Construction Forum 2019 - Why can't we build better buildings?

O F F I C I A L

C O N G R E S S

B U L L E T I N

2019 BRITISH POLISH CONSTRUCTION FORUM 24 May 2019, London

Why can't we

BUILD BETTER BUILDINGS? Organiser:

Honorary Patronage:

Partners:

Supporters: #ConstructionPL

With Special thanks to all our partners Congress Partners:

Honorary Patronage:

Supporters:

Media Partners:

Contact us: UK PBLINK

PL BPCC

@pb_link www.pblink.co.uk

Michael Dembinski Chief Adviser Michael.dembinski@bpcc.org.pl Twitter: @policies4poland

Membership and Event Coordinators in the UK: Bartlomiej Kowalczyk, London & South England, bart@pblink.co.uk Ewa Jasinska-Davidson, North & Central England, Wales, ewa@pblink.co.uk Anna Drogon, Scotland, Northern Ireland, anna.d@pblink.co.uk events@pblink.co.uk

Forum Website: www.pblink.co.uk/construction2019 Forum Venue Information: NatWest 250 Bishopsgate EC2M 4AA London United Kingdom

Please Note This event will be filmed and photographed by professionals for marketing and PR purposes. In addition, members of the local and national media may be present. If you do not wish to be filmed or photographed, please make yourself known to a Polish Business Link staff member and we will comply with your wishes the best we can.

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The 2019 British Polish Construction Forum - Why can’t we build better buildings?

How often have we heard the argument “I’m too busy to learn the skill that will allow me to do more in less time”? This is particularly true in construction. While office work and manufacturing adopted word processing and CADCAM technologies 30 years ago, much of the planning stage of construction is still done on paper. BIM is the answer – it should be the standard for architects, developers, contractors, sub-contractors, landlords and facilities managers. Yet, very few firms in the supply chain use BIM. Spending time on doing projects in BIM saves time on site, lowers construction costs by spotting problems ahead, and lowers operating and maintenance costs over a building’s lifetime.

We stand at the dawn of a new age in construction – BIM is a big a part of that.

Smart cities, smart grids, smart meters, the Internet of Things will mean a connected world where buildings communicate with each other. New materials and processes, such as Perovskite solar cells (the means of mass-producing them having been invented by Dr Olga Malinkiewicz) will revolutionise construction.

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These solar cells are translucent and can be applied to windows. Factory prefabrication of buildings and 3D printing on-site are two more technologies that will become increasingly common in future.

The re-purposing of existing buildings is proving controversial. Britain’s retail sector is contracting rapidly as e-commerce takes sales away from high streets. Meanwhile,

new trends in offices, such as co-working, home-office and activity-based workspaces mean, that businesses need fewer square feet from which to operate. So, retail and office premises are undergoing a change of use. Permitted Development Rights make it easier for developers to turn them into homes, but there are growing concerns that the result will be ghettos of poorquality housing in locations unsuitable for residential use.

employers are finding it even harder to recruit and retain staff. The result is wage inflation and rising costs, which developers cannot easily pass on to endusers.

Above all, the construction sector faces an unprecedented skills shortage. With Brexit threatening to cut off sources of labour from continental Europe, and vocational training unable to provide the required numbers of young people entering the industry,

There’s much learning to be shared at this year’s British Polish Construction Forum!

Bartłomiej Kowalczyk Forum Organiser & PBLINK Director

Micheael Dembinski Forum Moderator & BPCC Chief Adviser

What are the answers? Who can demonstrate the best practice, from which others can learn? Which project management tools can bring support to hard-pressed builders?

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Construction Forum Agenda 10:00

10:30

Registration

10:35

Official Opening & Welcoming: - Arkady Rzegocki, Polish Ambassador in the UK - Pawel Mes, One Money Mail Ltd t/a Sami Swoi - Bartlomiej Kowalczyk, PBLINK

Introduction, Michael Dembinski, BPCC

10:45

Why can’t we build better buildings? Rob Nunn, Park West Holdings

11:00 Morning Discussion Panel: Why can’t we build Better Buildings?

