Business Forum • 19 June, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Tegola Romania has delivered to the local market, from 1996 to date, approx. 8 million square meters of bituminous shingles, equivalent to more than 35,000 roofs. The local subsidiary of the Italian manufacturer of bitumen shingle roofing systems Tegola Canadese, a leading global supplier with a presence in 42 countries, ended last year with a business of approx. 6 million, up 20% compared to 2022, despite declines in the residential market.
"In our 28 years on the Romanian market, we have supplied bituminous shingles to more than 12,000 end customers and more than 2,000 distributors or construction companies. Last year, in a difficult market context, we kept our business on an upward trajectory thanks to our innovative systems, but also to our positioning in a well-defined niche. We currently have a share of around 20% of the bitumen shingle market and more than 50% of the premium shingle market", said Adrian Andor, National Sales Manager of Tegola Group Romania.
According to him, the company will report deliveries up to 5% higher in volume this year, as the roofing market shows no signs of recovery.
Shingles are produced by Tegola Canadese in Italy, while waterproofing membranes come from production facilities in Italy and Serbia. These two products together generate 70% of the company's local business. In addition, the company sells geosynthetic products (20%), with the remaining 10% covered by other materials and accessories.
Tegola Romania, with an active presence throughout the country, has sales representatives in every county and provides consultancy and technical assistance during installation. More than half of the deliveries are made to real estate developers (30%) or construction companies (25%), the other two sales channels being distributors or warehouses of building materials (25%) and DIY stores (20%).
Residential sector, the mainstay of sales
In terms of demand generated by the housing segment, bitumen shingles are mainly used in residential projects. Bituminous waterproofing is also mainly used in the residential sector (50%), but also in office (25%) and industrial (25%) projects. In addition, waterproofing is used in the infrastructure segment for road and bridge works.
"When it comes to the residential sector, demand is mainly driven by self-build projects, with residential developments accounting for less than a third of sales. The areas in Romania where we have the highest deliveries are North-West and North-East, Transylvania and Bucovina. Moreover, there is considerable interest in our products for restoration projects of traditional houses, which were previously covered with wooden shingles or ceramic tiles, as well as for investments in accommodation in mountain tourist regions," added the Tegola representative.
Romanians pay almost €300 million annually on roofs
The roofing market remained in the black in 2023 for the second year in a row, down about 12% compared to the previous year, the company said, citing market research by partners. Among the causes are the effects of inflation on household budgets, high credit and mortgage costs, and economic uncertainty, which has caused some residential projects to be cancelled, resized, phased or delayed. Delays and difficulties in permitting large residential projects due to restrictions in various areas, particularly in large cities, also contributed to the decline.
According to the source quoted, the roofing market last year was worth €295 million and had a volume of approx. 39.5 million square metres. Profiled board dominates customer preference with a 75% market share, the main consideration for choice being price. Ceramic tile roofs account for ca. 10%, similar to concrete (10%), while bituminous shingles generate approx. 5% of deliveries.
"Price is a crucial factor for the Romanian customer, especially for developers. Fortunately, the number of those who appreciate the quality, characteristics and aesthetics of a product is constantly increasing from year to year, which is why the share of bituminous shingles in the total market is steadily growing," Adrian Andor pointed out.
1 in 5 bitumen shingle roofs is supplied by Tegola
In a bitumen shingle market that totalled 1.5 million square metres last year, Tegola's sales amounted to 215,000 square metres and the forecast for 2024 indicates a range of 215,000 - 225,000 square metres.
"Our products adapt to any roof shape and slope, from 5 degrees to 90 degrees. The wide range of colours, increased resistance to UV rays as well as extreme conditions, hail and strong wind are other advantages of Tegola products. Another advantage of the bitumen shingle is its low weight, which offers ease of transport and application, as well as minimal load on the roof structure and construction," said Adrian Andor.
Tegola shingles are available in 8 product lines: PRESTIGE, ULTIMETAL HD, UNICA, MASTER, PREMIUM, TOP SHINGLE, ECO ROOF and TEGOSOLAR. The company provides free installation and transport assistance.
"We are constantly concerned with research and development, to create products with unique performance, innovative materials and processes, so that we can adapt our products to climate changes and market requirements," concluded the Tegola representative.
UNICA, Tegola's latest range of bituminous shingles, offers a warranty of up to 40 years and revolutionises the roofing market with 3 innovative patents: "SEAL-PROOF" self-adhesive tablets for perfect adhesion and complete sealing of the nails, protecting them from corrosion; innovative G-EVO granules for increased adhesion to the bituminous layer, long-lasting waterproofing, strong resistance to the action of UV rays, prevention of the formation of moss and lichen deposits, and "SR" technology for exceptional resistance, including in the face of extreme weather phenomena, hurricanes, hail or strong winds.
The Tegola group of companies in Romania also includes Fibrotermica Technology (manufacturer of extruded polystyrene), TeMa Technologies & Materials (manufacturer of HDPE crampon membranes and other geosynthetic products) and Georoof Solutions (manufacturer and supplier of wooden shingle roofs - oak, acacia and various other species). Cumulatively, the group recorded 2023 sales of almost €17 million on the local market, 10% higher than the previous year.
Fibrotermica and TeMa Technologies & Materials operate production facilities located in Buzău county, and Georoof Solutions has a shingle production facility in Ștefănești, jud. Argeș. The Tegola Romania Group employs almost 100 people in Romania.
The parent company Tegola Canadese is part of the IWIS Group. The beginnings of the group date back to 1977, with the inauguration of the first production unit of Tegola Canadese Srl in Vittorio Veneto. Subsequently, the production network was expanded with thirteen further production facilities in Europe, Asia and America. Today, IWIS Group is active in 42 countries through commercial subsidiaries and partnerships with distributors or fitters.