Orion started serving the Romanian telecom industry in 1992, and over the years have expanded its operations into Europe, Africa and Latin America. In this interview, Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager for the company, shares his views on what it takes to become a global tower provider at a time of constant changes, increased tower demand and technological challenges.
TowerXchange: Where does ORION fit in the telecom tower ecosystem?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
First of all, I want to salute all the participants in the TowerXchange meeting and TowerXchange readers, and congratulate for the great work you and your team do in the field of telecom. Orion has been working in the field of telecommunication since its creation back in 1992, when the main activity was integration of TV networks. Afterwards, Orion started acting as a turnkey telecom integrator in Romania and the Moldavian Republic for customers such as Orange and Cosmote.
Nowadays, our main activity is the manufacturing of steel structures for the telecom industry, all the way from towers to small parts. This switch in activities became a necessity for us when we got involved in GSM network development.
To date, we are leaders in tower supply in Romania and over the past few years, we became the supplier of choice for Orange and Vodafone in Europe, Africa and Latin America.
TowerXchange: What is your telecom tower manufacturing capacity and can you tell us about some example clients?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Orion has a boutique factory with a manufacturing capacity of 15.000 tons per year for angular towers and around 7.000 tons per year for tubular towers.
Our clients are mainly turnkey integrators and we work as an accredited supplier of steel works for Orange and Vodafone. Additionally we are invloved in several governmental projects nationwide.
Moreover, we count on several reliable partners which having been cooperating with us since we launched our manufacturing facility.
TowerXchange: I understand ORION has towers installed in the Europe, Africa and LatAm - how do client requirements differ as you move from region to region?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Yes, we do serve several European, African, Middle Eastern and Central American countries.
Every telecom integrator operates differently and each company analyses all the required factors before developing a site using their own guidelines and criteria. It would definitely help to have a standardised production process in place however, we are very flexible and able to satisfy each customer requirement to achieve the optimal result.
TowerXchange: Talk us through the manufacture, import and inland logistics processes that take a tower from your factory to a client’s site - where does the delivery cost and delivery time come from?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Thanks to a well established, long standing relationship with our suppliers, we are able to acquire raw materials in a swift and timely manner through our logistic department, which allows us to launch tower production in a relatively short time.
For our existing, recurring clients, we keep raw materials in stock based on an estimated forecast which allows us to start production in virtually no time. For urgent cases, Orion is able to deliver 500 tons of telecom towers completed with accessories in fifteen days - which is a pretty quick turnaround.
If our clients request it, we can handle the transportation to sites but nowadays, most of our clients have their own centralised procurement departments which handle the logistic phase to ensure control over operations and in order to save on shipments.
TowerXchange: Excuse the simplistic question, but what are the tradeoffs when selecting a steelwork partner - why are some towers cheaper than others, what are the implications for lifetime and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
The cost of service is definitely a key factor but other issues come into play such as the geographic position of the supplier, its flexibility and speed of service and definitely, the added value in terms of its competence, expertise and level of communication offered. Our company has years of experience and high standard of quality which definitely help us when it comes to acquiring new customers.
With regards to the price per tower, the key component affecting the quotation is the raw material along with the required labour and technology implemented.
TowerXchange: What is the tradeoff between tailor made solutions to meet the specific requirements of each cell site versus installing standard, and therefore lower cost, towers?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Standardised solutions represent the optimal solution for both the manufacturer and the integrator. By following the same production guidelines for towers with different heights, the manufacturer is able to decrease the cost of production and, as a consequence, the final cost of the tower.
Towers based on seamless pipes projects has the highest antenna surface, therefore they are the most suitable option for multiple tenants from the first erection
TowerXchange: What types of tower structures are suitable for upgrading capacity for multiple tenants, and which aren’t?
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Towers based on seamless pipes projects have the highest antenna surface, therefore they are the most suitable option for multiple tenants from the first erection. Angular towers are strong enough for more than one operator as well. Moreover, they are cheaper and lighter than tubular ones.
TowerXchange: Finally, please sum up how you would differentiate ORION from other tower manufacturers.
Andrei Pop, Commercial Manager, Orion:
Orion is a small company being handled like a family business and our core values are based on quality, flexibility and reliability. Having this in our DNA, we are focused on establishing transparent and long term partnerships and as I’ve personally stated in our last advertising campaign we do not work as a steel structure supplier, we are your steel production department.
