Die Presse: Do you disagree with me when I call you a winner in a crisis?
Andreas Kraler: Our company has certainly benefited from the crisis: first through Corona and secondly through climate change.
So a double crisis winner.
But one has to first label the crisis: I believe that in spite of everything, everyone is not yet aware of the climate crisis and that a change has to take place
. This also applies to transformation of buildings towards sustainability.
This is within your business scope. But who has to become aware of it: private individuals or the state?
Both. However, the point is: The transformation towards green is going to cost us, and it has to be clear who is going to pay for it all. Consumers and industry will not be able to do it on their own. Help from the public sector is also needed to achieve this.
Do you think too little attention is being paid to this?
Yes. Especially in buildings, too little is being invested in renovation. This is also because many buildings belong to the public sector. They should actually set a positive example. Then many others will follow suit. The private home builder knows that if he invests in insulation and new windows, he will save on energy costs.
But private individuals can also plan for the longer term than politicians.
One should always think in terms of the life cycle of a building. Buildings from the pre-war period are all still standing. They were built to be so long-lasting that they will still be standing a 100 years later.
Back to the other crisis: Housing has become more important during Covid.
Many people have invested in their own homes during the pandemic. Mainly because travelling was not possible and people wanted to beautify their homes. So that has definitely helped.
The earnings show a 13 per cent increase in turnover in 2022. Are the crises the reason for this?
We wanted to break the 200 million turnover limit as early as 2021. Unfortunately, this did not work out due to the delayed supply chains. We would have crossed this mark that time itself if everything had been available as usual. This resulted in a backlog of demand, and this has now affected 2022. Prices have also increased. But, we have grown in all areas. I see that certain subsidies have definitely helped to press ahead with building renovation.
