Choose your country:
Leadec global

“Sustainability and Digitalization Are the Big Issues”

Leadec has been operating in Hungary for 30 years. Managing Director Ferenc Dákai has been with the company for almost as long. In this interview, he provides an insight into the Hungarian market, talks about current challenges, and draws his own personal conclusions.  

Mr. Dákai, congratulations on 30 years of Leadec in Hungary! What were the special milestones of the last three decades? 

The most important milestone was certainly the founding of Hörmann Győr Kft. in 1994, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. At that time, we started to provide on-site services for Audi, initially in the field of electrical installation.  
 

Since then, we have grown continuously together with our customers. In 2010, we became Voith Industrial Services Kft. and expanded our activities to Kecskemét. New sites in Miskolc and Szombathely followed in 2012. With the acquisition of FISS Automatika Kft., based in Debrecen, we have not only expanded our geographical presence but also entered new industries. This is because FISS primarily serves customers outside the automotive industry, which I believe is very good for our diversification. We now have a total of nine sites and 900 employees working for more than 80 customers. 

Speaking of customers: What are their main concerns at the moment? 
The big issues, like everywhere else, are sustainability in production and digitalization. While sustainability is about saving energy and reducing emissions, among other things, information security in particular plays a central role in digitalization. Before Leadec created a portfolio that drives decarbonization and the circular economy with its Green Factory Solutions, we had already gained extensive experience with Audi’s carbon-neutral plant in Hungary. Among other things, we have been taking care of landscaping and increasing biodiversity there for many years.  
 

And when it comes to digitalization? 

Our customers are highly digitized and naturally expect the same from us as a service specialist. Thanks to our Leadec.os platform and our experience in digital transformation, manufacturers trust us and are certain that IT security and data protection are at least as important to us as they are to them. We have an excellent reputation in the market based on more than 60 years of experience worldwide. Our customers value our technical expertise, our high level of digitalization and our reliability as a partner. 
 
What challenges do you see in the coming years? 

The biggest challenge is certainly the transition away from the internal combustion engine. The production of electric cars requires fewer assembly lines, fewer buildings, and fewer people. This means that fewer services are also required throughout the life cycle of the factory. 

This makes it all the more important for us to continue to support our customers with a broad range of services and to develop new business lines.  
 

The Hungarian labor market is facing a number of challenges. How are you addressing them? 

The shortage of skilled labor is a big problem in Hungary. Many people emigrate to work abroad, for example in Austria or Germany. Since we have full employment in Hungary, it is even more important to retain our existing employees. We have several initiatives to do this, such as further training opportunities, internal management development and an attractive working environment. Many of our employees have been with us for ten years or more. They act as our ambassadors: through our “employees recruit employees” program, we can attract new talent that is a good fit for us. 
 

Speaking of ambassadors: You yourself have been with the company almost from the beginning. How did you join the company in 1996?  

In the mid-90s, when I had finished my vocational training, the Hungarian economy was at rock bottom. I had actually applied for a job as an electrical engineer at an OEM, but I wasn’t hired because I didn’t speak German. I then got my chance at Hörmann on the condition that I learn German within six months. I did that and then worked my way through all the different positions in the company. I’ve been managing director since 2017, which is actually the longest time I've been in the same position in my professional life.  
 

Looking back, what do you appreciate most about your time with the company? 

I have had many interesting roles and have been able to develop both personally and professionally. I have been able to travel a lot, see a lot of the world and accompany the current Leadec Group in its development and growth. The international exchange, but also the great colleagues here in Győr, have always confirmed me in my work. That’s why I never wanted to change jobs and I’m looking forward to the next years with Leadec in Hungary.  


Leadec Factory Talks – Episode 5: Sustainable production

How does a factory become climate-neutral? And how can manufacturers and service provider work together on the zero-emission factory? Find out in episode 5 of our Factory Talks with Ferenc Dákai, Managing Director Leadec Hungary


You may also be interested in the following articles:

All
  • Article
    11/15/2024

    A Closed Loop For Plastic Bags

    Leadec UK and plastic recycler Jayplas have developed a solution to recycle and reuse plastic packaging waste. The results are encouraging: A 81-ton carbon reduction from the 30,5 metric tons of bags purchased annually at the Halewood site. 

  • Interview
    11/07/2024

    “A Shoebox Worth a Six-Digit Amount”

    Companies within the semiconductor industry place particularly high demands on logistics. In this interview, Gert Brandl, who works in account management for the semiconductor sector at Leadec and is the project manager in charge, explains why the company developed its own track and trace software for a customer and what makes it so special.

  • Interview
    10/22/2024

    “EU Green Deal Readiness – We are ahead of time.”

    In this interview, Markus Bölke, Global Head of Green Factory Solutions, Sustainability & HSE at Leadec gives an insight into how the company has anchored the EU Green Deal in its strategy and how Leadec supports its customers with special services to make their own production more climate-neutral.

  • Two Leadec employees checking the battery on a housing.
    Article
    10/10/2024

    Battery Dismantling For a More Circular Economy

    High-voltage batteries have been repaired at the competence center for batteries in Hoyerswerda since 2022. This is much more cost-effective than a new battery and more sustainable. This expertise can also be used for other services. In focus: battery dismantling.

