Developer docs
API playgroundTry for free, no card

Search company profiles

A.C.B.

Full company profile

uuid000zbrq

Namestring
A.C.B.
Legal namestring
Akciju sabiedrība "A.C.B."
Websiteurl
acb.lv
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
1998
Descriptiontext

A.C.B. (legal name Akciju sabiedrība "A.C.B.", trading as A.C.B. grupa / A.C.B. Group) is one of Latvia's leading infrastructure construction groups, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Riga with operational hubs in Smiltene and Rēzekne. The group operates as a vertically integrated platform combining three lines of business: construction (full-cycle road, bridge, railway, airport, and industrial/urban infrastructure delivery), production (asphalt concrete from plants with 25+ years of operating history, concrete paving stones and structural elements from subsidiary SIA Salenieku Bloks, and washed sand, gravel, and crushed stone from the Salenieki quarry), and services (engineering communications construction plus equipment rental with operators). Project delivery is executed through wholly owned subsidiaries AS A.C.B., SIA ACBR (road and bridge construction), SIA 8 CBR (construction services), and SIA Salenieku Bloks (concrete products).

The business model is Business-to-Government, with essentially all revenue earned through competitive public procurement. The group bids on and wins multi-year contracts from VSIA Latvijas Valsts ceļi (state roads), Latvian municipalities, and increasingly international public clients such as AB LTG Infra (Rail Baltica in Lithuania). Pricing is contract-by-contract, set by the procurement process; recent flagship wins include the €35.1M South Bridge 4th phase in Riga, a €22.2M mobility-points program across six Riga railway stations, and a €14.9M industrial park project in Valmiera. 2024 consolidated revenue was €92 million (€77.3M construction services + €14.7M materials and ancillary), with the group also producing material savings by reducing losses from €4.7M in 2023 to €0.157M in 2024. Headcount stands at 340–359 professionals across construction, production, and services.

Geographic footprint is concentrated in the Baltic region: Latvia is the core market, with Lithuania as a newer cross-border frontier via Rail Baltica contracts. Distribution is direct — the group secures projects through its own bidding and execution capability rather than through intermediaries — and it has built a long-running awards track record (Latvijas Būvniecības Gada balva 2024 and 2025 placements, plus recognition awards from the Building Design and Construction Council) that reinforces its standing with public-sector buyers. Customer concentration is essentially total in the public sector, which provides payment reliability and EU-funded project visibility but caps diversification.

Short descriptiontext

A.C.B. is a vertically integrated Latvian infrastructure construction group delivering roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial parks for public-sector clients, with in-house asphalt, concrete, and quarry production. It generates revenue through competitive public procurement contracts across the Baltic region.

Operating statusenum
Operating
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
501–1,000
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersSmiltene, Latvia
HQ citystring
Smiltene
HQ countrystring
Latvia
HQ regionstring
Europe
Markets served

Serves global market

Offices3 records

Each record includes

City, Country, Type, Description, Source

Keyword5 values
road construction, bridge construction, asphalt production, concrete products, infrastructure services
Industry1 code
1Mortar, Grout & Masonry Cements
CodeIMADABALPrimaryNo
NAICS code3 codes
  • Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors23812
  • Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors23811
  • Crushed and Broken Limestone Mining and Quarrying212312
SIC code3 codes
  • Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors1600
  • Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick3272
  • Concrete, Gypsum & Plaster Products3270
Product category
Infrastructure Construction
Social media profiles1 record
GTM motion2 records

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model3 records
1Construction Services
TypeOne Time License
Description

Core revenue from road, bridge, railway, airport and infrastructure construction services. In 2024, construction services generated 77.3 million euros of the 92 million euro consolidated revenue.

acb.lv
2Building Materials Production
TypeHardware Sales
Description

Revenue from manufacturing of construction materials including asphalt concrete, concrete products, and quarry materials. Generated 14.7 million euros in additional revenue in 2024.

acb.lv
3Equipment Rental and Service
TypeOne Time License
Description

Professional equipment rental with operators and technical mobilization to construction sites.

acb.lv
Marketing channels3 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Pricing details1 tier
1Government infrastructure construction contracts
ModelOtherBilling cadenceMulti-year contract
Notes

