Association started up its operation in July 1998 when it was established by 12 building materials traders' enterprises.
Operation is proceeding successfully and after 8 years of activities the number of its participants has quadruepled. As of today, Association unifies more than 40 greatest Latvia building materials traders` enterprises with a total annual turnover exceeding 426 millions LVL.
Among the Association participants there are both enterprises importing the building materials and exporters and manufacturers and multi-branch enterprises.
Specialisation
Association participants in general are engaged in trading of all groups of building materials. A major part of them - 80% have specialized in trading with finnishing materials (tiles, wall-papers, paints,...). In the second place with 56% there is trade with equipment for buildings (kitchens, bath room facilities, baths, basins,...). A next place by 45% is occupied by simultaneously 3 groups of building materials - materials for construction sites (concrete, isolation materials, roofs,...), additional building products (windows, doors, ceiling, floors) and heating, water supply, ventilation equipment.
Activities
Association is closely cooperating with organizing company of international exhibitions BT 1, Latvia International Arbitration, Latvia Republic Statistics Committee, SIA Statoil Latvia, newspapers Celtne and Buve Interjers, the magazines Būvēt and Materiāli, the news agency LETA, as well as other branch associations and organizations.
Representatives of Association are cooperating with Latvia Technical Committee for Building Materials Standards, Latvia Republic Ministry of Finance established Traders` and Real Estate Property and Construction councils of experts.
In order to move efficiently research interests of the branch and to promote its development, Latvia Building Materials Traders` Association has established five profile sections - sections for paints, tiles, sanitary equipment, floor covering and roof covering materials. Twice a year from Latvia Republic Statistics Committee received there are data on position of foreign trade indicators for the range of building materials being of interest for the Association participants.
In order to avoid possibilities of realization of non-qualitative materials in the Latvia market, Association is cooperating with the two building materials certification centers in Latvia, with the Consumers` rights protection center.
Association participants have adopted Ethics Code, purpose of which is to take care of and to consolidate correct participants` mutual relations, to eradicate unethical behaviour in business, mutual relationship of enterprises and among their employees.
Upon entering the Association, every participant shall receive participant`s certificate, certifying the enterprise`s high rating in the sphere of its business ethics, range of commodities, their quality and servicing.
Association has contacts to have been established with other Latvia branch Associations, the Embassy of Czech Republic, as well as with Swedish sanitary engineering materials Association Comfort.Association organizes competition "The best building material trader" and sport competition for employees of participating companies. There is intention to establish links with similar associations in Germany, Finland, as well as in other European countries.
