PARK SMART. ACCESS SAFELY. WHEREVER YOU ARE

Smart solutions have become a vital part of urban ecosystems – sensors are detecting and processing information in buildings, public transport, parking areas, and on the street to make our lives easier, safer, and more convenient. All of this is the result of innovations, constantly growing expertise, and unique skills. Svetlana Stefanova, CEO of FAAC Bulgaria, talks about the outstanding approach of the largest supplier of revenue control systems with sales and service representatives all around the world.

The story of FAAC Bulgaria begins all the way back from 1981. What makes a business so sustainable through the test of time?

The beginning of FAAC Bulgaria can be traced back to 1981 as part of the US group Datapark, known on the global market with installations in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. Research and development in Bulgaria began in 1995, and two years later the company started production in the country. The first factory was built in 2002 and it later grew into an industrial park.

In 2012 Datapark became a part of the FAAC family and was renamed FAAC Bulgaria. In 2013 the FAAC Group created the trademark HUB Parking Technology and the R&D office in Ruse became the largest unit of this type for the parking business of the group. At the same time, the factory in Tutrakan was expanded with new production lines for parking equipment, entry and exit devices, barriers, etc. This allows FAAC Bulgaria to satisfy the market needs of the FAAC Group around the world.

As the CEO of FAAC Bulgaria, I am glad to represent the group on a global basis, with a special focus on Europe. My professional experience before FAAC started nearly 25 years ago in the parking industry, with a specific focus on innovation and new technologies. Connected devices are the future, where smart parking and access solutions are already playing a significant role within the urban ecosystem.

FAAC Group is a global leader in access and revenue control systems with solid financial foundations. The company has grown organically and today we are leaders in the smart parking industry under the brand HUB and access solutions under different brands, such as Magnetic, ASSA Abloy, Rossi, Centurion, and Genius all over the world and among the Top 3 globally.

Our scalable solutions allow owners and operators to better control and manage their parking facilities and smart building units anytime and from anywhere. Mobile app for booking, cloud-hosted parking software, ticketless access with LPR, gateless free-flow access, contactless solutions, validations, and more.

How has your business changed during the past two years?

The last two years were quite interesting and full of challenges. They have definitely taken us out of our comfort zone. The fact that we managed to stay on top during this complex situation has made us stronger and brought us closer together.

I believe that in good businesses, the keyword is flexibility. I am glad that we adapted quickly to the changes on the market, for example, with our system that automatically tracks and limits the number of visitors in commercial spaces.

Would you tell us about your key products/solutions?

Our compass points toward customer expectations and technology innovation: that’s why for all our products and services, the focus is on the customer journey and digital evolution. Our industry expertise is the springboard for new platforms. In-house design, development, and manufacturing enable us to produce competitive solutions that offer long-term value.

Digitally wise, JMS (Janus Management System) web-based management software is the first tile interface on the market and evolves to adapt to ever-changing scenarios of smart parking. It allows smooth integration with proprietary and third-party systems and solutions, such as Intercom, License Plate Recognition, Variable Message Signs, dynamic rate management, valet services, loyalty systems, parking apps, and many other subsystems.

Proprietary mobile solutions such as JPass and J4M respectively cover pre-booking, subscriptions, and validations among others: a comprehensive set of touchless and ticketless solutions that transform the car park into a safer, digitally-enabled facility. License plate readers, PeachPass holders, and Online Reservation users are enjoying contactless, easy access.

The airport is a long-time customer – a demonstration that HUB has withstood the test of time and continues to produce positive results for our customers.

What are your newest solutions and what are your future plans?

They are definitely the result of our continuous focus and investments in R&D, the recapturing of a combined 100 years’ experience on the market, and truly our way of working the software. Our most recent innovation Jupiter provides the straightforward and striking market response to feature competitive price combined with unique multi-functional scalability, and great looks: designed in Italy, produced in Europe, and sold all over the world.

In the field of access solutions, the new Magnetic Access Solar barriers provide access control independent of the power supply sources. The new Magnetic FlowMotion® series pedestrian barriers focus is no longer on barring access to unauthorized persons. It is now necessary to manage people flows, to automatically detect how employees, customers, and visitors are moving, as well as to optimize the internal processes and thus increase security.

In a few words, our future plans are to be the leaders in quality, technology, and costs within the smart parking and access solution arena worldwide. We are excited to embrace each new technology and fortunate to build upon the generational estate of our experience.

Central Office: Ruse, 3 Tsar Ferdinand St 

+359 82 821 505

FAACBulgaria@faacgroup.com

www.faacbulgaria.com