Karolina Mzyk-Callias, CEO of Yawal S.A, owner of Yawal SA and Final SA, both part of the Yawal Group, is interviewed by Danuta Burzyńska, Editor-in-Chief of Builder:
1. THE PAST YEAR HAS MARKED YOUR RETURN TO THE REINS OF THE COMPANY. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO MAKE THIS DECISION?
The world is changing and developing at a frenetic pace requiring us to be increasingly flexible. Especially from 2019 onwards, nothing is as obvious or predictable as we once thought. Standard long-term operating strategies have been replaced by agile management that reacts practically "just in time", i.e. on the fly to the economic situation, the mood, and the demands of the market. I took this decision because, as an owner, I can provide the organisation with speed and agility at the highest level, which is the formula my companies need most these days. This is what shareholders and business partners expect. A sense of security and a clear mission. My ownership insight allows me to make decisions through the lens of a broader vision.
In addition, after several years of running Yawal USA, which I founded as a startup in 2019, I decided to bring our experience of working with this very challenging market to Poland to breathe new life into our existing way of doing things. I am empowering teams, changing the rules, introducing new improvements, and setting a new tone. They say that in order to change a system, you have to introduce at least one new element into it - and that's what I am.
2. HOW WILL THE YEAR 2022 MARK THE HISTORY OF THE COMPANY AND YOUR CAREER? WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
The last year has been one of dynamic changes. We have initiated numerous projects of which I am very proud, I have seen that Yawal are great people, specialists who can rise to any task.
If I had to single out one exceptional case, it would be the design of a dedicated AluSlide (Vetrex's own name) terrace window for the Vetrex brand, based on our DP 180 Primeview system solution. Our joint task was to adapt the catalogue solution to the individual needs of Vetrex brand customers, i.e. to personalise the design. Vetrex designers knew very well what the requirements of the solution were, and what the customer needed, so for example we reduced the height of the so-called threshold, allowing it to be aligned with the floor inside the room to make the passage even more convenient while maintaining all the important parameters such as tightness and thermal performance. This type of cooperation between the system supplier and manufacturer is the most valuable because only then are solutions tailored to the needs of customers, the product users, created. The customer at the centre - that's our motto, and aluminium is our passion. For more than 30 years now, we have been creating architectural solutions that improve the quality and comfort of life, bringing more light and warmth into homes. This collaboration shows just how Yawal can be flexible, agile, and open to fulfilling the needs that the customer expects at every stage of working with us.
2022 is a year of further investment in products, we continue to support the development of our partners and employees. We are investing heavily in the development of the R&D department and the implementation of modern tools for technical documentation and product lifecycle management, a requirement of the broader digitalisation process.
We have also initiated the Ypsos project, which aims to provide well-structured and direct technical support for the realisation of large sites in Europe that require a dedicated team.
The Yawal Group supports the UN Global Compact, an initiative of the UN Secretary-General through which we, together with more than 20,000 companies worldwide, support the implementation of the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact. I believe that businesses should be active players and stakeholders in solving the biggest challenges facing humanity - from climate change to migration to access to housing. We are actively working to reduce emissions in our manufacturing and have set ourselves a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030.
3. YOU INHERITED THE PASSION FOR BUSINESS FROM YOUR DAD, WHO DEVELOPED THE ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEA OVER THREE DECADES AGO INTO A GLOBAL FORCE? BECAUSE SUPPOSEDLY GOOD GENES ARE THE BASIS OF A PROMISING ENTREPRENEUR?
I have the entrepreneurial gene in my DNA, that's for sure, feeling excited at the thought of continuing my dad's work and vision. Yawal has been a family business based on an entrepreneurial tradition and technology for more than three decades. Yawal created the first Polish aluminium system, based on domestic technical thought and manufactured in Poland. This is a great legacy and a big commitment. My dad taught me that being an entrepreneur is a mission and a privilege, an opportunity to create new technical solutions that change the appearance of cities, industry, our lives, and the lives of families not only in Poland but also in the world. To be able to have such an impact is to be responsible for the next generation, for what we leave them, but also for how we share knowledge and best practices with them: design, production, design thinking, conscious and reuse of raw materials.
4. DOES THE FAMILY ACTIVITY HELP TO SPREAD WINGS? LONE SAILORS PROBABLY DO WORSE....
Family is a strength that nothing else can replace. I feel supported at every stage of my work for Yawal. My family is not just my dad, who founded the company, it is also the people who have worked for the organisation for many years. Yawal has employees who started over 20 years ago, some of them are now retired some of them are still with us. Husbands and wives or mother and daughter work together in our company. This is the real strength of this organisation. I am proud to say that I run a family business and I can certainly say that all the employees of this company are like family to me, and the feeling of such support is what gives me strength and encourages me.
