Caspian Energy (CE): What could you tell about the potential of the company headed by you in the construction market of Azerbaijan?

Shafiddin Pirmetov, General Director, Unico: Unico is a relatively young company established in 2007 and specializes in construction sector.  Initially, our organization was dealing in construction of administrative and trade buildings. But demand gives rise to supply. And we followed demand. Demand for administrative and trade buildings was replaced with industrial construction and public health afterwards. And as a result we gained experience of construction of different purpose facilities including civil and erection works, finishing, disassembling, earth works, electric installation work, sanitaryware works, as well as works on installation of air-conditioning and ventilation systems at buildings and facilities. 

The company managed to gain a worthy position in the construction market of Azerbaijan within a short period of time and is currently trying to enhance its business and enlarge the range of services provided in the construction sector. 

CE: Does the company’s operation in the construction sphere meet international regulations and standards?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: The work of our company has been based on international standards introduced jointly with leading European companies. We use European products according to their certification. The tendency of switch from quantity to quality is currently observed in Azerbaijan. Most companies are not ready for it yet. We have a team of employees including designers and architects who studied in Europe. Therefore, we are able to effectively work in partnership with European companies which standards differ strongly from the local ones. Safety measures and quality are regarded as of paramount importance in the European companies. 

Our company attaches major importance to safety measures. Our managers have gained wide experience in this sphere, systematical trainings for employees are arranged. Special trainings are held for non-standard projects. Our specialists have also been certified by Knauf and Lindner companies in the field of supply and use of materials. 

Ability to arrange a clear working procedure while performing civil and erection works is essential. Construction gangs of our company accumulated practice and they have high qualification, they qualitatively execute works in short time. Our specialists are able to render assistance in any situation concerning the construction process and to solve tasks set by a client. 

The company offers acceptable prices securing high quality of works. We make necessary measurements and detailed estimates which are provided by our specialist right on the first day. We do not conceal prices from our clients and we may discuss them with clients. 

CE: What distinguishes services provided by Unico?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: Qualitative performance of internal finishing work is the flavor of our company. I would like to note that we work only with European companies and perform our work on the high-quality level. Our main objective is highly professional, complex and in many respects unique maintenance of construction projects at all stages of construction process. To solve tasks of investors, including maximizing profits, as well as the society, including obtaining new comfortable and advanced environment of qualitative life, business and production development is equally important for us. 

The company was established by the professionals who have worked in the field of real estate and construction for more than 10 years. Our executives have gained  experience in implementation of 15 investment projects in Baku of various scale and complexity.

Our slogan “High Quality right on time” reflects our attitude to all processes which our personnel is engaged in. We are open to cooperation with all who appreciate high quality, accuracy and timely performance of the objectives set.

CE: What could you tell about successes that the company gained in the finishing work?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: Finishing is a major part of work that we perform and accounts for 60% of orders in the portfolio of the company. The remaining part refers to operations with steel structures, concrete work, etc. As far as finishing work is concerned, I may note that these orders basically cover internal finishing as well as finishing of facades of buildings and facilities. In thius direction we cooperate with our several European partners from Germany, Austria and Italy.

Finishing protects a building from atmospheric and other external actions, prolongs life duration and adorns a building.

Glass covering, daubing, casing with marble, granite, ceramics, and decorative break, modeling, and decorative painting are applied for an exterior finish (in exterior). The same materials as in exterior as well as gypsum plasterboard, wallpaper, linoleum, tile and parquet products, woodwork and synthetics (plastic mass) are applied in an interior finish. 

Our specialists have accumulated considerable practice in years of work and they are ready to lend a qualified assistance.

In general, our company offers a wide range of exterior works: excavation works, cast-in-block works, placing of different types and materials, plastering, filling, facade painting, roofing, drain installation, etc. 

CE: Which projects is the company currently involved in?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: Now we are engaged in the project of internal finishing of Port Baku and the new office of bp Company in Baku.

Apart from this, we expected  a project from the Belgian company N.V.Besix S.A. which is involved in constructing of a new building for the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan. At present, we carry out finishing work at the old building of SOFAZ. 

Among the projects that have been recently completed noteworthy is the internal finishing of the Cultural Center named after Heydar Aliyev. Meanwhile, we lend the similar services to the private sector as well. We have recently completed an internal finishing of a number of cottages and a restaurant.

CE: Does the company plan to enter regional markets?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: We are currently negotiating the company’s involvement at markets of Russia and European countries. We have promising projects to be realized in Moscow, Sakhalin (Russia) and Georgia. In addition  we have one more project in Mecca (Saudi Arabia) that will be launched in the summer. The mater concerns construction of a hotel and a mosque. Special golden ceilings will be installed in the mosque.   

An oil sphere related project is under implementation in Russia as well. Our specialists are involved in assembly operations of certain parts of the oil platform. The work concerns pipeline and argon-welding. 

In Russia we plan to realize one more project. It envisages construction of the military camp in Voronej region. 25-27 buildings are to be built within the framework of the project. 

We also plan to participate in construction of facilities in Russia that are a part of the preparation for the world soccer championship of 2018. 

CE: What work is carried out for development of local production? 

Shafiddin Pirmetov: We intend to develop auxiliary production in Azerbaijan. Now we produce crushed stone and some other construction materials on our own. 

We also consider production of different structural shapes, including aluminum shapes. We want to develop the domestic market as the majority of construction products are imported. We intend to saturate the Azerbaijani market with qualitative construction materials produced domestically. 

In this regard, we hold negotiations with the Italian company Aluk Group and even wish to create Azerbaijani-Italian joint venture as well as establish production of aluminum shapes for different window systems. The matter concerns mainly production of facade structures. 

Along with it  we intend to establish Italian production of window systems of wood. The negotiations on this project are underway. Its economic profitability is considered as well. 

CE: Which other services does your company provide in the construction sector?

Shafiddin Pirmetov: Our Company has been providing services on general construction operations for 5 years. They are carried out in private houses or flats and they are of different complexity levels.

Our company executes the following civil and erection work: reinforcement of walls, plastering of walls, ceiling, apertures, slopes, arrangement of walls from gypsum plasterboard, wall boarding by gypsum plasterboard, clearing of apertures in reinforced concrete walls, enhancement of apertures, arrangement of compartments from brick, slag stones and slot and flange blocks.

The company also performs earth works. Specific weight of earth works in a general volume of civil and erection works is very high and equal to about 15% for cost and up to 20% for labour coefficient. Approximately 10% of all workers occupied in construction are involved in earth works. Processing of such quantity of soil is possible only subject to complex mechanization and effective technology of work production. In this aspect our company offers acceptable prices and guarantees high quality. 

In Baku the company also performs various complexity disassembling operations starting from taking off old wallpaper and cleaning of walls to demolition of walls and partitions in Baku. Disassembling operations may be executed in any premises whether a private house, a flat in a panel building or an office. Specialists of our company will qualitatively and quickly assist in re-planning of any complexity.

With increasing requirements towards quality, the requirements towards terms of execution of electric installation work have increased as well. Therefore construction companies have to be provided with qualified personnel and highly productive equipment. Our Company offers its clients electric installation work of high quality with observance of all requirements. 

Meanwhile, the company executes plumbing and installation of sanitary fittings workmanlike and qualitatively as well as guarantees durability and ease of use. 

Specialists of the company also lend services of installation of air-conditioning and ventilation systems following professionalism and qualification.