Projects are secured through competitive public procurement processes. Contract amounts vary by project scope and complexity (e.g., Dienvidu tilta 4th phase: €35.1M, Valmieras Industriālais parks: €14.9M).

acb.lv
GTM typeB2B
B2B
Offering typeServices
Services
Core offering1 text field

A.C.B. grupa is a Latvian infrastructure construction company group that delivers full-cycle infrastructure projects in Latvia and the Baltic region, combining construction, materials production, and services. The group builds roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial infrastructure, and produces asphalt concrete, concrete products, and quarry materials through its subsidiaries. It also provides equipment rental with operators and infrastructure maintenance services.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Quantifiable outcome1 of 3 values shown
  • 92 million euros consolidated revenue in 2024
+2 more records
Product and service9 records
1Road and Highway Construction
CategoryRoad Construction
Description

Full-cycle construction of state and regional highways, including the Vidzeme highway (A2) section from Garkalne to Sēnītes ceļu mezgls and other major road projects. Delivered to government road authorities through competitive public procurement.

2Bridge Construction and Reconstruction
CategoryBridge Construction
Description

Construction and reconstruction of road and pedestrian bridges, delivered to municipalities and state road authorities. Includes complex structural works and integration with surrounding road infrastructure.

3Railway Infrastructure Construction
CategoryRailway Infrastructure
Description

Construction of railway-related infrastructure including local access roads and drainage systems for the Rail Baltica project, delivered to AB LTG Infra in Lithuania.

4Industrial and Urban Infrastructure Construction
CategoryIndustrial and Urban Infrastructure
Description

Construction of industrial parks and urban infrastructure including mobility points at railway stations (six stations in Riga, project value €22.2M) and industrial site development for municipal customers.

5Concrete Products Manufacturing
CategoryBuilding Materials Production
Description

Production and supply of concrete paving stones, surface plates, curbs, channels, manhole elements, foundation blocks, transport concrete, and mortar by SIA Salenieku Bloks. Serving construction companies and infrastructure projects in Latvia.

6Asphalt Concrete Production
CategoryBuilding Materials Production
Description

Manufacturing of hot and cold asphalt concrete and road emulsion through multiple modern factories across Latvia. Supplies internal road construction projects and external construction industry buyers.

7Quarry Materials Production
CategoryQuarry Operations
Description

Production and supply of washed sand, gravel, crushed and sieved sand, various fractions of crushed stone and gravel mixtures, and sieved topsoil from the Salenieki quarry in the Jaunjelgava region.

8Equipment Rental and Servicing
CategoryEquipment Rental Services
Description

Professional construction equipment rental with operators and technical mobilization to construction sites across Latvia. Covers autograders, bulldozers, wheel loaders, soil rollers, tracked and wheel excavators.

9Engineering Communications Construction
CategoryInfrastructure Construction
Description

Construction of engineering communications including drainage systems, utilities, and supporting infrastructure for roads, rail, and urban projects.

Scale indicator5 records

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Partnership5 partners
1AB LTG Infra
Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnounced on2023-03-06
Description

A.C.B. signed an 8.59 million euro contract with AB LTG Infra (Rail Baltica national project implementer in Lithuania) for Rail Baltica construction works. The contract covers local access roads construction (Žeimiai-Šėta section, Jonava district) and drainage system reconstruction as part of the Rail Baltica railway line Kaunas-Ramygala.

acb.lv
Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Partnership for Valmieras Industriālais parks construction project. Customer for the 14.9 million euro industrial park infrastructure development project.

Strategic tierCoreTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Partnership for mobility point construction at six railway stations in Riga (Bolderāja, Dauderi, Sarkandaugava, Šķirotava, Zemitāni, Ziemeļblāzma). Project value 22.2 million euros.