- Piotr Swieboda, STP

- Piotr Szykula, Danwood House

- Emma Stapleton, Copronet

- Carl Boorer, Solid Management

- Robert Nunn, Park West Holdings

- Guy Pearson, Pearson Business Solutions

Moderator: Michael Dembinski, BPCC 12:00 – 12:50

Roundtable Discussion

Challenge #1: How to improve poor productivity and profitability?

Challenge #2: How to attract talent?

Challenge #3: How to improve project performance?

Moderator: Nick Howe, NatWest Business

12:50

Roundtable closing remarks, Rob Nunn, Park West Holdings

13:00 – 13:45

Lunch

13:45 – 16:20 Workshops

13:50 – 14:20 Workshop 1: What are good foundations of being paid in the

construction industry? Kate Boguslawska, Carter Lemon Camerons 14:30 – 15:00

Workshop 2: How to deliver construction projects more efficiently, resulting in savings in both time and money for everyone, Emma Stapleton & David Stapleton, Copronet

15:10 – 15:40

Workshop 3: How can we design property for the future?

Linda Rosen, Director, Edge Design Studio

15:50 – 16:20

Workshop 4: How can the UK build at least 340,000 new homes a year to satisfy the growing population demand and keep housing at an affordable price?

Guy Pearson, Pearson Business Solutions

16:00

Business Networking

18:00

Close

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Forum Partners Whether you are just starting out or you are looking to expand - NatWest and its team of experienced business managers can work with you to identify what support there is available - whether from the bank or via a whole host of other business support organisations - to help get you to where you want to be.

One Money Mail Ltd T/As Sami Swoi is the biggest Polish money transfer network in the UK. Over 15-years of experience in the market is the best guarantee of the quality of services offered to over 300 000 satisfied customers.

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is one of the most popular transfers in Sami Swoi. Funds are delivered within 2 working days. If time is important, Sami Swoi offers ‘EXPRESS’ bank transfer and money will be sent to an account within one working day without high transfer fees. What if you forget about someone’s birthday? Sami Swoi recommends ‘LIVE’ transfer with 10 minutes’ delivery time. If a recipient does not have a bank account, there are various options available to send money directly to the beneficiary by choosing the transfer for cash at the Polish Post Offices - money will be available the same day.

With Sami Swoi transfers can be made through one of their branches throughout the UK, via our phone line service +44 (0) 207 099 2441, via the website www.przekazypieniezne.com or our mobile application – you can transfer money faster and easier than ever before.

specialist areas includes: corporate, commercial, property, employment, litigation, wealth management and tax and immigration.

Carter Lemon Camerons LLP is a law firm situated in the heart of City of London. We are committed to delivering the highest level of legal services. Our comprehensive expertise in range of

We are known for approachability, pragmatism and effectiveness. We dedicate ourselves to working with our clients to achieve the outcomes they are looking for. We enjoy close and long-term relations with our clients in sectors including: hospitality and leisure, healthcare, charities, banking and lending, property development and investment, transport companies, private clients.

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Our expertise in sourcing, manufacturing, packaging and logistic management, have allowed us to further tailor-make our products according to our customer’s specific requirements whether that be for retail, manufacture or foodservice.

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Guest Speakers

Michael Dembinski Chief Adviser at British Polish Chamber of Commerce

Piotr Szykula UK Country Manager at Danwood House

Guy Pearson Business Growth Specialist at Pearson Business Solutions

Kate Boguslawska

Nick Howe

Partner at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP

Enterprise Manager at NatWest Business

Emma Stapleton

Carl Boorer

Co-Founder & COO of Copronet

Client Service Consultant at Solid Management

Piotr Swieboda CEng MICE Chairman at Association of Polish Engineers in Great Britain

Robert Nunn CEO of Park West Holdings

Linda Rosen Director at Edge Design Studio

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Workshops “What are good foundations of being paid in the construction industry?“ Kate Boguslawska, Carter Lemon Camerons Time: 13:50 - 14:20

How to make sure that you are paid for your work? What to do when the project has gone ‘pear shape’? What are the most common reasons for construction disputes? Whilst legal proceedings are the last resort, the law offers an array of cheaper and quicker alternatives.

