(1) November 6th, 2009 was an important date in the life of Tűzőr Tervező és Fővállalkozó Kft (Tűzőr Planning and General Contracting Ltd.). The company that considers the planning, implementation and maintenance of fire fighting equipment its profile was able to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its existence. Given the bankruptcy of a large number of domestic ventures, the question arises:what is the key of long-term continuance in the life of a fire protection venture?

Indeed, the 10th anniversary is a joyful feast for Tűzőr Kft. During the past 10 years, we managed with an increasing staff number, stabile economic results, continuously widened and modernized profile of services — a performance that is infrequent in the circle of Hungarian medium-size ventures and, to my knowledge, is unrivalled in the trade of fire protection. The key of existence of Tűzőr Kft. includes the innovation, the endless development and  the continuous regeneration.  

(2) The slogan of reliable fire protection is high-sounding, but what is behind it?

The “reliable fire protection is not only a slogan of Tűzőr Kft; indeed, it is the true philosophic basis of the everyday activity of the firm.  Each business reaction and the firm as a whole as well as the thinking of every employee of the firm are inspired with  the concept of “reliable fire protection”, in fact:
it became as plain as daylight for us that the maximum that can be offered by a fire protection firm is  the RELIABILITY.  Which of the attributes could be more important  than the reliability in the fire protection?

(3) What is the reason for choosing this slogan and why became this concept the basis of thinking?

What is the value of an unreliable,  the “non-reliable fire protection”?
From the day of our foundation, we consciously made effort to fill the concept of reliable fire protection with the most comprehensive content. 
The systems implemented by us are put in operation if required and are on the look-out and watch in their standby mode, they are ready to intervene immediately in an efficient way and are started if require by any risk of fire. 

(4) What are the facts to support those mentioned above? That is, what is the proof?

The proof is that Hungary is a small country and small market, everybody knows everything and Tűzőr Kft. preserves no skeletons in its cabinets that is known to everybody.

In case of the majority of firms engaged in fire protection, at best one, however, as a general rule more blots are in their life including both severe crimes and light faults, not to mention any fires that could not be put out.  Even the above mentioned circle — so to say the public opinion — is familiar with the facts and, at a certain level, everybody knows everything.  Now, I touch wood in order to remain it so in the future even in respect of hundreds of  intact, transparent fire fighting equipment that have been implemented by Tűzőr Kft. not for two or three, but for 10 years.   

(5) Are there any more  dimensions of the reliability?

It is not well known, but there were cases with almost all large customers where our fire fighting equipment saved values of millions of HUF or in some cases hundred millions of HUF. Many readers know what I think about. 
Here, it is a new point of the idea of Reliable Fire protection:  we preserve the secrets of our Customers, we do not advertise ourselves by publishing that our fire fighting equipment put out the fire that came into being for reason attributable to the Customer, thereby saving X million HUF. The reliability includes that it is ours to preserve the business secrets of our Customers.  
And some more “secrets” of Tűzőr Kft. that are published by any possible means are: use of the most recent technology, calling the attention of the Customer to the interests of fire protection; considering the experts of the Customer’s insurer our partners in solving our problems.

(6) What kind of changes occurred in the Hungarian economic environment during the last years of the past century in the field of fire fighting?

During the past 15 years, the use of built-in automatic fire fighting equipment increased exponentially at the beginning and proportionally in the subsequent years.  The first factor of the increase was the expansion of the international multinational firms.  In addition to the above, the propagation of large-scale production systems, the most recent technologies of special fire risk as well as the plastic materials also promoted the propagation of built-in fire fighting equipment. 

(7) Were also other companies of similar profile established?

Several firms started to be engaged in built-in fire fighting equipment, installation of “sprinklers”; as it is these that covered the concept of active fire protection at the beginning.   At the beginning, about between 1993 and 2004, the market was in a state of ferment, both the intensive and extensive development took place and, up to 2008, further equalized enlargement could be seen in the field of active fire protection.

(8) Were there known multinational service providers among them?

From the very outset, the large multinational service providers were present in the increasing market of the built-in fire fighting equipment.  The multinational firms also have indisputable merits in the provision of specialists.  The employment of Hungarian sprinkler technicians in West-Europe, education and intellectual training of design engineers employed by the mother firms of high-knowledge were to the advantage of both the Hungarian technical- and quality levels.

(9) What can be known of their current fate and how did the reliability come across with the multinational companies?

The resurrection and going to heaven of the phoenix as well as its burning into its remains repeated in 2 to 3-year cycles; this is the rate of reincarnation.  
No firm is known that did not get into this circulation at least once or twice within a 2 to 4-year cycle.  The circulation consisting of running-up and cutting down makes the firms unreliable.  The Customers are unable to enforce their warranty claims or even their guarantee claims, of course with the continuous preventive maintenance and periodic inspection also included.
Yet, in the majority of cases, the partner firms of planning, implementation and installation were also left in the lurch partner firms by the firms being in the phase of cutting down.  They left unsettled invoices behind in a value of HUF hundred millions that impaired the standard of the whole trade to a tragic extent.

In the other hand, Tűzőr Kft. settled all the moral and financial invoices fairly.

The multinational mother firm periodically “zeroes” the losses  (that is, leaves its customers and subcontractors in lurch, whose rightful claims resound through the Hungarian contractor sphere) and sends its affiliated firm off with a new capital injection, a new slogan, a new image and a promotion campaign, saying that look here, this is a firm of solid capital quoted worldwide that warrants for the reliability.  (Obviously, it is kept quiet about how many times has this performance run that, in a remarkable way, has always been a tragedy).

