In what areas of construction or facility management do you think there is room for growth? How is the market trending? Does the crisis still affect?

Growth and sector-by-sector indicators as well as official data for 2019 and mainly for 2020 show that the construction sector is expected to grow. The construction market seems to have overcome the most difficult part of the crisis and gradually recovering. This is obviously associated with major projects that we expect to start and can give a significant boost to the industry.

In terms of the market, there are indeed some sectors of the economy that appear to have more growth than others, such as aerodrome development, tourism and logistics where we operate. I also believe that in the medium term we will see some growth in complementary services in public or semi-public organizations. However, in principle, our approach remains customer-centered. We have a dynamic presence in different industries, focusing on our client.

The effects of the crisis obviously continue to affect us as they have created new data. Over the years, especially in the area of ​​facility management, a field with enormous dynamics, few companies have managed to increase their size and respond to the increased demands of the era. AGT was one of them. One reason is definitely the contact with the client and the reasonable risks we have taken.

AGT managed to grow in a period of great difficulty for the construction industry in Greece. What was its competitive edge?

With state-of-the-art know-how, high-quality services, specialized solutions and no bank lending, we have a strong asset. Each business decision was taken solely on the basis of sustainability criteria, aiming at stability and providing goodwill to the client. Industry now requires innovation and credibility. For more than 20 years and with high industrial engineering identity, we continue to respond dynamically to challenges both nationally and globally.

At the same time, we have invested in stable partnerships, contributing to the sustainable growth of our customers. Thus, during the economic crisis, we have acquired an excellent and ever-growing customer base. At the same time, we created a strong portfolio of multinational companies, key to our growth both in Greece and abroad. We have also taken care of and continue to take care to maintain a reliable supplier and partner base.
Lastly, I must point out that our key comparative advantage is our firm attachment to the client’s subject, combined with the high level of service delivery, always driven by its own steady growth.

How big are the outsourcing margins for a company such as AGT? How do you move on to this specific issue?

Our goal is to continuously increase our participation in foreign projects in our turnover. We are strategically interested in strengthening our operations outside of Greece. We are proven to be competitive at the level of high-tech, methodology and result delivery, under the strictest specifications and operating in very demanding schedules, successfully delivering complex projects.

We are already active in overseas markets, such as those in Cyprus, where we also maintain offices in France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Arab states. This recognition and widespread acceptance from the industrial and commercial sectors is the result of systematic and sustained high-level service provision.

Especially in the field of facility management, from which a significant percentage of AGT’s revenue originates, how can you compete with international groups?

We have a high level of know-how, modern project management methods and a reliable work plan, while through surveys and evaluations we have compiled innovative “holistic” service models tailored to the needs of the customer and its business by allowing it to devote itself to its core and development , since all other services are managed by the above model by dedicated project management teams. Besides, the best ambassadors of our project are our own clients. Also, AGT is already working extremely constructively with many international groups.

Why have you never been tempted to engage in public works like most of your competitors?

Our constant goal is to cooperate with strong private sector groups and provide high quality services. We do not exclude the public sector, but it is true that until now our core business was more related to the private one. Many times, over-concentration of projects is prohibitive for companies that have the ability and specifications to give goodwill to the public works market. This does not mean, however, that in the future we will not claim our participation in a public project, always on the basis of the sustainability criteria I have referred to.

You can see all of the Euro2Day interviews with the New York Times here