What are they and will they work for your business?

Construction disputes are a common place. Kate Boguslawska from Carter Lemon Camerons explains what can be done to avoid them and what to do when they occur. Costs and time of legal proceedings make them the last resort for the parties. Kate explains what alternative dispute resolutions options are available in the construction sector.

“How to deliver construction projects more efficiently, resulting in savings in both time and money for everyone“ Emma Stapleton & David Stapleton, Copronet Time: 14:30 - 15:00

What could possibly go wrong? We’ve got a great team. We’ve been planning it for months.

We’ve thought of everything. We’ve got the contractors lined up. And yet, nearly 80% of construction projects end up either late or over budget. Let’s find out how to stop that from happening…

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“How can we design property for the future?”

Linda Rosen, Director, Edge Design Studio Time: 15:10 - 15:40

This workshop from Linda Rosen is designed to surprise you; provoke thoughts that are rarely spoken about in construction; and challenge you to build, design, sell and profit from the development of better buildings. Inside and Out.

Rosen, today, will argue that a focus on high-standards, quality craftsmanship, sustainability, and the use of global technologies and an international supply chain is exactly what the UK needs to build better buildings.

Expect an interactive seminar, with questions and examples that are designed to change the way we think about the end consumer in the UK, and how to maximise your profits via quality instead of cost-cutting.

“How can the UK build at least 340,000 new homes a year to satisfy the growing population demand and keep housing at an affordable price?“ Guy Pearson, Pearson Business Solutions Time: 15:50 - 16:20 This is one of the biggest challenges in the UK Construction sector. Too few residential properties have been built for many decades and recent research, by Heriot- Watt University, has estimated that the UK needs 3.91 million additional new homes. This means building 340,000 new homes every year until 2031. How do we do that, whether we are developers, architects, contractors or manufacturers?

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Roundtable Discussion - Why can’t we build better buildings?

The construction output value of Great Britain alone was worth nearly £164 billion last year – more than double the value recorded in 2000 (source: Statista construction industry report). According to the ONS, the value of new construction works in the UK has risen to its highest level on record, standing at a massive £109 million. But in a growing industry, which is full of opportunities, we also face a number of challenges. This Roundtable discussion will focus on 3 challenges:

Challenge #1: How to improve poor productivity and profitability?

Challenge #2: How to attract talent?

Challenge #3: How to improve project performance?

I would like to invite all delegates to take part in our roundtable discussions. It is a great opportunity for all participants to work in small groups, get to know each other, share views and opinions.

Each table will have a moderator, who will discuss one of the 3 challenges standing in the way of the UK Construction industry. You will have 20 minutes to discuss and find solutions which you think will work best. Once the discussion part completes, the table moderators will present results, while other tables will be able to provide comments. The main moderator of the roundtable discussion will be Nick Howe, Enterprise Manager at NatWest Business.

I hope you will enjoy this interactive part of the Forum.

Bartlomiej (Bart) Kowalczyk Chief Organiser Construction Forum

Alternative Dispute Resolution Unpaid contracts, unfinished work, such problems are a commonplace in construction industry. How do modern companies solve their disputes?

Gone are the days when a party to a dispute shouted: ‘I will see you in court’.

Nowadays disputing parties consider if they can afford going to court and look at other options. They often benefit from a number of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms available. The most common forms of the ADR are negotiations, mediation, adjudication and arbitration.

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The recent court reforms changed the legal landscape drastically and made proceeding a last resort. Even if parties choose to go to court, the pre-action protocol requires them to consider suitability of the ADR. If a party unreasonably refuses to engage in the ADR, the court has the discretion to make an adverse costs order against it.

What are general benefits of ADR? Reaching a resolution through litigation process can take many months or even years. ADR can usually be arranged and undertaken on substantially shorter timescales, therefore, providing substantial time and cost saving.

Another advantage of ADR is the degree of flexibility to tailor the process to the needs of the parties and to reach settlement based on their interests, rather than having solutions imposed on them - a luxury not offered in courts.

