Tomasz Grela, CEO of Aluprof SA: "We are creating the future!

It is always interesting to follow how companies evolve. Where did they come from? Where are they now? Where do they want to go? The Polish company Aluprof - the name says it all: specialist in aluminum - is also active on the Benelux market. The company has now been under the management of Tomasz Grela for ten years. How does he look back on these ten years, but more importantly: what plans does he have for Aluprof?

An extended interview.

You have been at the helm of Aluprof for more than a decade. What has changed in your company and in the industry during that time?

"It has indeed been more than a decade, although I don't feel the passage of time that way. The work gives me great satisfaction and still brings me new challenges. I prefer to look to the future rather than the past, but looking back over the past decade, a lot has changed - for the better."

"When I started in this position, the company's annual sales fluctuated around 95 million euros. Currently, it is around 280 million. Right now we are further expanding the production plants in Bielsko-Biała and Opole, we have purchased a second vertical paint line, we will start the Center for Research and Innovation in the fall, and since the beginning of this year we have a showroom where architects, manufacturers and end customers can see Aluprof's products in interesting setups. Currently, we are the market leader in this industry in Poland and count on the European playing field. We are systematically expanding our business and customer portfolio, and our profits continue to grow every year."

Aluprof has modern, well-equipped production lines.

What has changed in the industry?

"Over the last 20 years, aluminum production has tripled. Already Polish aluminum exports exceed one million tons. Customers include the construction, automotive and packaging industries. Aluminum is an unparalleled material in several respects and perfectly recyclable. Thanks to the use of recycled raw materials in production, we consume 20 times less energy than when using primary raw materials."

"Global trends and environmental requirements imposed by the European Union to reduce CO₂-production, encourage a low-resource and energy-efficient economy. The construction of the future is ecologically conscious. This offers prospects for a raw material like aluminum, as it fits perfectly into the trend of sustainable development. The use of aluminum is an important part of the construction of υ buildings that not only save energy, but also produce it."

In that context, how do you see the future of the aluminum industry?

"Although the material itself has been known for two centuries, it is still considered innovative and a driver of the technological revolution. Almost every industry uses it. We are of course most interested in applications in construction: aluminum facades, windows, doors and shutters are light and durable. The use of aluminum profiles offers a wide spectrum of construction possibilities, especially in office buildings and large commercial properties. Studies show that aluminum window frames last up to eighty years. Aluminum components are also increasingly used in non-commercial projects. These fit well into the fashion of industrial interiors, where large panes of glass are mounted in narrow window frames. Aluminum offers those possibilities. We also have a lot to offer in terms of soundproofing, fire safety, burglary prevention and recently even flood protection. In that area, our windows have come out positively from various tests. By the way, they are also used in the construction of single-family houses."

One of Aluprof's specializations are burglar-resistant roller shutters. The SAR roller shutter falls under burglary resistance class RC3.

That's quite a lot of benefits, but probably not all of them yet!

"Aluminum is particularly plastic, allowing even the most daring architectural designs to be implemented. Proof of this are the countless individual solutions. Aluminum systems also offer a full range of colors and textures with which they can be treated: whether matte, glossy or textured, as well as wood imitation."

"Trends such as urbanization, the increasing demand for energy and climate change require the use of innovative and environmentally friendly solutions. Aluminum, in my opinion, is the answer to these challenges. Based on this assertion, we developed the Aluprof4Future program together with the Technical Universities of Alsk and Krakow and the Academy of Engineering and Humanities from Bielsko-Biała, among others. We support young architects and future structural engineers in supplementing their knowledge and increasing their competencies in the field of aluminum systems. As the main part of this project, we facilitate introductions to the industry by organizing visits to our manufacturing plants, lectures by experts, participation in conferences, scientific board councils and by offering student internships."

In what ways does this affect the company's development plans?

"In this context, it is important to remember that the Polish window and door industry is developing mainly thanks to activities in foreign markets. In the last five years, we had a sales increase of 9%. During the same time, exports increased by 64%. Therefore, our main goal is to increase export sales. Currently, we boast cooperation with 55 countries and our exports make up 40% of our total sales. We have customers in the United States, Kenya, Senegal, Iran and Mongolia. Our products reach virtually every corner of the world."

"Our goal for 2020 is to exceed the 350 million euro sales threshold. However, we do not assume a rigid framework, but want to be ready for changing market expectations and other factors. This offers us a head start. We will cooperate with new foreign research institutes to obtain certificates allowing our products to enter new markets.

We recently registered our systems with the Swedish Economic Association, which evaluates products with a view to sustainable development, and we again obtained EPD environmental certificates. Our export activities also give us the opportunity to work on the image of our country: we offer products of the highest quality and at trade fairs we always underline our Polish identity."

Aluprof's production facility in Opole.

Do the customers of Aluprof feel this dynamic growth?

"Of course! From the beginning, we have been making sure that our customers receive our products as quickly, completely and well as possible. We produce aluminum systems, not finished windows and doors. That is why it is so gratifying that Poland is the export leader in the production of windows and doors in Europe and - as analyses show - responsible for almost a quarter of all foreign sales by EU countries. Polish companies have filled the niche in the windows and doors industry. I am impressed by the export results of Aluprof's customers: Polish companies known throughout Europe and associated with products of the highest quality. This is the reward for our efforts to build our brand in foreign markets.

We are growing together and our customers are actively promoting our solutions and Polish technical thinking in foreign markets."

What is characteristic of the relationship with the buyers?

"As I said, we grow together with our customers. It is they who, by implementing increasingly complex projects, somehow get contractors and architects to adopt our solutions. By completing successful projects, we were able to break down the wall that separated us from the main architects. It was enough to prove that they could trust us."

"Currently, our strategy is to offer customers the opportunity to cooperate with a strong brand, with a maximally flexible partner who is willing to take on new challenges and who can offer a particularly wide range of proven products that can be successfully applied in current and future building trends. We are doing our best to ensure that architects, investors, contractors and everyone who knows the Aluprof brand associates the products with the highest quality and wide application possibilities."

Aluprof has production plants in Bielsko-Biała and Opole.

Lots of plans, forecasts and predictions. Aren't you too much of an optimist?

"In this case I don't have to be an optimist, this is pure realism! We will close the second quarter of 2019 once again with sales and production records.

We have already received the most important industry awards this year: Great Pearl of the Polish Economy and the Forbes Diamond. The weekly magazine Wprost has again included us in their overviews of two hundred Largest Companies, one hundred Ambassadors, and 50 Business Tigers, improving our position in each of these categories. Last year, our brand was in the Top Brand ranking among the five hundred biggest brands like Mercedes, Philips or Onet, a Polish Internet portal.

A sales increase of 100 million is a very realistic result. But production is only one side of the coin. We are also concerned daily with building for the future. Innovation is therefore high on our list of priorities!"

Your schedule is probably overflowing. However, the vacations are just around the corner. With this business development, is there room for vacation?

"The motto of our time might be: achieve as much as possible in as little possible time. Therefore, we tend to think - this applies to some employers as well as employees - that extending work time and foregoing leisure leads to greater profits and faster achievement of targets. Nothing could be further from the truth! A rested and satisfied employee is much more efficient at work. A change of environment, different forms of activities and relaxation allow you to unwind and distance yourself from difficult issues at work... That's why in my calendar there is always room for vacation, to spend time with family and friends. That geeft me new energy and a fresh perspective, and it allows me to perform my tasks much more efficiently."