Boris Čillik has managed underground construction projects in challenging climatic conditions, from digging undersea tunnels in Norway to building an underground power plant in Greenland. For the past two years, he has been working in Prague, where he heads the Czech division of the Slovak construction company Marti. He and his team are now based in myhive Offices Unlimited, from where they coordinate projects worth tens of millions of euros.
“Underground construction is a specific type of work. You’re constantly battling against nature, which forgives nothing. At the same time, however, you can see that you’re leaving something important behind. The tunnels we’ve dug through the Alps or deep under the sea connect places that would otherwise remain cut off from civilization,” is how Boris Čillik describes the work that he has been focusing on for almost three decades.
Thanks to his profession, he has traveled to many interesting places, not only as a tourist—he has often had the opportunity to stay in various corners of the world for long periods of time and get to know local life up close. “I think the Icelandic mentality suits me best. People in Iceland may seem aloof at first glance, but once you win them over, they can be very warm and friendly,” reminisces Čillik.
Another unforgettable experience was meeting the Inuit in Greenland, where Marti built underground galleries for power plant turbines using water from melting glaciers. “There aren’t many companies on the market right now that are willing and able to work in such extreme conditions,” says Čillik about his employer.
The Slovak company Marti is one of over eighty subsidiaries of the Swiss holding company Marti Holding AG, which is one of the major international players in its field. Under the Marti brand, tunnels, roads, and water management structures are being built from China to Chile. The Czech division is the main contractor for several tunnel construction projects in the Czech Republic, with further projects in the pipeline, and the division could soon become an independent Czech company.
However, Boris Čillik started out two years ago in a single office. “When I was looking for suitable premises, I mainly came across offers for large offices with long-term commitments. The Offices Unlimited concept suits me because of its flexibility. I first had one office, and after two years we now have six, and as the company grows, we can easily expand our space,” he adds.