  • Interview
    10/02/2024

    “Cleanrooms Are Just Beautiful”

    Protective clothing, a sterile environment, and air locks: cleanrooms are a very special working environment. In this interview, Steve Koch, who works at Leadec’s Dresden site, talks about what it’s like to work under extremely strict conditions and what he appreciates about it. 

  • Interview
    09/24/2024

    Leonarda’s journey: from specialist to trainer

    Leonarda started at Leadec in Brazil in 2019 as a health and safety specialist in a team of 50 people. She is now a health and safety trainer and passes on her knowledge while commuting between customer sites and dedicating herself to the most important thing: the safety of employees.  

  • Interview
    09/18/2024

    “Together, we can make a difference!”

    In the interview with Bernard Sextus, Director Operations of Leadec India, you can learn more about how every little contribution to climate protection counts, how data can be used to improve awareness and what Leadec colleagues in India actively do. 

  • Article
    09/03/2024

    Touchpoints of a Green Factory

    With “Green Factory Solutions” (GFS), Leadec offers its customers a green service portfolio along the entire factory life cycle. How does it actually work? Let us step into the shoes of a plant manager, accompany him during a working day, and see the many touchpoints after initiating a GFS project with Leadec.

  • Video
    08/30/2024

    Working at Leadec: Bernd about variety

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Bernd describes why his work at Leadec is varied.

  • A group of Leadec employees in front of a wall with sticky notes at a workshop in the office.
    Article
    08/27/2024

    ‘Future-ready’ – A Week Dedicated to Further Training

    The Leadec Learning Week is a really big event in the Leadec calendar. There is a lot of preparation behind it and the aim of the ‘power week’ is to offer attractive internal training sessions via the Leadec Campus and to allow work and learning to merge.  

  • Interview
    08/13/2024

    Five Years of Leadec.os – Driver For Digital Transformation

    Leadec.os has been standardizing and digitizing Leadec’s service processes across systems for 5 years. Michael Schenk, Global Head of Business Applications, looks back and talks about milestones and the impact of the platform on the whole company. 

  • Video
    07/22/2024

    Working at Leadec: Hatice about respect

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Hatice describes how she experiences respect in her work.

  • Article
    07/16/2024

    Sustainability Report 2023: “Driving sustainable manufacturing together”

    The new sustainability report is available – and for the first time it is based on the new requirements of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). At the same time, it provides a comprehensive overview of projects and activities relating to sustainability at Leadec.

  • Video
    07/15/2024

    Working at Leadec: Marc about team spirit

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Marc describes what team spirit looks like in his department.

  • Brochure
    07/12/2024

    Sustainability Report 2023

    As the world’s leading service specialist for the entire life cycle of a factory, Leadec prioritizes ESG principles for a sustainable future. Our target is to lead our industry by example. The sustainability report 2023 was prepared according to the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)/ European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). 

  • Interview
    07/03/2024

    Marissa’s journey: from technical cleaner to service line manager

    Marissa has been part of the Canadian Leadec team in Oakville since 2015. She started as a technical cleaner in the final department. Since January 2023, she has been responsible for technical cleaning at the site as service line manager. 

  • Article
    06/25/2024

    Packaging: Turning Disposable Into Reusable

    Packaging plays a central role in logistics and the supply chain. How can innovative solutions be developed to switch from disposable to reusable packaging? The Leadec team in India has developed flexible reusable containers and an entire supply chain system for this purpose. 

  • Video
    06/20/2024

    Working at Leadec: Vinit about variety

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Vinit describes why his work at Leadec is varied.

  • Video
    06/06/2024

    Working at Leadec: Elia about respect

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Elia describes what respect means to him.

  • Interview
    05/31/2024

    Jesse's journey: from technical cleaner to service line manager

    Jesse Mack started out as a technical cleaner 15 years ago, back then at Premier in the USA. He took a different path for a while and returned to Leadec in 2021. 

  • Interview
    05/23/2024

    “It's Often About a Higher Level of Automation”

    E-commerce and online retail are booming. More than 160 billion parcels are sent worldwide every year. In this interview, Thomas Leitner, Vice President Global Business Development, explains the role Leadec plays in this and the opportunities this industry offers.

  • Video
    05/13/2024

    Working at Leadec: Coralie about team spirit

    Respect, team spirit and variety are the foundation of our work. Coralie describes why her work at Leadec is characterized by team spirit. 

  • Portrait of colleague Yu from China.
    Interview
    05/02/2024

    Yu's journey: from intern to maintenance supervisor

    Yu from China started his career as an intern in 2008. Since 2021 he has been maintenance supervisor and appreciates the trusting working environment at Leadec. 

  • Video
    03/12/2024

    How Leadec is Shaping Digitalization

    How are Leadec.os, digitalization, new business models and Leadec's future readiness related? The video on our digital capabilities is all about that! Find out first-hand from colleagues how Leadec is transforming the factory of today and tomorrow with digitally driven service solutions.