TANGRA celebrated its 23rd anniversary with a small party at the company showroom, where colleagues and friends were invited.
Mr. Armianov, TANGRA is a well-known company on the Bulgarian market, soon to celebrate its 23rd anniversary. What qualities make it a preferred partner?
Quality, price, and delivery time are the main criteria for evaluating any product or service. This also applies to our work. Clearly, we have found the right balance.
Well-prepared specialists and a professional approach to every project are also of great importance. We offer a wide range of ventilation, air-conditioning, and heating equipment, many of which are produced in our own facilities. We follow global industry trends and partner with some of the best manufacturers in Europe. And perhaps last but not least—we love what we do.
What has changed in your work from the beginning until today?
A lot has changed. In the beginning, we could only design – in practice, we were creating an intellectual product. Later, we learned to manufacture and install. Today, we offer a complete package in the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. This means studying the client’s requirements, preparing a project, manufacturing the necessary equipment, installing it, and commissioning it so that the client is fully satisfied.
23 years ago, we started with six people; today, we are 30 times more. Currently, we have a design and engineering department, a specialized laboratory, two manufacturing facilities, installation teams, and sales centers in Sofia, Varna, and Burgas. Our products are successfully sold in over 10 European countries.
What are the latest trends in your field of work, and what are the innovations in your product lines?
Ventilation, air conditioning, and heating systems consume an enormous amount of energy: in winter – for heating, in summer – for cooling, and year-round – for ventilation. Over the past 10 years, the cost of energy has increased approximately fivefold. Environmental pollution resulting from energy consumption is a significant problem. These are two objective factors that influence our field of expertise.
For more than 15 years, we have been working with energy recovery systems. By utilizing the heat or coolness from exhaust air, we are able to reduce energy costs by up to 85%. These types of systems require an initial investment, but the payback period rarely exceeds 2 years. Of course, the higher the cost of energy, the greater the efficiency that is sought, which presents a new challenge.
The second, significantly newer range of equipment consists of pellet (biomass) boilers. Pellets are compressed wood particles, i.e., a renewable energy source. Their combustion does not pollute the environment. The cost for the client is much lower compared to heating with oil, electricity, or natural gas. Our boilers are equipped with systems that simplify operation, monitor the combustion process, and automatically clean the equipment. The client’s responsibilities are minimal.
What are the most significant projects you have been involved in? What is the latest current project you are working on?
It is difficult to single out one or a few projects. We have completed installations in dozens of hotels, including several 5-star ones. Administrative and commercial buildings with hundreds of thousands of square meters of gross floor area also have our installations. In any case, I prefer working on manufacturing facilities. These are enterprises where Bulgarian workers produce Bulgarian products and contribute to the economy! A project we recently completed, and I am very happy about, is the bakery of the company SIMID. There, we have installed numerous and diverse energy-saving systems.
Among the greatest challenges in our history, I could point to the reconstruction of the filter systems at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, which process several million cubic meters of air per hour. The challenge was that we had to work within the constraints of the existing equipment, while simultaneously integrating our own components, and, last but not least, ensure that the systems were approved by the European certification authorities.
The Arco Towers multifunctional complex is the largest project we have designed. Its construction has not yet begun, but that does not change the fact that our company has developed a project for a skyscraper with 300,000 sq.m of gross floor area.
Of great significance was our visit to colleagues in Dubai in 2008, during the construction of the Burj Khalifa (the tallest building in the world – 828 m). There, we saw firsthand how installations are carried out in skyscrapers and how systems are installed half a kilometer above the ground.
Currently, one of TANGRA’s projects is the implementation of the ventilation systems for Sofia’s first skyscraper – 'Capital Fort.' It will be 126 m high, with a total gross floor area of 80,000 sq.m.
In which direction do you plan the future development of the company?
In the beginning, our main goal was to become well-known in Bulgaria. Once we achieved that, we looked to expand into markets across the Balkan Peninsula. Our current goal is to be well-recognized throughout Europe. We have made progress in this direction, but there is still much work ahead.
Eng. July Armianov
Managing Director of “Tangra-AV” Ltd.