When parties hope to preserve a positive business relationship, they are more likely to do so if they engage in ADR. Embarking on the litigation path usually burns the bridges.

Another important difference is confidentiality. Whilst the court proceedings are generally open to the public and judgements are available to wide readership, the ADR procedures can be confidential in nature; and if settlement is not reached, anything said in the process will be subject to privilege in any future proceedings.

Are there any cons of ADR? In a limited number of circumstances, ADR is not suitable. This is where there is a need for a precedent, or injunction, or when the costs are disproportionate to the value of the claim. Another possible disadvantage of ADR could be the fact, that, unlike legal proceedings, it does not “stop the clock” for the purposes of limitation.

Historically, parties were reluctant to take part in ADR for the fear of appearing ‘weak’.

Settlement was often viewed as a defeat.

This attitude has shifted and currently, avoiding legal proceeding and settling the matters is seen as a sign of victory.

A settlement rate of 89% for mediation, quoted by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution should encourage sceptics to try to resolve problems through ADR.

Author: Kate Boguslawska Carter Lemon Camerons katarzynaboguslawska@cartercamerons.com 17

C A P I TA L ELECTRICAL WHOLESALERS

LIGHTING AND ACCESSORIES

FORBES LOMAX

COLLINGWOOD LIGHTING

403 Greenford Road | UB6 8RF | 0800 133 7430 | greenford@cewgroup.co.uk 362 Upper Richmond Road West | SW14 7JT | 0800 133 7425 | richmond@cewgroup.co.uk www.cewgroup.co.uk

Transparency Through Technology You may or may not be surprised to discover that we work in the second least digitised industry in the world, just ahead of agriculture. In Europe, it is the least digitised industry. Isn’t it incredible, that in the age of free access to information through internet, our industry remains so opaque?

Sometimes, it is easy for us, professionals, to forget that the majority of construction “clients” are only occasional users of construction expertise. For those clients, the experience can sometimes be compared to taking your car to a garage and hoping that you can trust the advice or the diagnosis that you receive.

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There are some businesses and information providers out there, who thrive on undermining the bidding process. There are several recent examples of finding restrictive practices operating in our industry by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). For example, a couple of months ago, some fit out contractors were fined for more than £7m for operating as a cartel. This is disappointing, given that surveys by the CIOB in 2006 and 2013 highlighted the levels of mistrust and potential corruption in our industry. And in 2011, the forerunner of the CMA levied enormous fines on several of the largest contractors for corrupt practices. Clearly, this lack of transparency continues, and it is very damaging for our industry.

Technology can certainly improve efficiency.

Tools, such as the Project Hub in Copronet, provide affordable means to managing your projects, communicating decisions and changes with your team, keeping all of your data and documentation in one place.

These are the things that can cause delays and frustrations and even losses if not done properly. Copronet have taken the view, that by providing affordable technology to everyone, they can help create a fairer and more efficient industry.

But it can also improve transparency which will increase trust. Giving clients visibility of the people and the processes involved will reassure them, that they make the right choices and get the best value to deliver the best project outcomes. We need to treat our clients in the same way you would wish to be treated by a medical professional.

Author:Emma Stapleton & David Stapleton Copronet emma.stapleton@copronet.com

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How UK developers can take advantage of Nordic design trends to increase property values Scandinavian design, summarised in three words, would be best described as minimalist, functional, and simple.

This unique style of Nordic or Scandinavian interior design was developed in response to the harsh Scandinavian climate. The result? Sustainable Scandinavian homes built with resilient materials, complimented by interiors that provide a calm environment to unwind in.

So how do we do it?

1. Use bright colours Scandinavian countries are located at high latitudes, which means long, dark winters.

This is why, our approach, as a Scandinavian design firm, is to paint interiors white.

It means, that the maximum possible amount of light gets reflected, so the need for artificial lighting is reduced and spaces stay bright. Of course, not all Scandinavian interior spaces are entirely white. In fact, it is not unusual to see a bold, dark or bright feature wall, which injects personality and character.

