Nov 08, 2021
Employee interview - Kresimir Babic
As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations we asked employees to share their memories and thoughts about Habasit’s past, present and future.
The series continues with Krešimir Babić, whose career with Habasit began in Croatia in 1996, some 25 years ago.
The series continues with Krešimir Babić, whose career with Habasit began in Croatia in 1996, some 25 years ago.
Krešimir Babić
Sales manager for Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Now in his 25th year with Habasit, Krešimir Babić – known as Kreso to his friends and colleagues – is looking forward to the next stage of his Habasit career, when he switches from Sales to Application Engineering / Product Specialist for the Southestern Europe (SEE) region. As a highly valued mentor to numerous colleagues in SEE, he will continue sharing his vast expertise on markets and solutions, and he is excited about the challenges ahead. But first we asked him to tell us how it all began.
“I joined Habasit in 1996, at 27 years old, after my degree in Mechanical Engineering. At that time there were no mobiles phones yet. So at the start of the week I called the customers from the office to make appointments. The rest of the week I was on the road keeping those appointments. I was the only one in sales in Croatia, working with a local distributor, and sometimes doing installations and service too. Back then Croatia was not in the European Union, so it was hard to get tools across the border, and we had to be very creative, using all our engineering skills.”
The fascination of working in lots of industries
Kreso is enthusiastic about the wide range of industries Habasit serves. “I like seeing the different production processes, from bread to clothing. From an engineering point of view it is fascinating to see tobacco machines that produce 200 cigarettes per second. And I really enjoy solving problems and offering solutions to customers. I am passionate about our products – and I believe our customers sense this.”
Private ownership makes the difference
Kreso is convinced that Habasit has a huge advantage. “As a private company, Habasit is able to look to the future and fully invest in new products and growing the business. This long-term approach gives us a better position on the market, where we are number one.” Asked what this means to employees, Kreso describes Habasit as: “reliable, secure, and demanding.”
High quality is key
When it comes to his favorite Core Value, Kreso says: “For me the high quality standard is the most important. I identify with all six Core Values, but through the years, ‘Quality you can trust’ has shown itself to be the most impactful.”
The importance of innovation
Kreso believes that innovation is tremendously important and it is also what distinguishes Habasit from competition. For example looking back at the successful introduction and growth of plastic modular belts in his territory. Among recent innovations, Kreso anticipates that Habasit® Cleanline belts will become more and more important. “Besides being great products, they are very ecological. Cleanline belts are made of polyolefin which is more sustainable than for example PVC or polyurethane – if you burn polyolefin you will get water.
The new spiral solutions are also important, and I have done several successful spiral projects with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in Croatia.” Kreso works closely with distribution partners and OEMs, and because he understands their markets, he proactively offers them tailored solutions that are win-win for both sides.
Sales manager for Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Now in his 25th year with Habasit, Krešimir Babić – known as Kreso to his friends and colleagues – is looking forward to the next stage of his Habasit career, when he switches from Sales to Application Engineering / Product Specialist for the Southestern Europe (SEE) region. As a highly valued mentor to numerous colleagues in SEE, he will continue sharing his vast expertise on markets and solutions, and he is excited about the challenges ahead. But first we asked him to tell us how it all began.
“I joined Habasit in 1996, at 27 years old, after my degree in Mechanical Engineering. At that time there were no mobiles phones yet. So at the start of the week I called the customers from the office to make appointments. The rest of the week I was on the road keeping those appointments. I was the only one in sales in Croatia, working with a local distributor, and sometimes doing installations and service too. Back then Croatia was not in the European Union, so it was hard to get tools across the border, and we had to be very creative, using all our engineering skills.”
The fascination of working in lots of industries
Kreso is enthusiastic about the wide range of industries Habasit serves. “I like seeing the different production processes, from bread to clothing. From an engineering point of view it is fascinating to see tobacco machines that produce 200 cigarettes per second. And I really enjoy solving problems and offering solutions to customers. I am passionate about our products – and I believe our customers sense this.”
Private ownership makes the difference
Kreso is convinced that Habasit has a huge advantage. “As a private company, Habasit is able to look to the future and fully invest in new products and growing the business. This long-term approach gives us a better position on the market, where we are number one.” Asked what this means to employees, Kreso describes Habasit as: “reliable, secure, and demanding.”
High quality is key
When it comes to his favorite Core Value, Kreso says: “For me the high quality standard is the most important. I identify with all six Core Values, but through the years, ‘Quality you can trust’ has shown itself to be the most impactful.”
The importance of innovation
Kreso believes that innovation is tremendously important and it is also what distinguishes Habasit from competition. For example looking back at the successful introduction and growth of plastic modular belts in his territory. Among recent innovations, Kreso anticipates that Habasit® Cleanline belts will become more and more important. “Besides being great products, they are very ecological. Cleanline belts are made of polyolefin which is more sustainable than for example PVC or polyurethane – if you burn polyolefin you will get water.
The new spiral solutions are also important, and I have done several successful spiral projects with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) in Croatia.” Kreso works closely with distribution partners and OEMs, and because he understands their markets, he proactively offers them tailored solutions that are win-win for both sides.