Company growth driven by expertise, services diversification, and a sustainable approach

Grinity, a consultancy company in construction and real estate with over 25 years of expertise, has experienced a successful year. In 2024, Grinity contributed to hundreds of projects not only in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, reaffirming its position as a key player in technical consultancy. Grinity’s success stands on a high level of professional expertise, strategic diversification of its services portfolio, and the ability to respond flexibly to new challenges—particularly to sustainability and rising energy costs. Company executives and co-owners Pavel Čermák and Zdeněk Trejbal discuss current industry trends, the company’s stable growth trajectory, and their vision for the future.

Looking back at the past year, which was marked by some uncertainty in the real estate market, how did you at Grinity evaluate 2024?

PČ: It was undoubtedly a successful year. Although Grinity has been operating under its current name for only three years, we have established ourselves as a reliable technical partner and see continued trust from existing and new clients. In numbers, we talk about 368 projects in the Czech Republic and 82 in Slovakia. These projects ranged from minor Technical Due Diligence and expert assessments to sustainable solutions for a number of clients, to long-term engagements—especially for commercial developers —and large-scale ventures such as the Volvo project. We maintain a high standard of technical expertise, supported in part by our ongoing collaboration with our former parent company, Arcadis. This enables us to contribute to projects within and beyond the region and positions us as a preferred partner for international clients and global consultancy firms. We are particularly proud that in a time of declining foreign investment in the Czech Republic, we responded flexibly by strengthening relationships with local clients—ensuring stability and continued momentum in our growth.

ZT: At the same time, we diversified our services in response to market developments and the specific needs of our clients. Today, each service line functions as an independent pillar supporting the company’s overall structure. This model ensures that if demand in one area declines, the remaining segments continue to uphold the company’s stability. One of the latest additions to our portfolio is Energy building optimization, which has emerged as a significant accelerator of our growth. This initiative addresses current challenges, including rising energy costs and long-term sustainability requirements.

PČ: Lastly, our management has two new members, both promoted from within our company. Martin Tkáč has taken on the Sector Leader Sustainability & Commercial Developers role, overseeing the implementation of sustainability services in Slovakia. The second new member, Petr Schorsch, has been appointed Sector Leader LEED & Energy. In response to the growing demand for sustainability and energy, we restructured our Sustainability sector into two specialized teams. This allows for more efficient management and deeper focus: one team concentrates on BREEAM certification, ESG, and EU Taxonomy, while the other focuses on LEED, WELL, energy efficiency, and modeling.

What are the foundations of these achievements?

PČ: Our company’s reputation is primarily built on a team of experienced colleagues, a healthy corporate culture, and high-quality relationships—values that we consider the cornerstone of our business. Our more than twenty five years of experience in the corporate environment have taught us to deliver services and outcomes that meet the highest international standards. This level of performance cannot be built in just a year or two—it requires a solid track record, deep expertise, and, most importantly, people who embody this quality. And we are proud to say that we have exactly such professionals on our team—many of whom have been with us for 10, 15, or even more than 20 years.

ZT: I consider the quality and comprehensiveness of our services to be essential. Clients who have already worked with us know that our service delivery is consistently high. When we offer them a broad portfolio, they naturally weigh their options—whether to split the scope among multiple providers to optimize costs or choose a comprehensive solution with a single partner capable of managing the entire process from concept design to efficient building commissioning. This type of collaboration gives clients confidence that they will have a partner by their side throughout every project phase—from reviewing design documentation through supervising execution to ensuring the seamless operation of the completed building. Clients appreciate knowing they can rely on consistent service quality across the project lifecycle.

Which of your services is currently attracting client interest the most?

ZT: Our services are not focused on a single area—we emphasize comprehensiveness across the board. While some clients may associate us with Project Management or building certification, we offer a broad range of services that span the entire lifecycle of a building. When a client approaches us for a specific service, we can often expand that engagement by integrating related services—from project planning and execution to post-completion operations. We aim to provide a complete, all-in-one solution, ensuring the client benefits from a seamless and coordinated process.

PČ: The consistent client interest enables us to expand our services in response to current challenges—particularly in sustainability and rising energy costs. Thanks to our pragmatic approach and high level of expertise in energy optimization, we rank among the leading specialists in this field. For newly planned buildings—already during the design phase—we are able to propose energy-efficient specifications based on the client’s requirements, applicable regulations, and ESG criteria. These specifications ensure long-term performance efficiency and regulatory compliance. For existing buildings, often as part of real estate portfolios, clients aim to improve energy performance and reduce carbon footprints. We provide comprehensive energy optimization: assessing the technical condition of buildings, identifying operational savings, and recommending investment measures for further improvement. In many cases, significant savings can already be achieved simply by optimizing operational parameters without the need for large-scale interventions.

Terms like ESG and EU Taxonomy are still widely discussed. How do you, as a provider of these services, approach them?

ZT: Various sustainability-related services are now being consolidated under the umbrella of the EU Taxonomy. However, this extends the activities we have already offered for years—including certifications, ESG assessments, energy performance certificates, and life cycle analyses (LCA). For us, the taxonomy represents a natural framework for these existing services. Many clients know that they need to address EU Taxonomy requirements, but often, they’re unsure how to proceed. That’s where we step in—offering concrete, practical solutions for each aspect. The taxonomy is a complex and extensive document, and very few in the Czech market can claim to master it fully. Our goal is to act as a knowledgeable guide—advising on what truly matters, what we can deliver, and what needs to be handled internally or in coordination with suppliers and customers.

