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Roto Inside 24 (EN)

| 7 InfacomaThessaloniki Keeping calm in stormy times ■■ Event 30 years of Eurotechnica, 30 years of Infacoma – from the standpoint of Vassilis Kioultsitsekoglou, the formula for the 30th anniversary of the international building trade fair inThessaloniki could be that simple. However, the managing director of Roto’s Greek part- ner knows all too well that nothing is “simple” in his country right now. On the contrary, the exception has become the rule.Together with Antonios Bountzouklis, head of Roto’s sales in Greece, this is the reason he is especially looking forward to the many sustained conversa- tions during the trade fair. Plan Renove de Ventanas de PVC Successful window exchange initiative in Madrid ■■ PVC Saving energy is always a good idea.The City Council of Madrid agreed and, in early 2013, launched a joint initiative with Asoven, the Spanish PVC window association, to en- courage homeowners to exchange their old, badly insulating windows for new ones.The initiative is supported by installa- tion companies, window manufacturers, hardware suppliers and profile and glass manufacturers.The offer was accepted by many Madrileños. In particular, private homeowners and companies who wanted to upgrade their buildings with energy-efficient PVC windows were subsidised with 110 euros per square metre of window area. Homeowners keen to modernise only have to approach an ­installation company or supplier who participates in “Plan Renove”. The firm will then determine if the application fulfils all the ­necessary criteria, and apply for subsidies with the relevant coordinating body. Francesc Gimeno, Roto’s Market Director for Southern Europe, thinks that one of the reasons the initiative has proved so popular is the relatively easy application process for homeowners. “The initiative was limited from February to August 2013. Now, just before the application deadline for subsidies is drawing to a close, we can definitely say: Plan Renove was a massive success! Government subsidies of more than 2 million euros were available. Together with the support of the participat- ing companies, of which Roto is one, we have exchanged around 15,000 windows in this region alone. Many older buildings have improved their energy efficiency considerably since participating in the initiative. And the inhabitants have obviously improved the comfort of their homes.” At the start of 2013, the City Council of Madrid and a support network of trade, dealers and industry announced the “Plan Renove de Ventanas de PVC”. “Almost 30 years ago we introduced the first Tilt&Turn systems in Greece together with Roto. And it was also immediately the highlight of the very first Infacoma. Since then we were repre- sented every year with our own trade fair stand in Thessaloniki,” reported Vassilis Kioultsitseko­ glou. Though the Infacoma was initially set up purely as a specialised trade fair, an increasing number of private builders are among the visi- tors today. And their areas of interest are very clearly defined, as Antonios Bountzouklis knows. “Renovation, modernisation and refurbishment. In Greece there are simply no new buildings being built at the moment. Neither the state nor investors nor private individuals are investing their money – if they still have any – in the construction of new real estate. The develop- ment of the Greek building industry has taken a downturn since 2009, and 2012 was by far the most disastrous year of all. And Infacoma has certainly felt the effects: not only has the number of visitors continually dropped, but in 2012 hardly any well-known hardware and profile manufacturers participated in the trade fair. As such, this year’s slightly positive development – both in the number of visitors and among the ex- hibitors – can now be viewed as a ray of hope.” Scoring points for functionality and convenience Vassilis Kioultsitsekoglou, who is particularly happy about the great popularity of the Roto ­innovations presented at the fair, also shares this hope for better times. “The innovative DoorSafe Eneo C/CC operating and safety system for main entrance doors especially attracted the attention of a lot of visitors. Functionality and convenience are met with equal enthusiasm.” “The focus is on new products directed exactly towards the current needs of the customers,” added Antonios Bountzouklis. “Especially in difficult times, we have to distinguish ourselves from the others and not simply go with the flow. Especially when the basic product segment has to be adjusted due to a crisis.” The two hardware specialists would rather not answer the question as to when the Greek building industry will improve. “The uncertain- ties are too great. You see, if we’re happy about the first delicate sign of a recovery one moment, the banking system in Cyprus could collapse the next moment. And even the experts are probably not yet able to say with certainty what that then means for Greece,” said Antonios ­Bountzouklis. Vassilis Kioultsitsekoglou (at left) with his Eurotechnica partner Dimitrios Dedousis “Renovation, modernisation and refurbishment – new construction is not a topic at this year’s ­Infacoma. At least not for the Greek market,” reported Antonios Bountzouklis. For 30 years Roto-Eurotechnica has been present at the Infacoma international building trade fair in Thessaloniki. A model initiative To actually achieve the desired improvement in energy-efficiency, clear guidelines such as the U values had to be adhered to. ­Particular care was given to the expert and airtight installation of the windows. Francesc Gimeno attests that this was a model initiative: “The metropolitan area of Madrid was predestined for this initia- tive because, with its 6.5 million inhabitants, it has the highest population density in Spain, and therefore many homes in need of modernisation. Inspired by the success of Plan Renove, the council has already announced the next subsidy program, which is aiming to not only increase the efficiency of buildings but also the usage of renewable energies. Other regions in Spain, such as Catalonia and Valencia, have announced that similar initiatives are in the pipeline.”

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