Hasan Hasić is an entrepreneur, a businessman who, according to his own words, ''is always doing something, creating something new and progressing''. Given his interest in new projects and new markets, 10 years ago he started exploring possibilities for wood processing in Bosnia and Herzegovina and for potential cooperation with furniture factories in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The process of cooperation with companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina was gradual and it included several phases of trial cooperation and product quality assurance.

''I was exploring various business opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina'', explains Hasan Hasić. ''I was interested in wood and wood processing, so I mostly visited sawmills and factories that produce semi-finished and finished products, but I was actually most interested in finished products. My intention was to ensure that as much processing as possible is done in Bosnia and Herzegovina, instead of exporting semi-finished products, because I do not want Bosnia and Herzegovina to be seen only as a country with cheap labour force that can merely produce cheap and low-quality goods. The goal is to achieve the best possible quality of processed wood and other elements used in furniture''.

The company WHITEOAK is cooperating with top-notch furniture and interior designers from Switzerland, Italy and Denmark, but also from Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, he believes that the quality of wood and its processing is the most important link in the production chain to obtain a finished product and that a producer is directly responsible for this: ''Wood is a living material, it changes and reacts to external circumstances, so that a factory has to have personnel with excellent knowledge of technical product processing. And finally, packaging is also one of the key steps in the process of delivering a product to a buyer – all of this is done in Bosnia and Herzegovina''.

The furniture and furniture elements made by the company WHITEOAK are produced in several locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and are sold in Switzerland, EU Member States, Israel and South Korea. '' In the past, the company used to sell semi-finished products to Italian companies, for example, and they would add some elements and then sell them at a ten times higher price. I wanted Bosnia and Herzegovina to sell high-quality finished products and that as much work as possible is done in Bosnia and Herzegovina'', explains Hasan Hasić. ''And the quality of such work is excellent. You know, I started all this in order to stay in touch with Bosnia and Herzegovina (laughing)''… ''I noticed that there was something pulling me towards the country, I guess that at a certain age your origin becomes more important, you start thinking about it, you are looking for ties and for a purpose in your work in order to make things a bit better. I had both economic and private reasons to establish ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina, although I grew up in Switzerland''.

Hasan Hasić was born in Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina, grew up in Luzern, and he graduated with a degree in economics in the USA: ''I was a ''Ausländer'' (foreigner) for quite some time in Switzerland, whereas in the USA, during my studies, I was only 'a guy from Europe'. I was getting to know myself, and this process is still ongoing, but I now have much more clarity when it comes to this and I am more relaxed. I wanted to gain experience and discover my identity, and I wanted all of that to be a natural maturation process. I did not want to simply decide where I belong to, but to rather understand some aspects related to both cultures. Both of these identities make me the way I am and I cannot just reject part of that. All of these influences are part of me and my personality. And this is something that one should accept not only in case of himself/herself, but also when it comes to other people''.

Hasan Hasić believes that there are great production and export potentials in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which include primarily its good geographic location in Europe and qualified personnel, ''persons that attended European universities, are experienced, have vast knowledge and are full of energy, who adopted the Western work ethics and who are coming back to Bosnia and Herzegovina''. In his opinion, there are many persons who are from Bosnia and Herzegovina and are coming back from EU Member States and who are searching for cooperation and investment opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are willing to transfer their knowledge and experience: ''Today, I dispose of a very nice combination, because I have two countries and two cultures and all of this suits me. There is an immense creation and production potential in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of course, some persons see all the negative things in Bosnia and Herzegovina, others see this potential. I want to see the potential and this is what I am primarily interested in''. 

Smiling, Hasan Hasić explains that some ten years ago, at the beginning of his work, he used to give foreign buyers of furniture from Bosnia and Herzegovina a DVD containing a CNN report on tourist locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and that for him it was important to show foreign partners that the whole production was performed in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He no longer does this, since he believes that it is better to work with less emotions and more discretion, which makes it possible for buyers to be even more pleasantly surprised when they see the origin of a product and its quality.

Hasan Hasić does not believe that complicated laws of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the sometimes slow administrative apparatus constitute an obstacle for business: ''It is all true, but it does not make it impossible to do business. Such problems or difficulties are present in all countries. It may not be a reason for not doing something or not trying to do something. Even in Bosnia and Herzegovina new persons are coming to public institutions, laws are amended and it is a process towards progress. We may not say that we will not do anything until everything changes! Because in such a case nothing will change! We have to go forward, have a positive influence, demonstrate best practices and positive examples, show that it is happening and that it can happen. Everyone should focus on what they are best at''.

Hasan Hasić is travelling to Bosnia and Herzegovina every two or three months and he says, ''I am very satisfied with the fact that this job enables me to frequently travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Getting together there, laughing, relaxing, but maintaining also the necessary amount of seriousness, all of this makes me feel very good. I am still discovering Bosnia and Herzegovina, its nature, beauty, different spots… The humour and character of Bosnians suits me. In Switzerland, everything is quite regulated, nothing may stand out, everything is controlled. This is an excellent option for me, because I can be both in Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina. If I want to rejuvenate my soul, I have a place to go to!'' explains Hasan Hasić with a laugh.

Just as many other businessmen from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hasan Hasić is also of the opinion that the potential of the Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora in Switzerland could be used in a much better way to support economic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina: ''The diaspora should meet businessmen and learn about opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. They should understand that there are excellent and knowledgeable persons there and that it is necessary to find a way to establish good business relations. It is necessary to discard the prejudice that exists here that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is not promising. People need to be encouraged to overcome that and, most importantly, to understand that there are good business opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When it comes to myself, I am trying to encourage, support and assist those persons who are at least thinking of what could be done in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In essence, it only takes a bit of courage and, of course, having the right contacts. One should be clear regarding the purpose of engagement, because then the path to get there becomes clearer, too''.

In this process, Hasan Hasić stresses that ''there are companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina such as Restart, SEEBA or Posao.ba, which provide business services and facilitate administrative processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These companies provide interested partners with clear and complete information about the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina, facilitate good contacts and efficient communication, provide explanations regarding existing laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina, information on resources, labour market conditions and thus facilitate and accelerate access to the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina''. He believes that businessmen who ''do not wish to open cafés, but rather factories'', where persons will find employment, and those with a long-term vision are the ones who are important for Bosnia and Herzegovina. ''One needs to dare and try'', says Hasan Hasić simply at the end of the interview.

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Links:

WHITEOAK GROUP

Companies providing business services and facilitate administrative processes in Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Restart

Posao.ba

SEEBA