PČ: We often witness situations where clients realize, „We’re already doing this—we just didn’t know it falls under the EU Taxonomy.“ It’s important not to view the taxonomy as an abstract threat but as an opportunity to map current practices and identify potential gaps. At the same time, we’re seeing growing demand from international clients, who use these services as tools to secure more favorable financing conditions. The connection between ESG criteria, EU Taxonomy requirements, and bank lending terms is a clear trend—and a strong indicator of where the market is headed. Companies that fail to meet these expectations may face difficulties securing financing or higher capital costs. Our role is to help clients mitigate these risks through consulting, reducing financing costs, or creating conditions for more advantageous funding. This approach isn’t limited to new developments—it also applies to refinancing, operation of existing buildings, and real estate portfolio management.

You also operate in Slovakia. What are the key differences compared to the Czech market, and what trends have you observed in both countries?

PČ: We see a number of differences between the Czech and Slovak markets, but these differences also represent opportunities. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel—often, it’s enough to adapt what has already worked in Western markets, then in the Czech context, and now has strong potential to succeed in Slovakia, today or in the near future. One of the most important milestones in recent years has been establishing our Sustainability team in Slovakia. This team focuses on certifications and environmental consultancy and has shown positive results from the outset. Another key sector in Slovakia is automotive. After completing the Jaguar Land Rover plant—under the Arcadis name—we are delivering our largest project under the Grinity brand: the Volvo manufacturing plant in Košice.

ZT: In the Slovak market, services related to residential construction continue to dominate and represent a key part of the Bratislava office’s portfolio. This is followed by the logistics segment and Technical Due Diligence. In contrast, Project Management is currently focused on office buildings in the Czech Republic. We are delivering several major office projects, with additional developments in the preparation phase. Clients anticipate a rebound in demand and want to be ready—there is still a shortage of premium office spaces, which marks a significant shift compared to last year. At the same time, we are seeing a decline in industrial construction volumes in the Czech market. The previous boom in logistics and manufacturing centers has subsided, giving way to specialized production facilities. Conversely, there is a notable rise in the rental housing segment, which has become a key topic. We work with major institutional investors, often foreign funds, that are acquiring these residential assets. Acting as the client’s technical representatives, we support the entire lifecycle of such projects—from contractual technical consulting and due diligence to construction monitoring and the complex handover process. Our role is to ensure that all units are completed by the requirements of future owners. The rental housing segment has high growth potential, and we expect further increases in investment in the near future.

Which projects can you highlight from last year?

ZT: Among the projects we delivered in the affordable housing sector last year, I would highlight our collaboration with Dostupné bydlení České spořitelny and Kooperativa on the Prosek M, N, and P developments, as well as the Opatov City project. In the office building segment, we work with clients such as Generali Real Estate, Kooperativa, and Passerinvest. Key projects include the Kooperativa complexes in Prague’s Karlín district, two Generali projects in Pankrác, and three upcoming developments for Passerinvest—two at Brumlovka and one at Roztyly. Last year, we also completed the Roztyly Plaza project with Passerinvest, which received the prestigious Building of the Year award.

PČ: In addition to our long-standing clients, some of whom we have been working with for over two decades, we also established several new partnerships over the past year. One notable example is Wood & Company, whom we are assisting with the energy optimization of their building portfolio. Other key projects include our involvement in the preparatory phase of the Prague Philharmonic Hall and the completion of the football stadium in Hradec Králové. This achievement has opened up new opportunities for us in the sports construction sector. Last year, we also collaborated with clients such as Českomoravská Nemovitostní, Mint Investments, Fidurock, and many others. In Bratislava, we completed the iconic residential project Metropolis.

You have been based in newly renovated offices for a year now. What was the goal behind this move, and how do you evaluate the new environment?

ZT: The primary goal of the refurbishment was to create a central space for collaboration and interaction across teams. Given the specific layout of our office, we wanted to ensure that, as our company grows, individual teams do not become isolated from one another. The result is what we call the HUB—an open space designed to encourage both formal and informal interactions, where employees regularly meet and connect.

PČ: Together with the new entrance and rebranding, I see this change as a key step in our further development. In the past, teams often worked independently, focusing on their specific areas of expertise. Today, collaboration across the company is much stronger—we share clients, projects, and know-how. The new office space has significantly supported this shift, bringing new energy to the workplace, which I appreciate.

What is Grinity’s vision for the future?

ZT: One of our key priorities is continued digitalization—both internally and with our clients. Internally, we are placing strong emphasis on efficient information sharing across teams. We aim for each team leader to have a clear overview of the projects underway and identify potential synergies early on. If one team works on a specific project and another delivers a different service for the same client, our system allows them to share information seamlessly. This enables us to offer clients comprehensive solutions. This allows us to deliver greater added value, expand the scope of services, and respond more effectively to the client’s real needs.

PČ: We already have tangible results that are measurable and clearly demonstrate the benefits of this approach. We firmly believe that the future lies in efficient information sharing and proactive information management—factors that significantly strengthen our internal collaboration and enhance the company’s overall success.

And what are your further plans for the upcoming period?

PČ: A key principle of our approach is that each member of the leadership team is responsible for a specific area of development, to which they actively contribute in line with the company’s strategy. Some initiatives—such as Energy Building Optimization and expanding sustainability services in Slovakia—are already delivering tangible results. We also invest in development opportunities within the automotive sector and large-scale international data centers. At the same time, we are actively working on strengthening partnerships with global consultancy firms. In parallel, we are preparing additional strategic initiatives, which we cannot yet disclose as they are still under development. We will reveal more details once the time is right.