The Building Materials Manufacturers Association (APMCR) is the voice of Romania’s construction-materials industry. APMCR works closely with Romania’s ministries of economy, development and the environment, and serves as a liaison between the industry and EU and international organisations. Claudiu Georgescu, President, discusses APMCR’s mission and goals.
European Times: What are APMCR’s priorities?
Claudiu Georgescu: Our top priority is to serve our members. We are active in four main areas: legislation, market developments, standardisation and education. APMCR has evolved along with the construction-materials industry; for example, the association was founded in 1997 with 26 state-owned companies; today, all 26 companies are still members but all have been privatised. Most of APMCR’s efforts in recent years have focused on helping Romanian companies be more competitive in EU markets, and the association has been directly involved in negotiations about EU regulation 305 concerning the free circulation of construction products, which unites the economic interests of companies from Stockholm to Constanta. APMCR is also very committed to setting professional standards for our industry. Concerning education, our priority is to make sure workers in our industry have the skills they need to take advantage of evolving market opportunities, and APMCR partners with the Technical University of Construction.
European Times: What is the profile of your members?
Claudiu Georgescu: APMCR’s members range from large enterprises ranked leaders in their fields to smaller companies trying to find their way in EU and international markets. Our goal is to help all our members expand their market share and boost their competitiveness. This year APMCR organised the first pavilion for Romania’s building-materials industry at a major trade event in Iran, and the association recently participated in another trade fair in Qatar. My strategy for the past five years has been to target markets where Romania already has a strong reputation and which are close enough that transport of our members’ products is not too expensive. APMCR has participated in events in Istanbul, Belgrade, Kiev, Lebanon and in Budapest.
European Times: What is your priority for Romania’s construction industry?
Claudiu Georgescu: Romania needs to concentrate on maintaining high standards in the construction industry overall, including in urban planning. The economy depends on it.
European Times: What is your personal message to international investors?
Claudiu Georgescu: In Romania, civilisation is integrated into the environment. Of the country’s eight million housing units, around 1.2 million are built of traditional adobe. Romania has proved it can use the resources it has while developing a very advanced, modern economy.
