Interview with Carmen Alvarez Amor, Hispanic industries Svelt marketing manager
March 4, 2009
Tell us about the origin of Hispano industries Svelt, when is founded? What is your activity?
Hispanic industries Svelt S.L. was born in Asturias in the year 2000 with a clear commercial vocation by adapting to the Spanish market 'know-how' of Svelt s.p.a., the Italian market leading manufacturer of ladders and scaffolding. Early as all were not easy, is a great challenge introduce a brand unknown into a new market. We started in a small installations, by way of proof, to quickly jump on three occasions to new locations in a larger, up to our current premises in Viella - Siero. Our company's philosophy is to present an attractive catalogue of solutions for work at height in continuous evolution and care to maximize treatment with the client offering service, seriousness and good delivery time.
What are the main developments in portable ladders and scaffolding for this year?
Our wide range of ladders and scaffolding is very dynamic, in the sense that we are always evolving, and every year we get products of novelty.
In 2009 we have new folding scaffolding from aluminium Towermatic T200 that nothing has to do with the traditional scaffolding made up of many parts, is a compact scaffold of aluminum in one piece through a patented spring system extends up to 3 m and collected only measures 73 cmmoves by wheels with brake and we can move in any vehicle which is very light (82 kg). Stairs have two new products: Superfold, the stairs salva-espacios of scissors in anodised aluminium for domestic and professional use and within the telescope of the brand Telesteps stairs, of which we are distributors for Spain, present ladder folding scissors Combi and the new staircase Combi of fiberglass (world first). It is a ladder led to the most demanding professional looking for products of the highest quality with a plus of comfort in use, completely insulated and covering three usual work positions in a staircase: scissors, supporting wall and working on slope, or steps.
What points of sale are they directed?
Our natural sales channel is the distribution of hardware and industrial supply.
We played also for sale in paint stores, electrical stores and DIY centers. In addition, we have agreements with major credit purchases at the national level with which we collaborate in campaigns aimed at the professional offering products always type-approved according to the existing European standards.
From this quarter, no longer so easy to fail to comply with standards of safety for the portable stairs. All the companies engaged in this sector will have to comply with the norm UNE - EN 131. Do you think on the subject of this standard? Is it necessary to update it? I suppose that this will help to control more copy of patent...
Our position thereon has been and will always be clear with regard to products manufactured according to European standards and certified by independent laboratories that homologated products.
Our staircases catalogue includes several ranges of products, the range Svelt that describes products manufactured according to European standards EN 131, designed for intensive use aimed at the professional market and the range marked as Universal and domestic has been developed as a response to a continuous growing sector that demands a price cheaper while complying with the requirements of quality and safety required in European standards.
The current national map of stairs is very broad, is a highly diversified market despite being the ladder a product very ungrateful as commodity (it has very little added value, it is very bulky and very weak), anyone can sell stairs as an excellent complement to your catalog. Really are very few companies specialized in the sector who know the problems and with ability to give the necessary information to the client, talk in terms of legislation and technical characteristics of products aimed at one or another sectorin other words, sell the staircase you need.
The European norm EN 131 needs to be mandatory for all ladder that is manufactured and sold in Spain, also needs to review any rules in order to reach the goal of zero accidents with portable ladders, being more strict about requirements to the manufacturerresponsible marketers of products of doubtful origin and warning the user of their rights and obligations in the use of portable ladders.
What other security standards comply with ladders and scaffolding Svelt?
Our staircases satisfy the European norm EN 131, the mobile scaffolding from working the standard European in 1004 (former HD1004) and the stools the standard European 14183.
How is the sector of the stairs today? Have they noticed a decline in demand due to the economic crisis?
The stairs like any other sector is experiencing a difficult situation, is closely linked to the construction and industry and demand for stairs has fallen considerably. The drop in sales has been much noted after the summer of 2008 and I believe that we expect two-year long effort, in which we must be realistic but at the same time optimistic with the future.
This year will be settings but as head of marketing, I am more committed to talking about evolution and new strategies of market.
Bearing in mind that many scaffolding and platforms that you made are aimed at the construction sector, do you have some sort of strategy to go more to the domestic sector or other sector construction is at its worst?
Our Mobile scaffolds are not products specifically targeting the construction to be aluminum, are more aimed at the rehabilitation work of minor such as painting, maintenance, installation, etc. We currently have the wider in variety of products catalogue and we can offer mobile scaffolding appropriate to all sectors: domestic, DIY, professional, installation, rehabilitation, etc. We present new scaffolding Tempo comfort with interior width step to climb ladder more convenient operator that needs access to tools at the top of the scaffold, the scaffold from fiberglass Tempo advance for the electrical and industrial sector that is completely insulated and allows to work in industrial environments where the aluminum could be attacked and as I said before Towermatic T200, a revolutionary scaffolding in terms of design.
Some forecasts for 2009?
This will be a year of much work where it will need to sharpen your wits to get the same before arriving as if by inertia, must be present in all areas, is time to make brand and reinforce the commitment with clients who expect the same professionalism and personalized attention. Our commitment is to strengthen our presence as a strong sector provider hardware and industrial supply, and that is why we are preparing our presence in the next edition of Ferroforma in Bilbao from 25 to 28 March with much optimism.
I see that they offer a training course for the use and maintenance of scaffolding and aerial platforms... explain a bit how are these courses and what importance have for their distributors or customers.
It is a plus to the brand Svelt we offer to our distributors in order to train workers who use our scaffolding in the Assembly, use and maintenance according to European regulations and according to the legislation current Spanish.
They belong to the Association Afespo?
Hispanic industries Svelt S.L. belongs to Afespo since they changed the statutes of the Association and accepted that not only domestic manufacturers, but all those manufacturers and distributors of portable ladders which were sold on the domestic market should come. It is an association that has a lot to be done so that European legislation is binding for all and that authorities adapt legislation to the new situation that arises with the free international market and the entry of low-cost without approval.
