think this is what Armont is known for - where we are, the best is expected in every segment of the work performed.

It is understandable that everyone wants quality at the best price, but it is our responsibility to defend quality to the extreme limits, to which the other side is also ready to go. Ethics and profession dictate that. I think that the key is for the other side to be sufficiently informed and aware that certain criteria must be met due to the durability and safety of the facility and its users, but also that our competitors take the same position.

For the Armont company, quality is crucial. Our reputation has been built on it, and we are known on the market as a company that can. If there is any doubt about a project, thinking about the possibility of its execution - Armont can certainly do it. In order to achieve this, we work on ourselves continuously. We control every segment of the business, we are self-critical and we change what is not good before others notice it. We are developing and constantly insisting on new knowledge, technologies, materials. Armont is not the best choice by chance.

- After many years of work, we are no longer sure what constitutes unfair competition, and it is present at every step. The reason for this is that almost everyone is allowed to do everything, without prior checking of capabilities, expertise, credibility, results of previous work. So, as I have already mentioned, the market is simply unorganized and ungrateful for business.

And I`m not just referring to performers. Sometimes investors are only focused on finishing the building as soon as possible, and the space is sold or leased. During the selection of the contractor, as well as the realization of the works, one does not think about the maintenance of the building and how much it costs, the longevity, but also the consequences that are impossible to remediate later or, ultimately, very difficult. Because, as our proverb says - whoever doesn`t pay on the bridge...

- Green building is just a nice term that everyone likes to use, without actually being sure what it actually means. I believe that the domestic market is far from that. Those who implement "green construction" do so with minimum requirements, in order to comply with the form and put some nice "certificate" that can be used for marketing purposes.

- The issue of labor shortage is not only related to us, but also more widely, and includes important sociological issues as well. As for our field of work, when we talk about qualified workers with III or IV degree, we do not have educational profiles by schools that include that group of occupations. First of all, I`m thinking of the metal profession, locksmiths, welders and the like. Paradoxically, these profiles are slowly dying out, and their demand is increasing. With the development and advancement of technology, it is logical that profiles such as blacksmiths and smiths disappear, because there is no longer a need for them, but for this first group, there is still a lot.

The dual education program is an attempt to solve this kind of problem, but unfortunately, it is not a good one. Hardly anyone talks about it, but the fact is that a very small number of companies got involved, at least from our "environment". Maybe the situation is a little different in the interior.

The reason for this is the large discrepancy between what is expected from the company and what is offered to it in return. Within this program, companies sign accession contracts, bear the costs of student education, which, of course, is not a problem, but they have no assurance that those same students will want to establish a working relationship with the company tomorrow, so there are no conditions.

Young people today are very weakly interested, especially in some basic activities like the one we are in. It takes a lot of effort to get them interested in following what we are trying to teach them, and in many cases it takes a very short time, and then there is an additional effort to persuade them to come and work with us after school. The only condition for us to succeed in this is to offer them huge salaries for their, at that moment, "zero" knowledge, so that in the new period of our proving ourselves to them, we create a new, qualified worker. And then we wonder who is actually managing the processes.

- In the last few years, good students, those who study and produce results, have been called "nerds", with a negative connotation. Most children try not to get that epithet, knowledge is not valued, and good children are left without any stimulation and incentives for further development and progress. Therefore, things should be set differently.

Let`s start with the question "Who can do it /knows how do that?". You have given everyone a chance with your question, and those who know will raise their hand themselves. We will reward good children who give correct answers, thereby encouraging them to further development and progress. That way we will create people who can change the world tomorrow.

Now let`s transfer all that to the economy. It is necessary to encourage healthy companies, those that work well, know how, have capacity, companies that have already proven themselves and shown themselves. And when the results arrive, then good energy starts to be generated, the best gather the best around them, a difference is made and the quality increases. All of this together contributes to profit growth. If you have low prices, there is no profit, and therefore no development.

The conclusion is that it is necessary to deal with the "good students", those who do not disrupt the teaching. Let`s begin with that.

- When I look at the years that are behind us, I can proudly say that they have been filled with great projects of various scopes, some of which are of great historical and cultural importance, such as BIGZ building, Palace of Justice, Beogradjanka and the like. They all carry a beautiful story and memories of the passion that we invested in their realization at Armont. They were of great importance, they provided us with new value and we climbed step by step towards some heights, where we may be today.

We once wanted the rise to go faster, but today we realize that it went exactly as it should, patiently and slowly, leading us towards one of the most significant projects we have implemented - Sava Center. I don`t think any of us could have thought 18 years ago that we would be in charge of the reconstruction of one of the most important cultural and historical faces of Belgrade.

The Sava Center has marked the life of every individual both in Serbia and in the region. It is the only facility in our career where, in addition to the investor, the company Delta, the client was also a complete public opinion, and not just professional. That`s why this project produced a new task for Armont for the first time: not to disappoint expectations.

After two years, more than 4,000 working hours and over 20 of our best experts have woven all their knowledge, passion and love into it. Once you become a part of such a play, you can`t help but empathize with the main character. I think we are still not aware of what we have achieved, and for now we are just enjoying it. Where architecture preserves the history and culture of a time, Armont`s task is to restore it.