STROITELI - magazine for building materials and technologiesyear XX, issue 6, 2023

“The individual approach is the main principle of the company”

Interview with dipl. eng. Ivaylo Lazarov, General Manager of Sament

“The individual approach is the main principle of the company”

Mr. Lazarov, could you please explain us about the innovations in the company activity?
Sament is a company committed with project implementation of specific activities – from the design to the production, installation and the after-sales maintenance. In this meaning we have some new fields and new product groups – new for the Bulgarian market, but not for us. They have imposed by the state and the trends of the market in the last few years.

After the change of the regulation about the smoke and heat extraction systems have imposed one new tendency which from boutique became wide spread. Those are the systems which serve to limit the spread of the smoke in case of fire or so-called smoke barriers. In the last two years it is becoming more and more popular on the Bulgarian construction market.

The other that have significant accent in our work in the last two years are the heat extraction systems in industrial hall where the activity inside the building supposed high temperature emissions. This field had been before our activity, just now it came the time to be developed into a wider range.

I will mention also another product field which we perform in some projects related with implementation of systems for limiting the wind impact and systems for protecting of birds during their flight, acoustic barriers also. These products have been used in the construction of autobahns.

New accent in our product range are the systems with increased heat and noise insulation. This imposed by the new construction of sport facilities, as well as some projects related to reconstruction of concert halls, conference centers, airport complexes. The systems are specific and relevant they have specific performance.

These are the four new fields, but Sament continue to fulfill its development and investment program related to development of new products.

Could you tell about some realized projects? What complete solutions you implemented in response of the requirement of the client and the specific on the buildings?
Regarding the products with high level of heat and noise insulation, I will point for example the hall Arena Armeets. There we realized the most recognizable example for such systems. We also have other projects for which we have created special products according to the needs of the project. This, of course, does not mean that they cannot find another use.

The most recent example for site where we implemented the products for permanent natural heat extraction is the reconstruction of the existing hall of factory for aluminum components for automotive industry, located in Ruse. The company was engaged at several stages in the development of these systems. The first stage was the designing and implementation of the whole ventilation in the new constructed hall of this factory. The products that were delivered and performed are produced specifically for this project. The second stage is the reconstruction of the existing main building.

The examples I have given express the specific method that the company has - to start with the requirements of the design and implementation of the relevant system. We have individual approach and this is one of the main principles in our work. In addition we are also design oriented company closed type – we follow the needs of the project, design, develop, produce, deliver, install and as a result we submit to our clients one functioning system. The whole logistic production line is concentrate on one entity. This follows to its clear responsibilities and competitive advantages.

What you rely on in your business to propose effective and successfully complete solutions in the different segments?
I already mentioned for the individual method for any project. Due to this format of the company we create products which in the exploitation period operate sustainable. Quite responsibly, I say that Sament offers one very good balance between quality and price. This was established as a principle in the last few years. We rely on the regulative legislation in Bulgaria regarding smoke evacuation systems as well as the normative requirements for energy efficiency. Not last- on the team – selected for not short term and proven its capabilities. And of course, we rely on permanent investments of time and resource in developing of new systems.

Sament has full certified system for natural lighting and smoke evacuation with the best parameters in Europe at the moment regarding heat transmission and noise insulation, respectively coefficient of heat transmission 0.9W/m2K and coefficient of noise reduction 34 – 36dB. Such parameters have been reached but not for light transmitting systems.

We have a wide product range of ventilation flaps for refrigerated hall, were our target for coefficient of heat transmission is to be less than 0.5 W/m2K. Our further developments will be also oriented towards energy efficiency. We do not make compromises with the quality of the products in any segment. Such as not compromising with the construction of the buildings or the sprinkler and fire alarm systems, such is not to be compromising with the regulative legislation and smoke evacuation systems. Just it takes more time till an awareness for need of these systems is been established sustainable in the society.

To conclude, what are your expectations for the development of the construction market and the fields you operate in, as a part of the general construction process?
The market changes, new participants occur, we are trying to develop our business also on the markets abroad. Since 2007 the company operates abroad as this was not an aim itself. But until this year this was not out priority. The company has filled all logistic centers of Aldi in Greece. For three years the company has been engaged almost completely with the delivery of similar systems in the new constructed airport complex in Romania. We have had serious engagements in Slovak Republic and Check Republic.

The smoke evacuation systems are one extremely specific segment in the construction market. These are systems extremely based on the regulation. I can say that at the moment this is a market which is being developing sustainable in the last two years. But the fact that the portfolio of the company is not based only on such products, we can comment that in global there are prerequisites for growing. First these are foreign investments, respectively specific requirements that require the foreign investor. The second factor is the progress that the Bulgarian designers made in the understanding of the investment nature of these systems. I tend to see mainly the positive in the development processes. I do not want to discuss things with negative shade.

As well to Bulgarian, as to the construction business stays a perspective and we shall change and develop with positive charge, to produce beautiful things, to be professional ethical, to follow our own laws.