ALMACO GROUP

AL MACO G R O UP

Flexible, sustainable and cost-effective pre-assembled accommodation www.almaco.cc

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Innovati ve Modular Living

Originally designed for cruise ships, ALMACO Group is continuing to adapt its modular accommodation concepts for use in the construction industry as a much greener and costeffective solution to traditional building methods Writer: Emily Jarvis Project Manager: Ben Weaver

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LMACO Group has leveraged its position as one of the leading accommodation and food handling solutions specialists not owned by a shipyard, to take its unique and versatile modular accommodation concept and apply the idea in likeminded industries including marine, offshore and construction.

Founded in 1998 in Turku, Finland, the Group initially utilised its modular concept to deliver large turnkey

outfitting projects for cruise ship interiors travelling around the world; taking its first big order in the same year with the refurbishment of M/S Europa, a vessel made by Singaporebased Company, Star Cruises. “Right from the word-go, we were operating on a global scale and quickly became known to the industry. In the subsequent year, we marked our expansion into the US with an office in Florida, continuing to grow our operations and key vendor

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ALMACO SCOPE Feasibility study, planning and architectural design Technical design and engineering Material sourcing and purchasing Prefabrication Logistics handling Site installation Project management and supervision Warranty management After-sales services

partnerships into France, Italy, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Asian territories,” recalls Sebastian Lagerlof, President of the Construction Division at ALMACO Group.

Acquiring the catering technology business from MacGregor Group in 2005 is among the many significant milestones achieved by ALMACO over the past 16 years, enabling the Company to provide a total solution spanning design and construction of

both the accommodation and catering aspects of a cruise ship.

“We utilised modular solutions to be able to fast-track construction projects, driving efficiencies and improving completion times for some of the biggest liners in the world. It quickly became apparent that our solution could be applied to the offshore industry and could also create a very unique offering for the rest of the hospitality industry,” he notes.

Having successfully applied its

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KOJA MARINE

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OJA Marine offers HVAC technology and air conditioning systems that improve energy efficiency and passenger comfort.

We deliver reliable solutions for the entire ship, from design to training.

Our own R&D and production provides state-of-the-art design and unbeatable efficiency. Our equipment creates comfort in many ways and it’s small footprint releases space for profitable use, such as cabins and passenger areas. You can trust our HVAC system design, production and commissioning throughout the system’s life cycle.

KOJA is a long-term HVAC partner that stands behind its work.

KOJA Marine is a part of Finnish familyowned company that was founded in 1935. KOJA Ltd. operates globally, yet like a family. We offer a wide range of air handling solutions and fans for buildings, ships and industry throughout the products whole life cycle. We strive to be innovative and reliable in everything we do. Responsible quality and sustainability are our core values and we continuously develop our operations. Our management system is ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certified.

The Company is responding to market opportunities, offering a complete modular product portfolio

skillsets in new and exciting areas, investing heavily in research and development, the Company recently redesigned its business model to sharpen its focus on the customer, as well as to drive the growth of the ALMACO brand and internal efficiencies. Now comprising approximately 235 employees, the Company is responding to market opportunities, offering a complete modular product portfolio for construction, modernisation, maintenance and spare parts in the three aforementioned industries; bringing together global expertise in design, engineering and sales to provide the right solution.

“When we deployed our unique business model in the oil & offshore

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T +358 3 2825 111 E kojamarine@koja.fi

www.koja.com

When we deployed our unique business model in the oil & offshore industries, we began creating large-scale modular solutions for ships with up to 500 crew members Hotel Malysia

KOJA Ltd. Head Office PO Box 351 FI33101 Tampere Finland, kojamarine@koja.fi

www.koja.com

Photo: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd

Comfort on the seven seas.

KOJA Marine

KOJA Life Cycle Services

Air conditioning systems supplier

HVAC spare parts local warehouses in USA and Finland

Design & engineering

HVAC modernization worldwide turnkey projects

State-of-the-art manufacturing Complete range of energy efficient and compact sized air conditioning units

HVAC energy efficiency surveys, calculations and developing HVAC problem solving and control on board

KOJA Ltd. Head Office PO Box 351 FI33101 Tampere Finland, kojamarine@koja.fi

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ALMACO’S

MODULAR SOLUTIONS OFFER

Significant cost savings across financing, installation and revenue yields Reduced installation time by up to 90 percent A high quality finish Operational reliability as your trusted partner

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industries, we began creating largescale modular solutions for vessels with up to 500 crew members.

However, it is important to stress that we remain focused on a few key sectors so as to make sure we can always deliver quality on time and keep up with demand,” Lagerlof says.

Despite integrating these new business areas into its core offering, ALMACO remains a key contact among cruise liners, connecting ship manufacturers to the most reputable and trusted suppliers.