5. I HAVE HEARD THAT YOU HAVE CONQUERED AMERICA? WHAT SUCCESSES HAS THE BRAND HAD IN THE USA?
When I founded Yawal USA, I tried to have a minimal impact on the company in Poland. As a result, the initial team consisted of some of our younger employees. This turned out to be a stroke of luck because as we approached the US market, these young Polish employees were able to be very flexible in their approach to our customers. This was my first learning point in the US market: Flexibility is the key to gaining customers' trust.
Once we found out which systems and solutions worked best in the US and what attributes our customers required most, our young Yawal USA team had an open mind to new ideas, listening to our customers. We were able to come up with a product that fortunately met the requirements of our US customers.
In my opinion, this flexibility and our willingness to listen to our customers were key to our success in the USA.
A typical US customer who wants to buy a Yawal (or European) system for their home will pay more for it than for a standard product in the US. As a result, the customer, contractor, and architect expect us to be flexible and responsive to their specific needs. US companies are very good at providing this flexibility.
6. WHAT IS YAWAL'S POTENTIAL TODAY AS MEASURED BY INVESTMENTS: IN MODERN MACHINERY, HUMAN RESOURCES, AND ENGINEERING KNOW-HOW?
We are investing in our organisation and structures, keen to strengthen our service to international clients and increase the value of our offering.
We are more flexible and agile, open to the implementation of tailor-made projects.
We continue to invest in products and support the development of our partners and employees. We are firmly investing in the development of our R&D department and the implementation of modern tools for technical documentation and product lifecycle management.
7. YAWAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN A VALUED BRAND AMONG PROFESSIONALS. HOW HAVE SOLUTIONS EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS WITH CHANGING REQUIREMENTS, ARCHITECTS' EXPECTATIONS, AND APPROACHES TO DESIGN?
Over the years, construction options have changed, and so have requirements such as increased thermal insulation. Our solutions have to be warmer, the glazing thicker and larger. Yawal has to respond to these challenges and design its systems in such a way that the changing technical requirements and aesthetic expectations are reconciled. Vitruvius' old definition is that Architecture = Beauty+Purpose+Durability - Yawal subscribes to this theory, attaching necessity and economy to it.
We create new solutions so as to give architects the opportunity to design spaces that foster relationships, shared use, co-ownership. After all, the architect is a profession of social trust - not a craftsman but a creator of life. Our main task is to persuade architects to put themselves at the service of the public good, to help promote and support innovative projects that reduce the consumption of resources and space, and the sharing of land, areas, and assets.
With our lines of windows and patio doors for residential buildings, especially Moreview with its narrow (low) profiles and, in the case of Moreview S, its concealed running profile (the so-called slotted solution), the design of the glazing becomes almost invisible, although still comfortable to use, and more light, more life, enters the interior. This is very important for the health and well-being of the occupants. Providing such innovative solutions for our business partners and customers is our mission.
We have engaged in a dialogue with the architectural community on the future of cities. We know that cities will have 1.5 billion inhabitants by 2030, including a dynamic migration to cities in Europe. As I mentioned earlier, he believes that architects are a profession of social trust that should actively moderate what kind of cities we want to build in Poland and Europe that are open which build on the Shared Economy - build interpersonal trust, address the big problem of loneliness in cities, especially among older residents. I wish Yawal to build our community in Poland as an active and responsible "citizen" of the world.
8. DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST SYSTEM MADE IN YAWAL? THIS, BY THE WAY, HAD ITS PART TO PLAY IN THE 1990S IN BUILDING THE ALUMINIUM JOINERY MARKET IN POLAND, BECAUSE IT ALLOWED MANY ENTITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR BUSINESS IN THIS SEGMENT.
I remember that exactly on 14 September 1990, the now-defunct 'Kaczorek' bar was opened in Warsaw - this was the first project carried out by PPH Yawal. Since then, the realisation of a number of projects has contributed to the acquisition of knowledge and experience, which enabled the company to produce the first Polish system of thermally insulated profiles just three years after its opening. It became a quality benchmark on the market thanks to a very high level of energy efficiency for the time and a revolutionary modern design. Meanwhile, the first investment realised on the basis of Yawal's proprietary systems was the Terminal in Świecko.
The company's customer-focused approach gave rise to the company motto "To give shape to thought". The essence of this motto lay in the freedom and creative freedom offered to architects and builders by Yawal's technology. This motto continues to guide the company's activities to this day and is embodied in our mission statement "We give real shape to dreams. "The only things that have changed are the concepts and visions, which are increasingly bold and yet made possible by Yawal systems.
