ERA Group

Interview is given by Alexander Golosov, commercial director of the company, which is specialized in manufacturing of equipment for ventilation systems ERA Group

In your opinion, how badly has the HVAC & R industry been hit by the restrictions associated with COVID-19?

Any crisis is a time of growth of some industries and the decline of others. HVAC&R clearly cannot be identified as an area that has received momentum for development, such as online education, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment manufacturing. At the same time, HVAC&R is not among the industries that have been most affected (tourism, restaurant business, air travel, movie theaters, etc.).

It is especially important not to stop communicating with partners and clients now. Could you share your experience with Russian and international colleagues on how you continue to promote your products in a situation when some borders are closed, and restrictions are imposed?

One of the main ways for us to promote products to foreign markets is international exhibitions. This year they are being held in a new virtual format. For instance, we participated in Big5 Digital Africa and Big5 Digital festival. I believe that there is nothing better than personal communication with partners and clients. During a pandemic, this must be done Virtually via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and other services. It is worth mentioning that this year, despite not being able to make international trips and meetings, we signed contracts online and began shipping to partners from countries where we had not previously been represented: Chile, Peru, UAE, Iraq.

The situation with the implemented restrictions has become a time to revise the production and sales process, improving digitalization and introducing innovations. How has your company responded to these changes?

We have been planning to implement a modern CRM system for a long time, and 2020 gave us good momentum for action. The pandemic also helped us to figure out which units can work remotely, and which cannot.

It is difficult to make predictions now, but nevertheless … In your opinion, when is the recovery and stabilization of international and Russian business expected?

Experts give different forecasts. However, everything directly depends on how the pandemic will develop further and what restrictive measures will be introduced. How the economy will react to this is still unclear to me. Hence, I do not undertake to predict timing.

What do you expect from Climate World 2021?

First, we hope that in-person events will be possible in March 2021. And the pandemic situation will allow everyone to visit the exhibition, of course, considering the new protection measures.

What novelties can you showcase in the field of HVAC&R at the upcoming Climate World 2021?

For the first time, we will present our new trademark ERA PRO at the exhibition, which has united equipment for industrial ventilation. We will also present new household fans under the ERA and DICITI brands. We will not reveal all the details yet, and we hope to see you at our stand.