TARRASCH07-FIFA-COVID

Before we talk about any technological issues, I cannot avoid the question: how are you doing after several months of COVID-19?

This is a difficult time for everyone. The first few weeks were hard maybe on a personal level, and then later, obviously business issues tested everyone. For us, actually, we are going through the most intense period of our international expansion right now, and watching everything unfold, and knowing that maybe it could affect my family, was not easy. On the other hand, no one around me has had any health issues. Maybe situations like this test us as businesspeople and decide how fit we are.

Many business models are being re-evaluated now. Are you doing the same? Has your situation affected your plans?

TARRASCH07 is a nanotechnology that makes construction work significantly faster. Because TARRASCH07 requires significantly less manpower than conventional insulation materials for a high-quality job, that actually means that we drastically reduce labour needs, which not only cuts costs, but has become critical given the nature of this crisis. No matter what trend analysis I look at, or what market predictions I read, these two directions will definitely be important, not only in the construction industry, but in the economy in general.

Maybe it is not appropriate to ask such a question, but could we even say that this crisis has been good to you?

Hypocrisy isn’t necessary here. Yes, business-wise, there are winning and losing companies in every crisis. But it is impossible to evaluate what is happening now just in business terms, because everyone, due to whatever is going on in their private lives, is going to experience 2020 differently, even the successes. On the other hand, I can confirm that the current situation is supporting and accelerating our product’s market introduction.

Why did this happen? Could you foresee any change in the market? Of course, I don’t mean such a devastating virus.

I think this is universal, but I know that in our industry, everybody is moving very quickly towards cost-effectiveness, all in a way that requires the use of as little human labour as possible. The reason is clear: due to labour shortages, workers are expensive, and the quality of their work is unpredictable in most cases. This, in turn, significantly destroys the reliability and image of the builders. And we’re talking about how a faster application of an insulating layer can, in certain circumstances, shorten the required working time by days, so our solution becomes very appealing. So, demand was always present before, but now it has become more intense.

How did you develop this technology? What is the story of TARRASCH07?

The material, which is made from a special raw material using a unique process, has a very interesting history. The raw material itself is available in extremely limited quantities, and its quality is absolutely unique in nature. It was originally developed to provide support to armies in extreme weather conditions. It still does this: which is why our first references were often referred to applications in deserts or the Arctic. Our engineering teams with a very high level of knowledge already went through the processes to make the material effective and efficient for the construction industry as well. I can say that we did not rush the start, as we have more than a year of development and testing work behind us, and these processes and the development of new products are still going on today.

In this industry, testing and approval have an important role to play, right?

No, it’s not just important, it’s essential. Obviously, I trust the material, our engineers, the scientific texts, but for me, all of this is worth nothing without certification at international standards. The last year and a half has been about getting these certifications from one of the most respected certification organisations in the world, TÜV SUD OCTAGON. I am very dedicated to giving our partners the perfect material, and once we have promised to provide it, it has to be perfect!

But now that you’ve started the international expansion, I guess there was no problem with these certifications?

Everything was fine, of course. We have developed a very good relationship with the professionals of the certification centre, so the business, engineering, and certification units can work together very efficiently and effectively.

Who can use your technologies?

Everyone who works with insulation materials. Our partners are replacing traditional insulation materials with TARRASCH07 all over the world. Sometimes it’s a simple apartment complex, but we are also involved in much larger projects.

Can you name some references?

For me, collaboration is a matter of trust, and while I know it’s an important issue, I don’t want anyone to feel that we are working with them just to “plant our flag”. But perhaps what we are most proud of — without offending anyone, I hope — is the FIFA World Cup Central Stadium project, where our materials and technology are already being used and our client is quite happy with the results.

This is convincing enough place to start! Thank you for the conversation and I wish you a successful 2020 and beyond. I think we’ll hear a lot more about TARRASCH07.
Thanks for the conversation, and we’ll make sure that happens!