"I especially like challenging projects" - Attila Pappert, Engineer of the Month

How does one become a civil engineer?

One of my first construction-related experiences was when I dropped some concrete on myself and fell into a lime pit on my grandparents' construction site, because I was always lurking there. That didn't put me off at the beginning, and still does to this day: I spend a lot of time on construction sites, enjoying the environment.

As my interest persisted, I went straight on to a degree in civil engineering and then started working in Germany, where I spent several years on structural engineering projects. I had to work with a lot of people of different nationalities and had to fight for credibility and recognition as an Eastern European (this was before EU accession). It was not easy, but it was an excellent experience.

Over the years, I have been oriented towards specialised civil engineering, which still impresses me: I have been able to participate in unique projects that only happen once in a civil engineer's life:

We crossed the Danube several times using the shield tunnelling method, and even built an island in the middle of the Danube - with a man-made hive built 12 metres below the river bed.

These were all tough and engineering challenges. To this day, I am very happy to have been involved in them and grateful to the colleagues with whom we were able to work on them - you don't do such big projects alone; but also to the companies that gave you the opportunity. When I look back today, it is incredible that I was given the confidence to manage such complex tasks. Several of these individual projects have won Construction of Excellence Awards, Construction Creator Awards - which I have taken as a great recognition.

What attracted you to civil engineering?

I have always loved learning, and I still learn from my younger colleagues, which I think is very important. Somehow I was always drawn to the tasks that everyone was running away from.

So I could say: I'm enthusiastic about taking on things outside my comfort zone - it shows in my work and my hobbies.

When I started my career, there were a lot of opportunities abroad, a lot of Hungarian companies were working in Germany in the '90s on mining and tunnelling projects, and that's how I got close to them. Civil engineering is a real engineering activity: in the case of deep underground construction, you have to create serious engineering facilities, which require very complex preliminary studies and precise organisation, specialised equipment. A deep excavation and workspace delimitation project or the construction of a special structure is the pinnacle of a civil engineer's profession, and I have had several such projects - I am lucky.

Civil engineering filled my life for 20-25 years, and eventually, at the KÉSZ Group, I realised that one activity was not enough: you have to be versatile to gain a secure foothold.

The fact that there are no sharp boundaries between civil engineering and building construction is a great help. Of course, residential construction requires a fine sense of detail that a civil engineer does not have, but the construction of industrial facilities, the treatment of clients and the general principles of the construction industry - exactingness and professional humility - are the same.

What was waiting for the KÉSZ Csoport?

I joined KÉSZ Építő Zrt. three years ago as a project manager. Prior to that, I was involved in the design and construction of a major hydraulic engineering project. My main responsibilities here are civil engineering and as the managing director of MA-HARD Hajózási és Vízépítő Kft., I am responsible for the execution of water engineering projects. In addition, I am also involved in the implementation of general tasks in KÉSZ Építő Zrt., for example in Várpalota and Zalaegerszeg. So I think it's easy to say that my work is wide and varied.

I am responsible for about 50 people including the staff of KÉSZ Építő Zrt. and MA-HARD Kft.. One third of these are technical and two thirds physical, who are just as important as the engineers, because they create what we put on paper with their own two hands, and I want to recognise their work.

My team and I were able to build a defence complex in Várpalota, which we finished last year. Although the details are secret, being a defence project, I can perhaps say that, in addition to the buildings, we also had to create a major infrastructure and some unique artefacts - and we worked on these tasks largely on our own: we used our own staff and equipment to pour the concrete, and we also made the floors of the production halls ourselves.

A real curiosity among large general contractors is that we can work on a project with our own physical workers and our own equipment.

We are currently building the Flex automotive electronics factory in Zalaegerszeg as a complete general contracting project. This is a greenfield project, where we have to build a part of the building from scratch in record time, so that production can start in half of the construction time. A good team is essential for such tasks.

This is coupled with the responsibilities around MA-HARD Kft., where I am also responsible for the job creation as the managing director. We are trying to make a place for ourselves here in the hydraulic engineering market with our own people and equipment.

We were able to build a water intake from the Danube by underwater excavation of the river bed; we were also able to do this with all the associated facilities and design.

Of course, such requests arise on public projects, private clients rarely have water projects; there is currently less demand for public projects. Fortunately, there are port developments and network developments around some industrial facilities - for example, the construction of the BYD factory in Szeged is also being linked to hydraulic engineering projects. We are trying to bid and find work everywhere.

How can two separate positions be managed together?

I've got used to doing more than one thing over the years. It is possible to manage so much work with a very tight work organisation structure, as I have to deal with issues in Budapest and Zalaegerszeg. It is essential to have reliable colleagues, as I cannot be everywhere. Over the years, you get a sense of where the sensitive points are where you need to be present, and you develop a feeling for that. I also feel at ease when I am represented by my direct colleagues in a meeting. It is as if I am sitting there.

That's mostly my job: to distribute the work and then support my colleagues. With each of my immediate colleagues, I feel I have, in a fashionable turn of phrase, "got the chemistry". We understand each other in half-words. Without that, you couldn't successfully deliver such big projects.

Several colleagues from my previous projects have already joined the company, because personal contact and trust are the most important. I want to support and help younger people, because we were given the same trust back then.

It's a diverse group of companies, where a lot of enthusiastic young people have found work - it's great to come and work here. It's a pleasure to spend time in such an inspiring environment: it's easy to find common ground with most of the young people here, and their enthusiasm and drive is motivating. I also find it positive that you often meet the owner of the company, who, although not involved in the operational processes, lives with the company to the full. It may seem like a small thing, but the personal contact can get you through difficult moments.

More broadly, I think the many member companies that can support each other's work is a huge strength. I didn't know KÉSZ Csoport was so big before; I was surprised when I got here. Even though the flagship company is a general contractor for building construction, the network of companies covers the whole spectrum of the construction industry - for example, hydraulic engineering stands out with its turnover and specialised activities, but it still has a place in the group. The market is a little distorted now, but when the competitive environment normalises, these advantages will give KÉSZ Csoport a distinct edge.

Are there any buildings missing from your portfolio?

Obviously every new job is a bit of a thrill, and I especially like challenging projects. I'm a contractor by blood, I still go to construction sites every day, because the only way I can see where things are going wrong is to be there. But I don't have that sense of missing out.

So I guess what I could build, I've already built. Now I'm really motivated to build the best team I can, to pass on the principles I've developed to the younger ones, to help them become better engineers. That's what I see as the real challenge now.