(10) Could you give an example?

It happened ten years ago that I proceeded with the development manager of a Hungarian affiliated firm owned by a multinational firm in order to introduce a very new firm for the purpose of obtaining an actual project. The above mentioned manager failed to grant the large project picked out to a “noname” firm (i.e. our firm); instead, he granted it to another multinational firm. We obtained a small work that was unpleasant to them, however, was not attractive to the other multinational contractors.  With this small work, we intruded into the circle of suppliers and, at present, we are implementing projects in the value of billions HUF with the firm in question.  Otherwise, the project intended to obtain originally was granted to a multinational firm, while causing a lot of problems to both the customer and itself.

It is in some similar way that our relationship with the other customers, among them with the one that has recurred for years started; 10 years of hard work were required to build up the business confidence. We continue to make efforts to fulfil the needs of our customers at a high standard. We hope that our reliability is unrivalled in the trade.

(11) Results of comparing the Tűzőr Kft   to its staff number and output data in the last year and 10 years ago.

The “germ” of the Tűzőr Kft. was established with a fire protection firm 10 years ago; at the beginning, a staff of 12 persons already in progress was active.  The staff under direct management increased to 18 persons by 2002 and the staff number remains stagnant at this level ever since.
Periodically, our performance had peaks and our fire fighting equipment profiles were enlarged at these times.  While our economic output has been slightly fluctuated, but continuously increased, our productivity has been continuously and monotonously improved.  

(12) Linear economic growth not commonly typical to the domestic economic environment  Was there any peak-year in the life of Tűzőr?

The participation in the pharmaceutical,  MOL and TVK megaprojects in the years 2003-2004 and 2006-2007 promoted our development rate relating to the average one.
The flexible adaptation to the tasks and the innovation made us possible to regain our feet; that is, adapt ourselves to the rapidly changing market needs.

(13) On the other hand, the technical development shows a rather linear trend.  To what extent caused problems to accept the appearing new procedures, especially to make the accepted by the users?

We can use the quality- and efficiency results obtained by the multinational firms, while analysing them to select the one that can be used for the given tasks in the most reliable way.  In case of any gap between the reliable solutions offered by the international reliable results, we were and are able to offer new solutions by using our own technical development, know-how and licenses that point ahead even in a world scale and the multinational firms are also interested in our solutions.   
The Factory Mutual, a competent English insurance expert institution also accepts our solutions.

(14) It is country-wide known that Tűzőr Tervező és Fővállalkozó Kft. as an entity is inseparable from the person of Sándor Koczka managing director.  What about  the other specialists working within the venture: are they replaced or instead is the personal background constant?

Putting the question in this manner is an exaggeration, and does not even cover the essence.  The staff of Tűzőr Kft. forms an intellectual workshop that is an entity integrated with the company.  In  this community, I aim at becoming an integrator, self- and group developer as well as a moderator.
I am inflated with pride that the public opinion connects my name to the intellectual workshop.

In this respect, it is out of the question whether the background is replaced or constant; in fact, the staff is not a background, instead, it is the main theme itself. According to a quotation from a verse of John Donne, telling for whom the bell is ringing:  “…every man is a piece of the continent,/ a part of the main;/ if a clod be washed away by the sea,/ Europe is the less…” those left are accounted for losses, while those engaged are accounted for profit with the knowledge included.

(15) In the current year, it is not the rumbling noise of industrial investments that resounded.   In such a situation, what kind of B-plan is prepared by Tűzőr Tervező és Fővállalkozó Kft.

We adapt ourselves to the market changes. Finally, however, we can also find time for engrossed basic research-level development tasks and our maintenance tasks are enlarged.
At present, we are functioning with full capacity, of course we are impatiently waiting for  new orders.

(16) You already declared about the key — should we say the technology — of the long life and the long-term continuance in your reply given to  the first question.  And what are the keys of foresight?

Belief, hope and the reliable fire protection are the main pledge of long life with our firm. Belief in our own knowledge and capabilities, in our inclination to renew and adapt ourselves and in our commitment to completely fulfil the criteria of the correct fire protection. We hope that  the series of incidences does not conspire against us that would jeopardize our intact and transparent operation.

(17) It is a question commonly put  at the end of an anniversary interviev: how to go on, and will there be a 25th birthday in the life of the Tűzőr Tervező és Fővállalkozó Kft.?

I hope that there will be more  Reményeim szerint lesz még több jubileum, és a sors anniversaries and it would be an unfairness against the staff of Tűzőr Kft. if it were not so. This enthusiastic and responsible professional workshop is destined for more than the omission of the 25th anniversary.  

In respect of myself, I do not know which anniversary is included in my powers; in fact, I am active with a maximum of pleasure, young blood  and enthusiasm at present. The basis of fulfilling the anniversary list of hopes — as that of every important thing — shall be look for in ourselves.  We are a good and committed enthusiastic team destined to meet with success.  

(18) What do you wish to the readers of Flórián Press?

I wish much success and every good to everybody I fail to get into contact by the end of year, and I wish a marry Christmas and a happy New Year to the dear readers and what is more that I can wish with good heart and pure spirit?  - Reliable fire protection!

Sándor Koczka