KÉSZ Group and Masterplast entered into strategic cooperation

The year 2023 started excitingly in several respects and January can be closed with an extraordinary announcement. The managers of KÉSZ Group and Masterplast signed a strategic cooperation agreement in which the two partners agreed on the manufacture and the future of modular building elements. Moreover, there is already a tangible evidence of cooperation because the announcing press release was held in the office building completed at Masterplast's site in Sárszentmihály. The event was attended by Tamás Vida, CEO of KÉSZ Holding Zrt., Mihály Varga, founder of KÉSZ Group and Balázs Uhrinyi, the business development manager of KÉSZ Holding Zrt.

The aesthetic building of modern appearance gives a sensitive example of the potentials of use of the innovative construction technology involved in modular architecture. The technology can be interpreted as a new independent category of architecture characterized by high-standard technical content, excellent energy efficiency, fast implementation and wide-scope use. The technology is based on a precise software design process and nodal design typical of automotive industry. Modular building elements are manufactured under factory circumstances, independent of weather and seasons, where the manufacturing process is supervised by a constant quality assurance system. The ready-made modular building elements are transported by road and can be installed at the site of construction using a crane and a small assembly team during a few days. Modular buildings are constructed on a mechanically prepared concrete base. An advantage of modular technology worth of attention is recyclability; the building can be disassembled in the case of change of functions and can be moved and resettled even 2 or 3 times during its whole life cycle. Modularity includes also the possibility of extension and storey design of buildings. The modular architectural solution can be used in a wide scope; it is suitable for construction of standardized residential buildings just as for construction of a modern college, a three-star hotel, an independent office building or a principal building connected with industrial halls.

In order to make cooperation successful, KÉSZ Group undertook to use its decade-long experience in the manufacture of steel structures, capacity and, as a repurchaser, to use module building elements in the project, while Masterplast provides its skills in production of thermal insulation materials and the know-how achieved in the design and manufacture of modular building elements.

"In the life of KÉSZ Group, a technology-controlled group of companies with one of the widest portfolio focusing on construction industry, innovation has always played a prominently important role just as sustainability. To this end, we constantly seek more and more cooperation alternatives. We started to survey the opportunities in development and manufacture of frame structures jointly with Masterplast. The modular construction system of our partner is built on a high-strength steel frame structure optimized to the rules for oversize transport, which can be brought in a nearly 95% state of completeness under factory conditions by specialist industrial works and materials. However, the frame structure should be so rigid that the structures and coverings fixed to the frame bear dynamic stresses during transport without cracks. Our objective is to create such a competitive, technically appropriate steel frame structure transportable under more favorable transport conditions (i.e. divided into elements) that provides space and opportunity for prefabrication in large series. In the course of development, typability and minimization of the construction element kit was a highly important aspect. Consequently, each solution should support mass production at several operating points. In the course of the joint development work KÉSZ Group undertook to design and manufacture the steel frame structure in order to achieve these objectives at its plant in Kecskemét. As an outcome of improvements, we have created a product easy to assemble but resistant to dynamic stresses that can be produced in mass production, too" - said Tamás Vida, CEO of KÉSZ Group.

We experience keen interest in modular architectural technology and count on a favorable market reception. After hand-over of the first building modules and reference buildings, we wish to start factory production of building elements and the strategic cooperation entered into with KÉSZ Group is an important milestone in it. We strive to establish a mutually advantageous cooperation and to utilize the business synergies involved in the alliance of the two significant Hungarian construction companies. We rely on our partner as a stable supplier of steel structures, who - however - as a purchaser supports the faster market penetration of application of the modular building technology." - added Balázs Ács, the vice-president of Masterplast, the operative manager of the modular building element production division.