Local ventilation equipment dealers and service providers have to have a keen sense of their local markets to succeed. What challenges are they facing and how are they coping? Those and some other questions were addressed to Konstantin Yakovlev, director of Vent Air – the official representative of VENTS in Zaporizhia oblast.

Konstantin Igorevich, could you tell us how long you have been in business and what exactly your company does?

Our company was founded in June 2004. Since the very beginning we have been working in close cooperation with “Ventilation Systems” as the company’s representative in Zaporizhia region. Therefore, our customers are offered the products that roll off the company’s production line.  In addition to selling ventilation equipment we also help with its selection, migrating from third-party equipment to the products sold under the VENTS brand, work in a close dialogue with design contractors, offer maintenance services and supply our sales partners in the city of Zaporizhia and the entire region.

What market segment do you consider top priority?

At the very start we focused our entire efforts on domestic ventilation products. However, we had to adapt our marketing strategy as the factory expanded its portfolio by adding a host of new offerings. This is how we ended up selling commercial ventilation and industrial ventilation solutions as well. At present we stock everything you need to complete most every ventilation project – even a very advanced one. This is what our customers value the most. They appreciate a diverse range of products, quality service and early access to new models which offer exciting new opportunities. These are the corner stones of our marketing strategy that we can build upon in order to grow and evolve.

How would you describe the current state of the local ventilation equipment market? What are the most notable trends and challenges?

At the moment the state of market is defined by a number of key factors. First and foremost it is the current state of economy which has seen much better times. Three years of hostilities have been adversely affecting our operations in the regions which border on the counter-terrorist operation zone. Zaporizhia oblast is one of them. Consequently our sales dynamics has been wave-like due to some serious planning challenges. On the one hand, there is a significant deferred demand on the market, but, on the other hand, many projects are being mothballed till better days. Price has become a defining factor, too. This is why our customers tend to buy products from competitively priced brands.

What ventilation equipment is in the highest demand at the moment and what requirements dominate the choice?

In a nutshell, the hottest trend is equipment with ultra-low power consumption caused by a steady rise of electricity prices. Among other primary requirements to ventilation equipment are also high quality, extensive warranty, low noise levels and, of course, a price that is hard to beat.

Which ventilation market segment is more lucrative these days: industrial, commercial or domestic?

Priority-wise our main efforts are focused on the commercial ventilation market which seems to be making the biggest progress. We sell a lot of equipment for offices, shops, cafés, restaurants and other businesses. The industrial ventilation market is second best. Zaporizhia is a large industrial centre which is why this segment has traditionally been quite strong. And, lastly, there is the domestic ventilation market which closes the top three.

What is your best-selling equipment at the moment?

In the recent years there has been a steady trend for energy-saving equipment. Most every customer is looking for ways of reducing energy bills which is why this factor has become to define ventilation equipment sales