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2. Cut back on carpeting If there is one thing which has never been a la mode in the Scandinavian style, it is wall-to-wall carpeting. And there is a good reason for it! Carpets are a great place for bacteria and allergens to lurk in.

In the Scandinavian way, at EDGE Design Studio, we prefer to install wooden floors which are far easier to clean. Still craving something soft under your feet? You will find dot rugs in plenty of Scandinavian developments, which are proven to be easier to manage, clean and replace.

3. Focus on light wood The floor isn’t the only place where you will find Scandinavian designers like EDGE using wood. You will also find large quantities of this material in furniture or embedded within walls of Scandinavian spaces. Using wood in permanent structures is a great way to lower carbon emissions, which is one of the key reasons for Scandinavian homes to be strongly associated with sustainability. Timber elements are also a great way to add a cosy touch to sparse spaces.

4. Enough storage space The key to good Scandinavian design is attaining that elusive blend of practicality and craftsmanship. Functional pieces of furniture should be used to their full potential - combining decorative items with additional storage space wherever possible. possible.

5. Make use of cosy textiles and greenery As Scandinavian designers, another important practice that we commonly employ, is to keep things simple when it comes to decorating spaces with blankets and pillows. When we do use fabrics, we often use heavily textured materials to offset colder design elements.

We also love to accent spaces with the use of plants and greenery. Natural features have been shown to improve the well-being of an office space and can help to bring out the coordinated colour palette of a room.

Implementing the Best Scandinavian Design Lessons The Scandinavian design principle provided here can be used to enhance virtually any commercial or residential space. This style’s continued popularity means that, if used correctly, these lessons are a great way to increase the financial value and user comfort of any property.

Author: Linda Rosen, Edge Design Studio, linda@edge-designstudio.com 25

Advancement of female entrepreneurs is a £250bn opportunity for the UK economy The government-commissioned Rose Review examines the barriers women in business face and what can be done to overcome them.

Highlights The advancement of female entrepreneurs is a £250bn opportunity for the UK economy

Currently, female entrepreneurs are underrepresented in the manufacturing, IT, financial services and transportation sectors

The UK is the start-up capital of Europe, attracting more venture capital than any other European country, yet only one in three UK entrepreneurs is female. In comparison with 15% of women in Canada, almost 11% of women in the US, and over 9% of women in Australia and the Netherlands, only 5.6% of UK women run their own companies.

But without more women in business, the UK is losing out. According to a new governmentbacked review by Alison Rose, CEO of commercial and private banking at NatWest, boosting female entrepreneurship could add £250bn to the economy.

“We need the creativity and innovation that comes from diversity to keep up with the rapidly changing world around us” Rose was appointed by Robert Jenrick, exchequer secretary to the Treasury, to identify the entrepreneurial gender gap and what could be done to reduce it. Her findings, published to coincide with International Women’s Day, reveal that female entrepreneurs are underrepresented in high-value sectors such as manufacturing, IT and communications, and financial services.

What’s holding women back? Rose’s review says access to funding, risk aversion, primary care responsibilities and perception of skills 26

The Rose Review recommends increasing funding for women who want to start a business, and providing greater family care support so they can reach their goals

are among the barriers female entrepreneurs need to overcome. And in order to do that, she recommends eight initiatives the private sector (and parts of the public sector) can take forward, including: increased funding; support from private investors; the expansion of mentoring and networking opportunities; and accelerating the rollout of entrepreneurial courses to schools and colleges.

Rose says: “Business has a big part to play in making the UK the best place to start and scale a business, regardless of gender. It’s clear that tailored support from specialists who understand the different challenges that female business owners face, as well as the way they think and run their business, makes a real difference to success rates.

“We need the creativity and innovation that comes from diversity to keep up with the rapidly changing world around us. The goal of this report is to help build a stronger, more productive economy by making the UK the best country in the world for women to start and grow new businesses.”

Source: The Alison Rose Review Nick Howe - Enterprise Team NatWest Commercial & Private Banking M. 07826 902235 | E nick.howe@natwest.com T @Nick__Howe

The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship Advancing female entrepreneurship represents a £250 billion opportunity for the UK economy.

