The crisis in Ukraine will definitely initiate a new geopolitical era and the balance of powers in the world as we know it, will forever change
Alumil YU Industry A.D., which was founded in 1988, in Greece and has been successfully operating in Serbia since 2003, presented its results after twenty years of doing business in Serbia, its takes on the present situation in the business sector during the Ukraine crisis, as well as development plans in Serbia.
Alumil has been present in Serbia for 20 years. Did the company meet the management’s expectations?
Since its inception, Alumil YU has been continually growing in manpower and assets, which demonstrates that expectations of the company’s management have been met and event far exceeded initial business plans. We have developed throughout this time a fully integrated production, logistics and commercial enterprise with an annual capacity of 15,000mt of state-of-the-art, precision-engineered, surfaced treated aluminium profiles, distributed on the Serbian and European market. Any attempt of limiting Alumil YU’s development would be futile, as we have been recording growth almost every year, the 2021 record-breaking revenue growth of 19%, compared to 2020.
Recent events in the world, especially the crisis around Ukraine, have once again highlighted the need for rational use of energy, which is becoming increasingly expensive. Do you think this will affect Alumil’s business as well?
The crisis in Ukraine will definitely initiate a new geopolitical era and the balance of powers in the world as we know it, will forever change. The world woke to a new era of global upheaval. The impact of these actions is the unprecedented increase in energy costs. Since the Alumil Group has a global presence in international markets, we are closely observing the new developments and are continually readjusting our strategy in order to adapt to the new standards and emerging challenges. In recent years we have invested in energy-efficient equipment, applied new technologies and invested in smart energy consumption management systems that reduced our energy consumption significantly and improved our efficiency.
Serbia also had problems with providing a sufficient amount of electricity while some cities have a problem with high pollution, primarily due to the use of fossil fuels for heating. How much could these problems be alleviated by installing quality doors and windows on buildings and houses?
It has been proven that almost 40% of our annual heating and cooling costs can be attributed to energy loss through old, drafty windows and the same applies to public buildings. This percentage could be reduced by the replacement of old windows and by the proper design of building openings. Aluminium window profiles nowadays have advanced thermal barriers which increase their energy efficiency.
“Since the Alumil Group has a global presence on international markets, we are closely observing the new developments and are continually adapting to new standards and emerging challenges”
Alumil’s qualified and experienced R&D team of engineers study continuously the newest standards and technologies and apply them in research to design new architectural aluminium systems that meet market standards and regulations. In combination with proper glazing, the Alumil certified green systems provide a very low Uw value, which is in fact, much lower than the one specified by the Serbian regulations.
In cooperation with municipal authorities, the Serbian government has launched a grant programme for Serbian citizens to help them replace energy-inefficient house openings. What do you think about that programme and what else could be done about it?
In Serbia, the law regulates maximum Uw value for the new and renewed objects cannot exceed 1.5 W/m2K. Aluminium profiles from our product range are developed, tested and certified to gain Uw values much lower than this. It is also equally important to be able to compare products of the same category and to export accurate and trusted results according to their impact on the environment. To combat this issue, special EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) are established. Alumil offers EPDs for the advanced category of the hinged, sliding and curtain wall systems. EPDs still aren’t obligatory in Serbia and many other countries around the world but I believe it is important to be imposed in order to achieve the targeted energy efficiency. Investors based on Alumil EPD certified products can obtain LEED certification for their buildings. The Serbian government has announced subsidies for the replacement of old windows. Alumil YU supports this initiative with our certified product range and educational activities for our partners and esteem customers.
How much can environmental associations raise the awareness of people in Serbia about the need to reduce energy consumption? Does Alumil cooperate with the NGO sector?
We are carefully observing climate changes and are aligning our activities following the newest regulations of the relevant authorities and associations. As members of the Serbia Green Building Council, we are trying indirectly to contribute to the higher awareness in the society regarding this matter. Alumil YU cooperates with architects and always promotes and advises our customers to consult either architects or our team of expert engineers in order to find the best solution for their needs.
“We are carefully observing climate changes and are aligning our activities following the newest regulations of the relevant authorities and associations”
We always keep our partnered architects informed about our new products, properties, technologies and innovations that we bring to the market. Additionally, we have a 450-square-metre showroom in Novi Beograd where our partnered architects and esteemed customers can see for themselves our solutions on a 1:1 scale and get a consultation from our engineering team.
Does Alumil cooperate with Serbian faculties, primarily the Faculty of Architecture, in matters regarding energy efficiency?
For many years now, Alumil YU has been working closely with undergraduate students from the Faculty of Architecture, the Faculty of Civil Engineering, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Faculty of Technology to familiarize them and highlight the benefits on the energy efficiency in buildings that new Alumil’s advanced architectural systems bring.
What are Alumil’s development plans in Serbia in the forthcoming period?
Alumil YU Industry has been growing and developing since its inception. Our investments have exceeded the amount of €42M and annual revenues have surpassed €52M. Almost 70% of our products are exported to European industrial markets. The company is committed to contributing to the sustainable development of the Serbian industrial sector. We are working daily to help the country to achieve its development plans and support the local economy and communities by employing over 380 people and by increasing our company‘s footprint with export to Western European markets. We will continue implementing this plan next year too and target more sophisticated markets.