“Most other brands create product yet do not evolve, whereas DOMUS is always innovating”
Interview with Ismail Kasa of BORA Laundry, our official DOMUS distributor in Albania.
Taking advantage of his visit to our factory in Sant Julià de Vilatorta (Barcelona), we wanted to talk to him about the status of the laundry sector in his country and about the main challenges the sector will face in the coming year.
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We would like to begin by having you tell us a bit about the origins of BORA. When was it founded? What is your mission as a company? And how did the partnership with DOMUS come about?
ISMAIL: We started BORA about 22 years ago, in 2001 to be precise.
At first, we began with a small laundry business, and over time we established working relationships with different factories that manufactured machines. Then, little by little, as the laundry market grew in Albania, we started to sell machinery to small laundry services. Before working with DOMUS, the company had worked with other brands such as Grandimpianti, PRIMUS, and AGA, as well as some FAGOR machines.
We were fortunate to begin collaborating with DOMUS in 2017, because it coincided with the era of greatest development in Albania. However, despite being a great brand, it was difficult to introduce DOMUS into Albania at the beginning, because it was not well-known.
In my opinion, our job as distributors is also to raise the brand’s profile; we have to be able to convince the customer.
Another reason why we work with DOMUS is the support you, at the factory, have given us, as well as the support from your technical service for any problem or defect we encounter. What’s more, you get the job done quickly. This is especially important to us.
I would also like to mention that the TOUCH II microprocessor has improved considerably; this is the main strength of DOMUS machinery in my opinion.
- ¿What is the BORA’s main activity?
ISMAIL: On the one hand, we operate our industrial laundry business, where we wash clothes for hotels and restaurants; on the other, we sell machines, because we have our own laundry service and understand in-depth how the machines work.
We also have an agreement with a very good detergent company, and we are practically working in tandem with DOMUS and RHUTTEN.
Nevertheless, we could say that BORA’s core activity is our laundry business.
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Reflecting on the laundry sector in Albania, what is its current status after COVID?
ISMAIL: Albania is developing its tourism sector. Many new hotels are going up, and there are still more to come. So, as the hotel sector grows, there is also development in the laundry sector. We believe there are still a couple of years of growth ahead.
- Is the main growth opportunity in Albania the hotel sector, including hotels that have yet to be built, or are there any other opportunities, e.g., hospitals, self-service laundries, etc.?
ISMAIL: The hospital sector is a tough nut to crack. The laundry services are not state-owned, and hospitals have assigned laundry management to 3 or 4 companies that dominate the whole market. The problem is that they are large customers and usually buy directly from the factory, as they operate in the industrial laundry sector. But DOMUS is now a well-known brand in Albania, especially in the tourism sector, and we are gradually growing. We have begun to sell calender machines to this type of customer, which could open doors for us.
This year we have achieved sales in Kosovo and Montenegro to important customers with large laundries, and it might raise our profile to be known there.
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You may have already touched on this, but, based on your experience, what are the strengths of DOMUS machines?
ISMAIL: We have been working with DOMUS for 6 years, and if I had to mention any strong point, I would highlight the major improvement following the change from TOUCH to TOUCH II. We already liked the mechanical part of the machine before.
Most other brands create product yet do not evolve, whereas DOMUS is always innovating and marketing their products well. Nevertheless, as I said before, the strong point is the TOUCH II, because in terms of machinery, the equipment has always been excellent. - How can customers contact you?
ISMAIL: You can find all our contact details on our website
Thank you very much Ismail for your words and your time. It was a real pleasure to talk to you, and we hope to see each other again very soon