4Smiltenes tehnikums
Strategic tierMinorTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Established cooperation with Smiltene Technical School for workforce development and internship opportunities. Company management noted that attracting and retaining qualified specialists remains a challenge.

acb.lv
5Building Design and Construction Council (BDCC)
Strategic tierMinorTypeStrategic or Co-development Partner
Description

Annual participation in BDCC organized awards competitions including 'Latvijas Būvniecības Gada balva' and 'Women in Architecture, Construction and Design' forum.

acb.lv
Recent move6 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight5 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Peers10 records
TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Large Swedish-headquartered construction and infrastructure developer with growing Baltic exposure. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same EU-funded infrastructure opportunities.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Finnish construction and infrastructure company with Nordic-Baltic operations. Comparable for road and infrastructure projects in the wider Nordic region, including potential overlap in the Baltics.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Latvian road and infrastructure construction contractor. A.C.B. and Binders have jointly delivered large road projects (e.g., the Vidzeme highway A2 consortium), making Binders a directly comparable peer for Latvian heavy infrastructure work.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Estonian infrastructure and construction company focused on roads, bridges and civil works. Comparable to A.C.B. for road/bridge construction and quarry-adjacent materials operations in the Baltic market.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Lithuanian bridge and infrastructure construction group. Highly comparable to A.C.B.'s SIA ACBR bridge activities and provides a like-for-like benchmark for A.C.B.'s Rail Baltica and cross-border work in Lithuania.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Austrian-headquartered European construction group with significant presence in CEE and the Baltics. Comparable for large-scale transportation infrastructure projects that A.C.B. also targets.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Nordic infrastructure contractor specialized in rail, road, and energy projects (formed via merger with Lemminkäinen). Comparable as a regional peer competing for cross-border Baltic rail and infrastructure work.

TypeBroad incumbent
Description

Bouygues subsidiary specialized in road construction and materials production across Europe. Comparable to A.C.B.'s integrated road construction plus asphalt/aggregate production activities.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Estonian-listed construction group active across buildings, infrastructure and real estate development in the Baltics. Comparable as a Baltic-region peer with similar government-customer mix and infrastructure project exposure.

TypeDirect peer
Description

Lithuanian road construction and asphalt production company. Highly comparable to A.C.B.'s combined road construction and asphalt concrete production business model.

Market position
Strengths5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Weaknesses5 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights7 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Named customers5 records

Each record includes

Name, Industry, Type, Use case, Source, UUID

Segment2 records

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile2 records

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
No
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Feature4 records

Each record includes

Title, Differentiator, Description, Source

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
Profiles5 records

Each record includes

Name, Designation, Designation category, Overview, Profile commentary, Source

Subsidiaries3 records

Each record includes

Name, Acquired on, Relationship type, Type, Business focus

No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

A.C.B.

Infrastructure Constructionacb.lv

A.C.B. is a vertically integrated Latvian infrastructure construction group delivering roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial parks for public-sector clients, with in-house asphalt, concrete, and quarry production. It generates revenue through competitive public procurement contracts across the Baltic region.

What A.C.B. does

A.C.B. (legal name Akciju sabiedrība "A.C.B.", trading as A.C.B. grupa / A.C.B. Group) is one of Latvia's leading infrastructure construction groups, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Riga with operational hubs in Smiltene and Rēzekne. The group operates as a vertically integrated platform combining three lines of business: construction (full-cycle road, bridge, railway, airport, and industrial/urban infrastructure delivery), production (asphalt concrete from plants with 25+ years of operating history, concrete paving stones and structural elements from subsidiary SIA Salenieku Bloks, and washed sand, gravel, and crushed stone from the Salenieki quarry), and services (engineering communications construction plus equipment rental with operators). Project delivery is executed through wholly owned subsidiaries AS A.C.B., SIA ACBR (road and bridge construction), SIA 8 CBR (construction services), and SIA Salenieku Bloks (concrete products).

The business model is Business-to-Government, with essentially all revenue earned through competitive public procurement. The group bids on and wins multi-year contracts from VSIA Latvijas Valsts ceļi (state roads), Latvian municipalities, and increasingly international public clients such as AB LTG Infra (Rail Baltica in Lithuania). Pricing is contract-by-contract, set by the procurement process; recent flagship wins include the €35.1M South Bridge 4th phase in Riga, a €22.2M mobility-points program across six Riga railway stations, and a €14.9M industrial park project in Valmiera. 2024 consolidated revenue was €92 million (€77.3M construction services + €14.7M materials and ancillary), with the group also producing material savings by reducing losses from €4.7M in 2023 to €0.157M in 2024. Headcount stands at 340–359 professionals across construction, production, and services.

