Derrick, your name suggests you’re not a native Czech. Where are you from?
Actually, I’m Czech – I was born in Ivančice. My mum was Czech and my dad was English. When I was two years old, in 1985, we moved to England, where I grew up, studied and worked, but after 2006 I returned to the Czech Republic.
And how’s your Czech after so many years in England?
My mother spoke Czech with me since I was a child, so I had the basics, even though I only answered her in English. I can speak Czech, although I admit I still find it a bit easier in English. But I have improved over time and now I can even think in Czech. Writing is still a bit of a problem for me, but nowadays technology and translators make our work much easier.
How did you get to OKIN FACILITY?
I have been in the facility and technology industry for over 18 years. In 2016, I was interested in an offer from OKIN Facility to work as a manager for a BMW project near Karlovy Vary. Thanks to my experience and my knowledge of English, I won the position and gradually worked my way up to my current role as manager of the construction division.
Can you tell us about your current position and what the construction division does?
Our goal is to provide complete construction services from A to Z – from design and project documentation to implementation and final cleaning. Thanks to our team, which includes architects, plumbers, masons and other professionals, we are able to complete even challenging jobs. Not only do we work for our existing clients, but we also acquire new projects directly for the construction division.
Why was the construction division at OKIN Facility created?
There are many companies in the facility services market that provide basic activities, but few can offer a truly comprehensive solution. At OKIN Facility, we decided to go further. Our construction division was created to provide our clients not only with technical management, inspections and cleaning, but also with construction work – all under one roof and in-house. Thanks to the cohesiveness of our teams, we are able to efficiently exploit synergies between the different services, saving our clients time and costs. A single point of contact for all services means maximum convenience and a comprehensive approach to their needs.
What have you done and what are your plans for the future?
We have already completed several important projects, such as the construction of the SONY offices or the reconstruction of the Albert supermarket in Flora. Here we completely removed all 20cm walls, light fittings and wiring, moved large fridges and freezers, and concreted the floors. 55m3 of rubble was removed. We did all this with the team in less than one month. When we work on the refurbishment of other Albert stores, our team has to work especially at night when the stores are closed. We also renovated the offices of our new Greenline Kačerov headquarter in a short period of time. The goal for the future is to expand our services and team and to gain new satisfied clients.
And what do you do when you’re not working?
I love gardening in my garden in Libeň, where I grow cucumbers, tomatoes and chilli peppers, and we often sit with great neighbours. I also love to cook (with a bottle of good wine), and by fighting the inches on my waist I also do sports and keep fit with long walks or trips with family and friends. I am also constantly educating myself in the industry and keeping up with new trends in construction.
