When market winds shift
Europe’s construction industry is changing at its foundations. EU ESG directives, climate targets, and the need for faster, cleaner building methods are accelerating the shift toward prefabricated housing.
The trend is structural, not cyclical — and it’s reshaping how homes are designed, built, sold, and delivered.
Marles, the largest producer of prefabricated houses in the Adriatic region, found itself in the centre of this transition. Its strong brand heritage gave it recognition and trust, but the market demanded something more: scale, efficiency, digitalisation, and the ability to compete across borders.
The weight of a legacy brand
Before Invera’s investment, Marles had all the ingredients of a strong regional player: decades of expertise, a loyal customer base, and a reputation built on craftsmanship.
But like many legacy manufacturers, it was operating in a world where:
- post-COVID disruptions strained supply chains
- raw material and energy costs surged
- inflation eroded purchasing power
- rising interest rates reshaped consumer behaviour.
The old playbook — growth above all — was no longer viable. To survive, Marles needed a deeper transformation: one that touched operations, technology, leadership, and market strategy.
Seeing opportunity in ESG pressure
Where others saw regulatory burden, Invera saw an opportunity to do what we do best.
EU ESG directives created a demand environment perfectly aligned with Marles’ core capabilities: sustainable construction, energy-efficient housing, and prefabrication expertise. The industry was already moving in Marles’ direction — but only the companies that could modernise quickly would be positioned to capture the opportunity.
International expansion into DACH, Northern Italy, and Ireland became the centrepiece of a renewed strategic vision, supported by a stronger brand, a streamlined offering, and a clearer value proposition for European consumers.
The tough decisions: board, processes, investments
Marles’ transformation required not just guidance, but a ton of courage as well.
Together, we executed a holistic organisational overhaul:
- replaced the entire Board to install governance aligned with long-term strategy
- hired a full B-1 leadership suite, including critical operational and commercial roles
- redesigned and streamlined key organisational processes
- and executed €5M+ in infrastructure and capability investments.
At the centre of the change was a shift from craftsmanship-driven operations to LEAN production, supported by digital tools that increased productivity and removed bottlenecks.
Supply chain complexity, macroeconomic turbulence, and internal process gaps made the timing difficult. However, transformation during the storm built resilience that will define Marles for years to come.
From local craft to a pan-European industry player
As operational discipline took root, the company focused on strengthening its product and presence. A full rebranding revitalised how Marles presents itself in Croatia and Slovenia. Marketing efforts intensified, supported by clearer messaging, higher visibility, and better alignment with modern sustainability expectations.
At the same time, digitalisation gained speed:
- VR technology enhanced sales and customer experience
- internal processes were digitised end-to-end
- production planning and forecasting improved
- the product portfolio was optimised for international growth.
Parallel to this, the company expanded into new markets — France, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Ireland — reinforcing its strategy of becoming a truly pan-European prefabrication brand.
A manufacturing engine, rebuilt
We didn’t have to wait for long for the transformation to show tangible results.
Despite macroeconomic headwinds, sales exceeded expectations, production capacity increased, and the business built a backlog strong enough to support sustained growth. The operational and governance upgrades enabled a double-digit increase in forecasted EBITDA, signalling not only recovery — but momentum.
Marles now operates with the discipline, technology, and organisational depth of a modern industrial player. What was once a respected regional manufacturer has become a company capable of competing across Europe, aligned with ESG trends and equipped for the next decade of growth.