Less value foregone from other economic activity

£133

£165

billion

billion

Existing businesses that scale PLUS

£124 billion

New business

Potential new available value

PLUS

£250

£158 New businesses that scale

billion

billion

Female entrepreneurs are underrepresented in the most productive, high value sectors.

Fewer UK women choose to become entrepreneurs than in best practice peer countries.

1

2

3

4

Transportation

Financial services

Manufacturing

I.T. & Communications

92% 8%

86% 14% 82% 18% 88% 12%

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How Contractors Can Automate Their Business

Running a business is not just all about running to meetings and presenting. Alongside the business main tasks, there are hundreds of repetitive smaller tasks that must be completed every day in order for everything to run smoothly and function properly.

For instance, there are leads to be generated and qualified, reports to be prepared, invoices and quotations to be followed up, onboarding process to be conducted etc.

Thankfully with a little bit of motivation and the right tools, you can get organised, get paid on time and get your professional life on track. So, whether you are a builder, a van driver, an electrician or a contractor of any other kind, here are several useful pieces of advice to follow.

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Go Digital Paperwork is a problem for most businesses.

And if your work involves travelling to the client site, you might find that issuing physical invoices and other documents is a real hassle.

Because of this, it makes sense to switch to an all-digital solution - one which can handle all of your bookkeeping needs even if you spend most of your time out on the road and not stuck in an office.

Modern accounting software will fit the bill. The best platforms are cloud-powered,

meaning that your records will be accessible from almost anywhere. And whether your needs are very basic or increasingly complicated, you will be able to manage them more effectively with the right software package.

Get Automated Another perk of embracing software solution is that you can make sure that important processes happen automatically.

This includes things like issuing invoices to clients for repeat work, chasing them for payments if they are late, and even sending out messages to thank them for their custom when you get paid.

As your business grows, you can add in automated email marketing campaigns to keep clients up to date with latest offers or services you provide. Scheduling appointments and activating timesensitive alerts can also be included. The best software will be flexible, powerful and incredibly convenient for you and your customers. Outstanding customer experience is a factor which allows your business to stand out from your competitors.

With CRM, as soon as a customer contacts your company, your staff will be able to retrieve all available data, including contact details, past interactions, latest purchases, and anything else that might assist them in finding a solution. Therefore, in many cases, your representatives will be able to quickly locate a solution.

Harness the Benefits of Smarty Software Smarty Software offers two products, Smarty Accounting and Smarty CRM, which can help contractors and sub-contractors tackle all of the challenges involved in running a small business. The platform is entirely compliant with the GDPR and comes with a host of other features, which will make your life easier. With the software, you can make quarterly VAT submissions, issue CIS invoices, work with an existing accountant to optimise your bookkeeping, keep track of transactions across more than one bank account, and automate almost every aspect of lead generation and sales process.

Don’t let the pressures of accounting get you down. Take advantage of Smarty’s sublime accounting software and see what difference it can make. Find out more at www.smartysoftware.net.

Author: Agnieszka Gradzewicz, +44(0)203 637 4716, hello@smartysoftware.net

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The last top tip for tendering All good construction firms know to pay attention to the key factors in quotations and tenders: quality assurance, accreditation, price, costings, safety, etc. Always make sure your bidding procedures are transparent to avoid falling foul of the Bribery Act 2010. You know how to navigate ESPD, ISO and all the appropriate acronyms.

Sometimes overlooked, but equally important, is the language that you use.

Even a few grammatical errors and spelling mistakes in your tender can make your business look unprofessional. Unfair, maybe, but humans are judgemental creatures and it is humans who will be evaluating your bid.

Top tips for eliminating mistakes in your tender: Read it out loud to yourself. You’ll be surprised at the typos you’ll find. Speaking engages a different part of your brain from silent reading.

Get a colleague or a friend to read it over. It is very hard to see your own mistakes.

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If you’re not sure of a spelling, use a reliable online dictionary. Make sure it is UK English!

If you have the luxury of time, put the document in a drawer for a week and come back to look it over with a fresh eye.

