Balco Group

BRINGING THE OUTSIDE IN

Over the past 37 years Balco Group has carved out a niche within the construction market, providing customers with innovative and climate-smart balcony solutions. Having just patented a groundbreaking new design, CEO Camilla Ekdahl sat down with Inside Sustainability to explain more. Report by Imogen Ward.

When it comes to designing the perfect balcony, Balco Group has it down to an art form. With a heavy focus on development, the company continues to produce new and exciting products that meet the needs and requirements of the marketplace.

“We are always working to develop our products, and we are actually one of the few companies exploring balcony glazing,” CEO Camilla Ekdahl explained. “Innovation is always on our mind, that’s why we have several brands in our portfolio and a long list of patents.”

Ever since its establishment in 1987, Swedish-based Balco has worked hard to progress from a local product-oriented supplier to a market-leading innovator. From renovations to new builds – and even out at sea – the company is a pioneer of smart and stylish balcony designs.

Now operating with seven companies and brands under its wing, the group successfully delivers a bold range of patented designs for all to enjoy.

Camilla Ekdahl, Chief Executive Officer Balco Group

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A patented portfolio

When it comes to producing balconies, Balco’s main goal is to create products that help improve people’s welfare.

“A balcony is more than a piece of metal,” said Ms Ekdahl. “It contributes to a person’s living area and gives them an additional space to enjoy in their spare time. Being able to contribute to improving people’s living conditions is a core pillar of Balco’s ethos.

“That’s why we take the design of our products very seriously. Not only do they need to be practical, but they also need to look good and make people feel great.”

Balco’s impressive portfolio is wide and diverse. One of its most popular options is the glazed balcony. Acting as an additional room, this balcony provides customers with more than just extra floor space.

“The unique element of this balcony is that it can be enjoyed for most of the year,” said Ms Ekdahl. “No matter the weather, people can use this space and enjoy the views from it, whilst still being in the comfort and warmth of an indoor space.”

Focusing on the UK’s newbuild market, the company also developed Levitate in

2020. This pre-assembled open balcony is made to be robust and is available in aluminium and steel.

“Of course, if people were to look at the price of the product alone, it is not the cheapest option, but it is by far the most convenient and cost efficient from an installation point of view. Construction companies don’t want the hassle of having to store our balcony materials, or work around our installers as they build it. By constructing the balcony at our facility and delivering it in one piece, we are saving them time, space and money.

“We are working on getting more constructions companies in other countries to understand the huge benefits of using

The Levitate balcony system mounted on the newbuild project Southwark, (London, UK).

our Levitate product versus the traditional way of making balconies in the new building sector.”

Heating the home

Always ready to shake up the market, Balco has recently developed a patent-pending design that cleverly integrates heat pump piping into its glazed balconies.

“We feel this new product will be immensely popular in the Norwegian market, because it works well with their heating systems,” Ms Ekdahl commented. “Norway relies heavily on electricity for warming up their apartments and using heat pumps is a good way to reduce the need. We are working with standard heat pumps to provide heating by integrating smooth, visually appealing piping into our glazed balconies. This removes the

need for intrusive heat pump systems running down people’s walls. One system is also capable of heating four apartments at once.

“As a bonus, the system doesn’t add unwanted noise to the balconies, meaning they retain their enjoyable and relaxing feel. This is a huge advantage of ours, and it took only eight months to develop.”

Project Mannsverk Borettslag (Bergen, Norway) after.

Project Mannsverk Borettslag (Bergen, Norway) before.

Following the release of this product, Balco has several projects underway that are incorporating the new design, including an agreement with a housing association in Norway.

In 2023, the company also took on its first total supply order in Sweden, which involved the installation of glazed units and solar panels.

Supporting a greener future

Having dedicated the last 37 years to creating climate-smart balcony solutions, it should come as no surprise that sustainability is an important element of Balco’s decision-making process. With the company’s glazed balconies an ever-popular

option, these stylish additions not only look great, but they have a major green benefit as well. Thanks to its design, Balco’s glazed balcony offers customers an impressive energy saving of up to 30%.

The group has also been making important changes in-house to promote a more efficient operation. Aiming to become carbon neutral by 2045, the company has installed

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Glazing project, Skogtun Borettslag AL (Stavanger, Norway) before

Glazing project, Skogtun Borettslag AL (Stavanger, Norway) after

solar panels on its production facility and worked hard to reduce its carbon footprint. So much so, that it has already reached its 2025 target of a 20% carbon reduction in comparison to the year 2019 (leading Balco to increase this target to a more challenging 38%, which was then also reached in 2023).

“The Covid pandemic was a really important period for us, as it allowed us to take the time to really explore our ESG work and set important and achievable targets,” Ms Ekdahl explained. “Wanting to have more of an impact, we also became a member of the UN Global Compact, the Swedish Green Building Council, and we were awarded the Nasdaq ESG Transparency certification. So, we have really put in the groundwork to bring forth positive change.”

With targets in mind, Balco is also determined to grow by an impressive 10% per financial year. One of the ways it intends on doing this, is by exploring new opportunities.

“Despite the current market climate, we are optimistic in our outlook and will strive to accomplish 10 per cent growth each year over a business cycle,” Ms Ekdahl continued. “We will achieve this organi -

cally, but also via acquisitions. As we carry on through 2024 and beyond, we also intend to explore new markets and expand in the regions we are currently in. We are very big in Sweden and Norway – especially since acquiring NMT (A balcony contractor in Sweden) in early 2023 – and although we have become a big player in Denmark, there is still room to grow.”

In January 2024, Balco Group acquired Riikku Group Oy, which works mainly with construction companies in Finland. The acquisition will give Balco Group a good platform in the Finnish market, although Rikku Group Oy products are also suitable for other Balco markets.

When discussing the job role, Ms Ekdahl expressed a lot of passion for the company and the positive effect it has on other people’s lives: “If we look at the overall picture and assess how Balco is contributing, it is clear that we are helping to improve people’s lives and giving them something extra that offers happiness.” n

Production facilities in showing a milling machine Elumatec.

The Balco welding production facility in Växjö, Sweden (headoffice)