Photo: Galens Invest (New Minel Residence&Office)The people of Novi Sad were the first to recognize the quality and innovation of Galens Invest residential projects and gained trust in this company as a reliable and strong investor. The good reputation quickly became known in the country and the region and had an impact on the progressive expansion of the investment portfolio of the company, which is currently building 400,000 square meters on ten projects at the same time. The end of this year and next year will be marked by the largest projects in Belgrade, and in addition to Belgrade and Novi Sad, there are Zlatibor, Jahorina and a joint project in Innsbruck, with a partner from Austria, announced Radoljub Golubović, General Manager of Galens Invest, in an interview for our magazine.
RADOLJUB GOLUBOVIĆ, GENERAL MANAGER, GALENS INVEST
Galens Invest has close to 60 completed projects, with a total area of more than 200,000 square meters. It is interesting that you currently have twice as many square meters under construction on ten projects at the same time. With what ambitions and resources did you embark on this, we can safely say, construction offensive?
After 18 full years of successful work by our group and 60 completed projects, Galens Invest is currently simultaneously building over 400,000 m2 on ten different projects. Our acquired knowledge, experience, current position in the real estate market, trust of satisfied customers, and constant progress and improvement from project to project are important and necessary, but not completely sufficient for such ambitions. In addition to our knowledge, energy and successful team, we had to get the help of banks, through project financing and support. Hence, I use this opportunity to thank Unicredit bank, NLB Komercijalna banka, Intesa, OTP banka, AIK banka, ALTA banka and other banks , which successfully accompanied us in our development as our partners.
Also, without the main contractor, our related company Galens Inženjering and its subcontractors, and other participants in our projects, such rapid development and progress of us as an investor would not be possible. From project to project, we progressed together, improved, used increasingly modern and carefully selected materials and tools, and followed world construction trends, which enabled us to build faster and with better quality. Our aspiration, all these years, is that by constantly increasing the quantity, we will also raise the quality of our projects.
You realized your first projects in “your” city, Novi Sad, which is still your largest construction site today. How do the people of Novi Sad recognize your buildings, and what is the quality that Galens contributes to the contemporary identity of this city?
In the beginning, the people of Novi Sad recognized the innovation and quality, good locations, and modern construction concepts that the condominium brings with it, because in addition to high-quality and well-used apartments, tenants have at their disposal parking spaces, parks, shops, playgrounds for children, permanent video surveillance, security, and, in some complexes, a fitness center, and all that at an acceptable price. Also, the fact that all our projects are in line with urban planning parameters and permits, and that we have not completed any project through legalization, is of great importance.
After several years of construction, the people of Novi Sad gained trust in us because they realized that Galens Invest is not an investor that will realize and sell two or three projects and disappear, but will constantly grow and develop and remain a stable, reliable, and strong company, which with its credibility guarantees quality for many years. After such trust and experience of our customers in Novi Sad, we were quickly heard about, so we continued the development and growth of the company in other cities in the country and region.
Next year and the end of this year will be marked by the largest projects in Belgrade, and in addition to Belgrade and Novi Sad, there are Zlatibor, Jahorina and a joint project in Innsbruck, with a partner from Austria. New projects in other European cities await us soon.
AVENIJA GARDEN RESIDENCE, NOVI SAD
Pupinova Palata is one of your most famous projects in Novi Sad, recognizable by its modern architecture integrated into the old city center. To what extent did this residential and business complex meet the expectations of buyers and tenants, and what will Pupinova Palata in New Belgrade offer to its users?
The business-residential complex, Pupinova Palata, is located in the very center of Novi Sad. Maybe we are subjective by thinking that our building made this part of the city even more beautiful, but we are sure that, despite all the difficulties we had during the construction of such a building in this location, we managed to build one of the most modern, functional, and beautiful business-residential complexes in the country.
Designed to meet all the needs of a modern way of living and working, Pupinova Palata in New Belgrade represents an ideal combination of premium quality materialization and state-of-the-art technology. An ideal business environment, which includes proximity to some of the largest business parks, proximity to the highway and excellent connections with other parts of the city, makes Pupinova Palata in New Belgrade the optimal choice for business premises. In addition to its great business potential, Pupinova Palata in New Belgrade offers a comfortable and functional living space for all those who strive for a meaningful and quality life in an attractive and dynamic part of the capital.
PUPINOVA PALATA, NOVI SAD
In an extremely attractive location in New Belgrade, a large residential and business complex, New Minel Residence&Office, designed according to the highest standards of sustainability, is currently being built. What innovative solutions have you implemented and what level of comfort and accompanying amenities can the future tenants expect?
Apart from being at a good location, the New Minel Residence&Office complex can also boast the most modern and high-quality materialization, which ensures the necessary comfort and safety. Innovative solutions and modern technology, which raise the quality of housing to an even higher level, are used for the construction of apartments of different structures and orientations. The New Minel Residence&Office is conceived as a semi-closed unit with all the elements that life in an urban environment makes nicer and easier. One of those elements is definitely the tenant park—the atrium, which is filled with greenery and contains a children’s playground, a space for socializing and sports, smart benches, and other facilities intended for the tenants’ entertainment and leisure. In addition to the outdoor facilities and parking spaces provided by an underground garage, the safety of the tenants is also taken into account, so the complex has 24-hour security and controlled access.
In addition to building apartments in the most attractive locations in Belgrade and Novi Sad, you have also expanded your apartment building to attractive mountain locations; the construction of an apartment complex on Zlatibor and a state-of-the-art resort on Jahorina is underway. How would you describe this increasingly popular trend from an investor’s point of view?
Aparthotels are becoming more and more popular because, in addition to high-quality apartments at attractive sites, customers use the entire hotel facilities and have the option of renting and maintaining their apartments through the hotel’s employees, so it is also a good investment.
The Zlatibor Mountain Resort&Spa is one of the most modern mountain resorts in the region, which officially started operating at the beginning of the year. It is located in the very center of Zlatibor and, as an exclusive 5* hotel, it offers its users luxurious facilities, of which we especially highlight the Magnesium Wellness&Spa center, on an area of as much as 4,000 m2. In addition to the spa center, the guests also have at their disposal a large selection of luxuriously furnished rooms and apartments, restaurants with excellent cuisine, as well as various facilities for entertainment: a bowling alley, a billiard hall, a children’s playroom. We are extremely proud of the fact that the Zlatibor Mountain Resort&Spa hotel was built in line with the most modern architectural and construction standards, while we paid special attention to interior design and decoration, energy efficiency, safety of guests and employees, and a high degree of automation of business processes with the application of the highest standards.
ZLATIBOR MOUNTAIN RESORT&SPA
In two years, Galens Invest will celebrate two decades of business. What is your bigger ambition until then - to increase the number of square meters under construction to a record again or maybe to expand your business in the region?
Our goal is, above all, to maintain the quality of construction, functionality, and good facilities content of our complexes, as well as to maintain the trust of our customers and partners. Also, we wish to be recognized as an innovative but stable and reliable investor. After that, we also aim to expand our business in the region.
By: Petra Vasiljević
Photo: Galens Invest