Equally important is to keep your sentences concise and your paragraphs short. Humans also have limited concentration spans. You can make a large amount of information much easier to digest by cutting it up into small chunks (much like feeding a small child!)

Avoid repetition. It just clutters up your document and your reader switches off.

The British Assessment Bureau, TendersUK

and most professional bodies stress the importance of spelling and grammar in construction quotations/tenders.

Most recommend hiring a professional proofreader to check and edit before submission.

There is a significant time and cost implication in preparing and following through any tender process. Don’t waste it all by allowing your business to appear unprofessional.

Bill Mair bill@precisionpresentation.com PrecisionPresentation.com

Join Summer Thames Business Cruise 5th July 2019, 6pm, London, Festival Pier Book Now www.pblink.co.uk/thames2019

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Smart Products are expensive and luxurious Interview with Sławomir Brzeziński, Managing Director of Nemezia Ltd & Nemezis specialising in the production of wooden internal doors, kitchens and furniture.

What is the difference between the two companies you run?

Nemezis is a manufacturer company offering doors and furniture. Nemezia has so far few completed projects to its credit, but at present should be treated as a start-up, because it conducts research on an innovative project in conjunction with scientists of the Warsaw University of Technology and the Gdańsk- based CTO SA company.

Can doors be innovative?

The product is still at the stage of research, so I cannot say much about it. But lifting the veil – we are working on an innovative fire door project with an Internet of Things solution. The project is carried out under the Operational Programme Smart Growth 2014-2020.

I hope that the research work will be completed this autumn and that we will be able to launch the product on the market in mid-2020. The door is mainly intended for historical and public buildings, however, you cannot rule out, that it will also be of interest to private individuals.

The Internet of Things? Smart devices controlled via tablet or a smartphone are gaining in popularity.

My experience and the current situation in Poland tells me that there is a long and hard road ahead of us. All smart products are expensive and luxurious, but the luxury is translated into additional security.

Security?

An intelligent building means not only electricity savings, but also security. And it is not only about the burglar-proof doors.

Security also means lighting, door and window control systems compatible with the alarm, and surveillance systems.

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Returning to your present product line, you offer both classical and modern forms.

Which are more popular with buyers?

We work with many designers, architects and interior decorators. Simple forms are the most popular. Wood with glazing is what customers choose most often.

Everything depends on the client’s needs.

It is not mass production. Is every product you make a unique work of art?

It harmonises with the contemporary style.

It is beautiful, elegant and comfortable. I think it may have some features of a work of art.

Is this what sets your products apart from those made by your competition?

Not only this. Another factor is the diversity of our doors and furniture, and the attention to detail. We are open to new trends. Sometimes we adopt them from our satisfied customers. We provide comprehensive support to our clients from the design stage through to the completion of the project.

Who are your main customers: private individuals or corporate customers? Homes or large buildings?

Our products can be used anywhere. We cooperate with private individuals and large companies. We have recently had an opportunity to make doors for several apartments in the Złota 44 building – a prestigious residential tower block in Warsaw. Clients look for something special, but only a few can afford such solutions.

Price is still the key criterion. I must admit, that in many cases, clients’ expectations diverge from the prices we propose.

I do not fully agree with you. There are more and more clients who pay attention to quality and are able to pay the appropriate price.

Indeed. But those who already look for good products often choose Global firms.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence?

Quite often, you can come across Polish products sold under a foreign company’s brand. In the current market conditions, my companies are still like a grain of sand in a desert. But I hope that the situation will change. I have become a member of the Polish Association of Building Managers (PSMB) and received a certificate confirming my qualifications in compliance with European Union requirements. I see my PSMB membership as a big opportunity for development; even more so, as the Association’s goal is not only the integration of managerial activity in the building sector, but also cooperation with similar foreign associations.

Have you already cooperated with foreign partners?

Iceland, Lithuania, Belgium and Switzerland have been our destinations so far. We would like to expand to other markets, including the UK. Source: Polish Market Contact to Sławomir Brzezinski: office@nemezia.uk

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