Interview with the Commercial Director of Halyps Cement

Since March 2020, Mr. Mihail Lazarov is Commercial Director of Halyps Cement, responsible for the Greek and Albania markets. He has rich experience of international sales and his career at HeidelbergCement Group began in 2014 as Business Development and Export Manager of the subsidiary in Bulgaria. Since 2017 he has been Sales Manager for Bulgaria and Albania.
Mihail Lazarov holds a degree of Business Administration from New Bulgarian University and is fluent in Bulgarian, Russian and English.

1. Mr. Lazarov, you are the Commercial Director of Halyps Cement since 2020. What are your observations about the cement market in Greece? The cement market in Greece has its own specific features, but in general it follows the development trends typical of the neighboring Balkan countries. Our expectations are that after the turbulence caused by COVID-19, better times lie ahead.

2. Tell us more about Halyps Cement's portfolio. What did you bet on? 

In connection with the HeidelbergCement Group's focus on nature conservation and low-carbon products, the Halyps team has performed extremely well in this area. As a particularly promising product, I would point out the new sulphate-resistant cement. It is now available on the market both in bulk and as packaged under the Gigas plus brand.

3. How do you think Halyps Cement stands out on the market? What is the reason why customers choose your products? 

Halyps products are characterized by consistency of quality indicators. This gives peace of mind and predictability to customers who use our cement. This is a particularly important condition for users of bulk cement.

4. What are the commercial plans of Halyps Cement? 

The plans in terms of trade are related to continuing the excellent performance related to the marketing of low-carbon products. We still have a lot of work to do in this direction so that our customers can recognize Halyps as a responsible company with care for nature.

5. What is the thing you want to serve in the cement market? Innovation? News? 

Innovation and new products help, but they should not be an end in themselves. Active marketing support is also needed to promote them successfully.

 6. What is the role of the sales team? 

The role of the sales team is to be close to the customers, to understand their needs and to provide adequate solutions in a timely manner. It is also important to monitor and anticipate market developments and to respond properly to market dynamics.