Atterbury Europe’s expansion into Romania is continuing apace and the experience of working closely with the local partner Iulius Group has been a rewarding learning for the Atterbury Europe team. Raoul de Villiers (Head of Developments at Atterbury Europe) gives us a glimpse from the inside.
Romania was chosen very carefully as a country that has many development opportunities. From your perspective, working in the territory, why is Romania such a good place for Atterbury Europe to be active in?
We believe Romania is a country with vast potential. From a macroeconomic perspective it is one of the strongest and fastest growing countries in the EU, making it very attractive for developers such as ourselves. The most important aspect however is the people: Romanians are warm, highly skilled, hardworking individuals who are proud of their country and happy to develop it, making our partnerships strong from the ground up. On a more informal note, aside from the obvious business case, Romania is also one of the most beautiful countries in Europe with stunning landscapes and interesting towns, so our numerous trips there are well worth it from a travel perspective too.
The choice of the local partner was also done with great circumspection – you were looking for the “Atterbury of Romania” we believe. What was it about the Iulius Group that cemented the deal for you?
Their corporate culture and the people. Although our companies are continents apart, we share the same DNA in the form of leadership style, entrepreneurship and work ethic among employees. We all share the passion of wanting to be the best at what we do and having fun while doing it.
Having worked closely with the Iulius Group for a year, what has been your experience with regards to the collaboration?
As with any relationship we’ve had to get to know each other on a company and individual basis. The day-to-day running of the businesses is done by various individuals who have forged their own relationships to ultimately achieve the common goal – to add value to the business from both sides. Both teams have been able to synergise well to add value on the existing portfolio as well as the development pipeline.
Are there other JVs/partnerships such as the Atterbury Europe/Iulius Group in Romania that are competing with you for business at present, or is this partnership uniquely placed for what you are working towards in Europe?
There are many competitors in Romania as in any other market presenting opportunities; that’s just the nature of business. That being said, the partnership between Iulius and Atterbury is on a different level in the sense that we are two very strong leaders in our respective fields; and that results in a market-leading collaboration.
How far do you hope to see Atterbury Europe’s Romania footprint reaching in the next five years?
Not even the sky is the limit as we plan a couple of skyscrapers… Realistically, if the current market conditions prevail – which is never guaranteed anywhere in the world today – the Atterbury and Iulius collaboration should be a dominant force in the prime retail and office section of the market in Romania and will continue to be for years to come.
OPENVILLE TIMISOARA – A PARTNERSHIP IN NUMBERS
First phase due to open Q4 of 2018:
€220 million – the total investment, making it the largest private capital investment in real estate in the west of Romania
55 000 sqm – the size of the park that forms part of the complex.
50 000 sqm – the area covered by the 3 office buildings in operation
47 000 sqm – the area of additional retail space
1 500 – the number of new parking bays across two parking facilities
450 – the number of stores, restaurants and themed cafés
27 – the number of floors in the new office building which is pending, making it the tallest office building in Romania
Citește și:
Theodora Golf Club, cel mai mare resort de golf din România, dă startul noului sezon fantastic de golf
Cel mai mare resort de golf din România, Theodora Golf Club, anunță deschiderea terenului de golf și startul…
29 martie 2024
ORSE: România va putea investi 6 miliarde de euro pentru reducerea sărăciei energetice și de transport
România va fi unul dintre cei mai mari beneficiari ai Fondului Social pentru Climă, ceea ce va crea…
29 martie 2024
STIHL a pus piatra de temelie a noii fabricii de baterii din Eurobusiness Park 1 Oradea
Investiția de 125 de milioane de euro este cea mai mare din parcurile industriale din Oradea, Stihl dorind…
29 martie 2024
Ryanair atacă Wizz la Cluj. “Ei se restrâng, noi ne extindem”
Operatorul low-cost din Irlanda a pornit ofensiva de vară asupra companiei concurente din Ungaria pe Aeroportul Internațional Avram…
29 martie 2024
BT creditează TeraPlast cu 13 milioane € ca să cumpere grupul Freiler
Holdingul TeraPlast a încheiat achiziția grupului Wolfgang Freiler, intrând în proprietatea companiilor WF Kunststoff Handels, Wolfgang Freiler &…
28 martie 2024
Consiliul Concurenței cu investigațiile pe masă în fața antreprenorilor bihoreni
Puține sunt instituțiile de stat care fac publice numele firmelor sancționate pentru diferite practici ilegale. Consiliul Concurenței este…
28 martie 2024
Liber la investiții de 175 de milioane de euro pentru DEER
Consiliul de Administrație al grupului Electrica a aprobat valoarea consolidată a planul de investiții pentru 2024, de 1,12…
28 martie 2024
De ce a venit SWISS la Cluj. “Acest oraș generează dezvoltarea României”
Sosirea SWISS International Air Lines și intrarea Aeroportului Internațional Cluj (AIAIC) în Spațiul Schengen vor contribui la creșterea…
28 martie 2024