9. WHAT NEW PRODUCTS HAVE ENRICHED THE COMPANY'S PORTFOLIO IN RECENT YEARS?
At Yawal, we focus on ensuring that our products meet even the most sophisticated customer requirements. We sell access to light and air for homeowners - access to the essential elements of life and comfort.
We see great potential in modern residential projects, where the importance of the amount of light in the rooms is increasing. We want our products to create a friendly, comfortable and at the same time functional environment that creates an optimistic and therefore healthier living space. One example of this is the MoreView S-Class. A system created to improve the comfort and safety of users through the possibility of creating large glazed areas; light, easy to handle, completely without a threshold, and with excellent performance. This system allows the boundary between the interior and the exterior to be blurred. MoreView is not the only system that fits in with the trend for large glazing. Yawal also offers systems such as DP 180 Primeview, which I have already mentioned, or Steelview, both of which have the ability to create large-scale doors and windows for single-family homes or public buildings.
Science has proven that 'more sunshine equals a better mood and greater enjoyment of life'. Sunlight has a huge impact on human health and well-being, as it naturally determines the cycle of day and night, in addition to being important for our health. The right amount of light we should receive during the day has a positive effect on our well-being and allows us to maintain focus and concentration, which automatically translates into our productivity. We want to be the authors of solutions where people can maximise their potential - through free access to light, tranquillity, and nature.
10. WHICH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY YAWAL'S SYSTEMS ARE BUILDING THIS FLAGSHIP PORTFOLIO OF THE GROUP?
We have many buildings in the country that are worth boasting about. Many of them have been awarded. Made using Yawal systems, the Celebro office building was designed following Europe's exacting norms and standards, which resulted in a very good rating under the international BREEAM certificate. The building is equipped with an intelligent BMS (Building Management System) automation and management system, which significantly increases comfort and safety. The office building was designed as a rectangular block with a fully glazed façade, within which the individual office floors are repetitive and separated from each other. The fully glazed façade, which ensures an adequate flow of daylight, combined with green terraces, guarantees users' comfort at work.
Another accolade for a building on Yawal's systems is the LEED Core&Shell certification that the Wave skyscraper has received. This international and multi-criteria building rating system confirms that the Wave building is sustainable, environmentally friendly, and has been designed and built to the highest standards. LEED certification addresses, among other things, energy conservation, water reduction, and carbon emissions. The Wave also uses electricity produced from ecological sources, primarily hydroelectric power plants. There is an anti-smog walkway made of green concrete next to the building. The sun's rays cause a reduction in harmful compounds found in polluted urban air on its surface. This is the first pavement of its kind in the Tri-City powered by 100% renewable energy.
11. SYSTEM SOLUTIONS TODAY ARE NO LONGER JUST A PROPOSAL FOR CONSTRUCTION WITH THE REQUIRED TECHNICAL PARAMETERS, BUT ALSO AESTHETICS AND DESIGN.
We deeply understand the needs and problems of the users of our systems because we have been doing it for more than 30 years. We are innovative, we educate, we guarantee sustainability we are a responsible employer. Design thinking - we create, think and teach how to create and think.
The superb design and huge glazing of the building body give an extremely modern and elegant appearance. Thanks to Yawal systems such as MoreView, despite the large size of the windows and terrace doors, the entire building has a light and subtle appearance. The boundary between inside and outside becomes invisible, enhancing the feeling of unlimited freedom and space.
12. HOW LARGE, IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ORDERS, IS THE SCALE OF THESE 'TAILOR-MADE'?
Customers are increasingly interested in the tailor-made designs. After all, everyone wants to offer their customers something unique, to make their products stand out. Very often, manufacturers need to adapt new solutions to the current range in such a way that the offer does not cannibalise with PVC solutions, for example. We are then ready to adapt our catalogue solutions to these functional needs or parameter requirements. Such an example of cooperation, as I have already mentioned, was the adaptation of our DP 180 Primeview sliding door system for Vetrex. Yawal is ready for more such collaborations with other companies. We are flexible and listen to the market. For us, the scale is small for today, but I am sure that will change soon.
13. DO SUCH NON-STANDARD SOLUTIONS ALSO FIND THEIR WAY INTO EUROPEAN MARKETS?
Despite appearances, the Polish customer does not differ from the European customer in terms of the level of requirements. We differ in terms of traditions and indigenous technical solutions. However, modern aluminium systems are very versatile these days, accepted all over the world, especially in the States. For them, our products are as European as German or French. Of course, Western Europe remains the technological and innovative leader, but our Polish technical thought is in no way inferior to other nations. Poland is said to have some of the most modern equipment and technological lines in Europe. Our systems are for the whole world and we intend to supply them there without any complexes.
