Company profile LS Tech-Homes
Building global awareness
what is your story in the us and how did you become interested in green buildings? I lived in the US, in the Chicago area, for more than 30 years. My primary business was construction and the housing industry. I was also involved in creation of the Polish-American Contractors and Builders Association, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. The philosophy of green buildings came to me in a natural way as a continuation of my general ideas regarding nature and the environment. The first time I had an opportunity to implement environment-friendly solutions was by winning and participating in the City of Chicago’s program Green Homes for Chicago. I cooperated with the mayor’s office to solve the problem of low-income families, where elements like construction costs and home maintenance costs were crucial. Those goals could be achieved by applying lightweight construction and energy-efficient solutions, which are all now part of the green building philosophy. what is the story of your company in Poland? The idea to invest and do business in Poland, where I was born, was with me for years when I was in the US. With the political and economical transformation in Poland, and especially Poland’s membership in the European Union, I was encouraged to re-emigrate and start a company in Poland. I came up with the mission for my new company in Poland, LS Tech-Homes, that it would be to bring energy-efficient, ecological and cost-effective solutions for the contracting industry. My company does this by introducing structural insulated panels (SIP) to the market in Poland as well as covering the growing demand in the neighboring markets. To support this strategy my company runs a strong R&D department as well as state-of-the-art production lines in three different locations in Poland. So I can say that the story of LS Tech-Homes, which is about development and growth, has just begun in Poland.
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AMERICAN INVESTOR SPRING 2016
Photo courtesy of LS Tech-Homes
American Investor’s Tom Ćwiok talks with Leszek Surowiec, president of LS Tech-Homes, producer and developer of high-tech construction elements, about the modern construction market in Poland and how his American experience affects how he does business in Poland
what is your product line? what are your markets? do you sell in Poland or also export? LS Tech-Homes is currently developing a chain of distributors in Europe. The company already has trade representatives in the Scandinavian countries, the UK, Ireland and Germany. We also have some ongoing projects in those countries. When it comes to the market areas that we target with our products, it is housing, commercial construction, infrastructure projects, and mining. Our company has three technological lines for SIP panels and two lines for pultrusion, which is a process for reinforcing plastic elements. We have just finished the construction of a production plant in northern Poland. It will output two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements for modular homes, which is the latest addition to our product line. So with the last addition, our company has four production plants in northern and southern Poland. I have to say that this would not have been possible had it not been for our excellent staff, who strive to make a difference through their collaborative work with experts from our strategic partner companies.
what is the role of innovation and R&d in your product development strategies? Innovation and R&D have always been crucial elements of our company’s business development strategy. For instance, our R&D department has upgraded our SIP panels by using MgO board as a facing. A SIP panel consists of two facing boards and a core that is usually EPS, PUR or polyurethane. With this the product is much more fire-resistant and moisture-resistant and obtains mechanical parameters that are much higher than popular drywall or OSB. So we invest in the research process and obtain all necessary certificates and technical approvals for our products. We did the first research in SIP and MgO boards and not only in Europe but also in the world. In addition, I have to say that our company has received numerous awards from local authorities in the housing industry. We have excellent relations with technical universities and industry labs in Poland. LS Tech-Homes is constantly investing in young engineers and PhDs, who are helping our company to develop new products and tools.