New beginnings

Launching five years ago, ALMACO’s venture into the construction sector has been welcomed, with its unique offering being utilised in some of the world’s most innovative hotels and accommodation ideas. In 2013, the Company was awarded a contract by Resorts World Bimini for the supply of 287 pre-assembled standard rooms, 18

garden villa suites and all public areas for the New Hilton Hotel.

Located on Bimini Island in the Bahamas, this project presented its own individual set of challenges as Lagerlof explains: “As a small island with an extremely limited local workforce, we had to handle every element of the project ourselves, leveraging our vast experience of the marine industry to bring a total solution to construction.”

ALMACO handled the complete turnkey delivery of the project, including conceptual and interior design aspects, with guestroom assembly completed close to the site. “In addition to the accommodation section which we have now completed, we are now working on creating five floors of public areas; including a reception area, restaurants with kitchens and food handling areas - a piano lounge, banquet and conference rooms, shops, a roof terrace, gym, spa, salon, night club, VIP lounge and other key leisure facilities,” he adds.

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HANSGROHE

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ansgrohe is based in Schiltach in Germany’s Black Forest. It is a leading innovator in technology, design and sustainability in the sanitation industry. Axor, the designer brand of Hansgrohe SE, successfully realises “Designer Visions for Your Bathroom”.

Within the international Hansgrohe Group, Hansgrohe is the premium brand for bathroom and kitchen fixtures, showers and shower systems as well as thermostat and plumbing technology.

The quality products of both brands can be found in such prestigious venues as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The Company and its products have been honoured with numerous design awards.

E gpservices@hansgrohe.com

www.hansgrohe-int.com

ShowerSelect ® : the new way to control shower pleasure Form and function go hand in hand with the new ShowerSelect finish sets. With a simple push of the button, you can switch on/off or from overhead to hand shower or choose your favourite spray pattern. With no complex electronics just a reliable yet groundbreaking mechanical technology.

Intuitive.

User-friendly. Easy to clean.

Creating luxury in a modular space

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SWECO

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weco is the leading consultancy in Europe for sustainable urban engineering and development.

With 14,500 experts in 15 countries we carry out assignments in 70 countries annually. Sweco plans and designs sustainable buildings, communities and cities of the future.

Sweco has had a strong presence and strong local knowledge in Middle East.

With sustainable engineering and design we aim at high environmental values and high quality built environment.

Sweco Structures Ltd is specialized in structural engineering and optimization, energy efficiency, structural concept development, life cycle planning, building physics and R&D. E specialservices@sweco.fi

Almaco’s unique offering is utilised in some of the world’s most innovative hotels and accommodation ideas

www.sweco.fi

Sustainability

On the construction side, we set ourselves high targets that address the increasing demand for smarter and more sustainable living and working accommodation

Delivery of modular guestrooms for the Sveavägen 44 project

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Having received several large orders in the past two years especially, ALMACO Group has simultaneously focused on its research and development (R&D) to both increase and improve the offerings across all three core divisions of its business; placing particular emphasis on sustainability.

Lagerlof says: “On the construction side, we set ourselves high targets that address the increasing demand for smarter and more sustainable living and working accommodation. A recent example of this is Sveavägen 44, an office building that also comprises the ‘Hotel With Urban Deli’, a unique and stylish underground hotel at the heart of Stockholm city.

“We supplied 106 guestrooms - 84 of which were pre-assembled - to the site and construction was completed in less than nine months; an impressive feat that presents unrivalled efficiencies and cost-savings when compared to traditional building methods. And the

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opportunity to further deploy this model in European cities is huge,” Lagerlof highlights.

Achieving a rating of ‘Excellent’ from the international environmental certification system, BREEAM, Sveavägen 44 boasts direct public transport links and has a reduced energy consumption of more than 70 percent when compared to the average office building. This reduction is the equivalent to 900 cars on the road making the daily commute to work.

“Sustainability forms a crucial part of our business and will play an everincreasing role in our R&D to make sure that our whole supply chain is as environmentally-considerate as possible. Alongside this, we recently achieved ISO 14001 certification which will serve to emphasise our commitment to international quality standards and monitoring the latest green trends in tandem with our suppliers.” he details.

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Organic growth

ALMACO’s current organic growth can be attributed to its continued focus on answering the needs of today’s cruise liners, hospitality and offshore industries in the most costeffective and sustainable way possible.

Its unique value proposition has bolstered the Company’s reputation across these three sectors, rising to particular notoriety in the construction market as one of the most innovative pre-assembled room providers.

“In the next five years, ALMACO’s construction division will continue to leverage the Group’s worldwide reach and expertise, with the aim to double in size,” Lagerlof says.

He concludes: “Our people form an integral part of our strategy, and we do our best to take care of them.

By working together to overcome challenge and create the best solutions, we can make sure that ALMACO is the first to capitalise on industry change and subsequent opportunities.”

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ALMACO GROUP OY Uudenmaantie 100 20760 Piispanristi Finland

www.almaco.cc