Geographic footprint is concentrated in the Baltic region: Latvia is the core market, with Lithuania as a newer cross-border frontier via Rail Baltica contracts. Distribution is direct — the group secures projects through its own bidding and execution capability rather than through intermediaries — and it has built a long-running awards track record (Latvijas Būvniecības Gada balva 2024 and 2025 placements, plus recognition awards from the Building Design and Construction Council) that reinforces its standing with public-sector buyers. Customer concentration is essentially total in the public sector, which provides payment reliability and EU-funded project visibility but caps diversification.

A.C.B. firmographics

Firmographics
Name
A.C.B.
Legal name
Akciju sabiedrība "A.C.B."
Website
https://acb.lv
Company type
Private
Founded year
1998
Operating status
Operating
Headcount range
501–1,000 employees
Short description
A.C.B. is a vertically integrated Latvian infrastructure construction group delivering roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial parks for public-sector clients, with in-house asphalt, concrete, and quarry production. It generates revenue through competitive public procurement contracts across the Baltic region.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Where A.C.B. is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Smiltene
HQ country
Latvia
HQ region
Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

A.C.B. business model

Business model
GTM type
B2B
Offering type
Services
Cost components
Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

  1. Construction Services: Core revenue from road, bridge, railway, airport and infrastructure construction services. In 2024, construction services generated 77.3 million euros of the 92 million euro consolidated revenue.
  2. Building Materials Production: Revenue from manufacturing of construction materials including asphalt concrete, concrete products, and quarry materials. Generated 14.7 million euros in additional revenue in 2024.
  3. Equipment Rental and Service: Professional equipment rental with operators and technical mobilization to construction sites.

Pricing tiers

ModelBillingPrice
OtherMulti-year contractGovernment infrastructure construction contracts

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

A.C.B. product offering

Product offering

Core offering

A.C.B. grupa is a Latvian infrastructure construction company group that delivers full-cycle infrastructure projects in Latvia and the Baltic region, combining construction, materials production, and services. The group builds roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial infrastructure, and produces asphalt concrete, concrete products, and quarry materials through its subsidiaries. It also provides equipment rental with operators and infrastructure maintenance services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

  • Road and Highway Construction Full-cycle construction of state and regional highways, including the Vidzeme highway (A2) section from Garkalne to Sēnītes ceļu mezgls and other major road projects. Delivered to government road authorities through competitive public procurement.
  • Bridge Construction and Reconstruction Construction and reconstruction of road and pedestrian bridges, delivered to municipalities and state road authorities. Includes complex structural works and integration with surrounding road infrastructure.
  • Railway Infrastructure Construction Construction of railway-related infrastructure including local access roads and drainage systems for the Rail Baltica project, delivered to AB LTG Infra in Lithuania.
  • Industrial and Urban Infrastructure Construction Construction of industrial parks and urban infrastructure including mobility points at railway stations (six stations in Riga, project value €22.2M) and industrial site development for municipal customers.
  • Concrete Products Manufacturing Production and supply of concrete paving stones, surface plates, curbs, channels, manhole elements, foundation blocks, transport concrete, and mortar by SIA Salenieku Bloks. Serving construction companies and infrastructure projects in Latvia.
  • Asphalt Concrete Production Manufacturing of hot and cold asphalt concrete and road emulsion through multiple modern factories across Latvia. Supplies internal road construction projects and external construction industry buyers.
  • Quarry Materials Production Production and supply of washed sand, gravel, crushed and sieved sand, various fractions of crushed stone and gravel mixtures, and sieved topsoil from the Salenieki quarry in the Jaunjelgava region.
  • Equipment Rental and Servicing Professional construction equipment rental with operators and technical mobilization to construction sites across Latvia. Covers autograders, bulldozers, wheel loaders, soil rollers, tracked and wheel excavators.
  • Engineering Communications Construction Construction of engineering communications including drainage systems, utilities, and supporting infrastructure for roads, rail, and urban projects.

Quantifiable outcome

  • 92 million euros consolidated revenue in 2024
  • +2 more outcomes

Companies that use A.C.B.

Customer profile

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

A.C.B. technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

A.C.B. partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

  • AB LTG InfracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2023A.C.B. signed an 8.59 million euro contract with AB LTG Infra (Rail Baltica national project implementer in Lithuania) for Rail Baltica construction works. The contract covers local access roads construction (Žeimiai-Šėta section, Jonava district) and drainage system reconstruction as part of the Rail Baltica railway line Kaunas-Ramygala.
  • Valmieras novada pašvaldībacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Valmieras Industriālais parks construction project. Customer for the 14.9 million euro industrial park infrastructure development project.
  • Rīgas valstspilsētas pašvaldībacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for mobility point construction at six railway stations in Riga (Bolderāja, Dauderi, Sarkandaugava, Šķirotava, Zemitāni, Ziemeļblāzma). Project value 22.2 million euros.
  • Smiltenes tehnikumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished cooperation with Smiltene Technical School for workforce development and internship opportunities. Company management noted that attracting and retaining qualified specialists remains a challenge.
  • Building Design and Construction Council (BDCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual participation in BDCC organized awards competitions including 'Latvijas Būvniecības Gada balva' and 'Women in Architecture, Construction and Design' forum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

A.C.B. competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

  • Skanska: Large Swedish-headquartered construction and infrastructure developer with growing Baltic exposure. Operates at much larger scale but competes for the same EU-funded infrastructure opportunities.
  • YIT: Finnish construction and infrastructure company with Nordic-Baltic operations. Comparable for road and infrastructure projects in the wider Nordic region, including potential overlap in the Baltics.
  • Strabag: Austrian-headquartered European construction group with significant presence in CEE and the Baltics. Comparable for large-scale transportation infrastructure projects that A.C.B. also targets.
  • NRC Group: Nordic infrastructure contractor specialized in rail, road, and energy projects (formed via merger with Lemminkäinen). Comparable as a regional peer competing for cross-border Baltic rail and infrastructure work.
  • Colas: Bouygues subsidiary specialized in road construction and materials production across Europe. Comparable to A.C.B.'s integrated road construction plus asphalt/aggregate production activities.

Direct peers

  • Binders: Latvian road and infrastructure construction contractor. A.C.B. and Binders have jointly delivered large road projects (e.g., the Vidzeme highway A2 consortium), making Binders a directly comparable peer for Latvian heavy infrastructure work.
  • Trev-2 Grupp: Estonian infrastructure and construction company focused on roads, bridges and civil works. Comparable to A.C.B. for road/bridge construction and quarry-adjacent materials operations in the Baltic market.
  • Kauno tiltai: Lithuanian bridge and infrastructure construction group. Highly comparable to A.C.B.'s SIA ACBR bridge activities and provides a like-for-like benchmark for A.C.B.'s Rail Baltica and cross-border work in Lithuania.
  • Merko Ehitus: Estonian-listed construction group active across buildings, infrastructure and real estate development in the Baltics. Comparable as a Baltic-region peer with similar government-customer mix and infrastructure project exposure.
  • Panevėžio keliai: Lithuanian road construction and asphalt production company. Highly comparable to A.C.B.'s combined road construction and asphalt concrete production business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

A.C.B. social profiles

Digital presence

A.C.B. financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

A.C.B. leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

A.C.B. subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries3 records

A.C.B. funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

A.C.B. M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A.C.B.

What does A.C.B. do?

A.C.B. grupa is a Latvian infrastructure construction company group that delivers full-cycle infrastructure projects in Latvia and the Baltic region, combining construction, materials production, and services. The group builds roads, bridges, railways, airports, and industrial infrastructure, and produces asphalt concrete, concrete products, and quarry materials through its subsidiaries. It also provides equipment rental with operators and infrastructure maintenance services.

Is A.C.B. a public or private company?

A.C.B. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was A.C.B. founded?

A.C.B. was founded in 1998. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is A.C.B. based?

A.C.B. is headquartered in Smiltene, Latvia, in the Europe region.

How does A.C.B. make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Construction Services are the primary driver. The others are building Materials Production and equipment Rental and Service.

Who are A.C.B.'s main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Skanska, YIT, Strabag, NRC Group and Colas. Direct peers are Binders, Trev-2 Grupp, Kauno tiltai, Merko Ehitus and Panevėžio keliai.

Does A.C.B. have an API?

No public API is recorded for A.C.B..

Unlock the full company data

50 free credits on sign-up, no credit card required.

Contact sales