Warmia and Mazury
Warmia and Mazury is the fourth-largest voivodeship in Poland. Located in the north of country, it borders on the Russian Federation. The capital of the region is Olsztyn, while other cities such as Działdowo and Elbląg are equally important in commercial terms. The area is home to almost 1.5 milion people, and has potentially huge human resources. Almost 64% of the inhabitants of the region are of working age, with the most populous age group being people between 24 and 44 years of age. The area of Warmia and Mazury includes 15 colleges of higher education, where some 15,000 people gain a degree each year. The colleges are prepared to adjust their range of training to suit the requirements of entrepreneurs. The most widely-spoken foreign languages amongst employees in the region are English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.
Benefits of the Special Economic Zone
Investors can expect to receive public funding when founding new companies and creating jobs, while entrepreneurs also receive relief on taxes on real estate and land, as well as charges for transport services, for making a new investment in a city. The key sectors in the local economy (also referred to as the region`s `smart specializations`) are the foodstuffs industry, through production of high-quality food (up until now, this has been predominantly funded with Polish capital), forestry and furniture (developed with Swedish capital form the company Swedwood, as well as elsewhere), mechanical engineering and plant construction, tyre production (the largest employer being Michelin), and the production of lighting goods (using Dutch capital form Philips).
The second most important economic centre in Warmia and Mazury is Elbląg, located at the crossroads between the S7 (Gdańsk-Warsaw-Cracow) and S22 (Berlin-Kaliningrad) expressways, approximately 50 km from the Polish-Russian border. The city`s leading industries are metals processing, furniture production, energy production, construction and electronics. Here, too, as in Olsztyn, investors quality for specific tax breaks thanks to the Special Economic Zone; these can be 50, 60 or even 70%, depending on the sie of the company. Anita Pawlag, Manger of the Investor Support Office at Elbląg City Hall, said: “New entrepreneurs also have the services of the Investor Support Office available to them to support and accompany them from the very beginning of the process, with an initial meeting in the city, through to the beginning of the investment, when construction starts”. Examples of the companies that have already invested in Warmia and Mazury would seem to suggest the concept works, and works well.
Dekorglass in Działdowo
This company is predominantly concerned with the decoration of glass bottles, which then go on to be used in the cosmetics, perfume and alcohol industries. By using a range of different technologies, the company can satisfy even the most demanding clients. In addition to volume production, the company manufactures custom products, including items for Prince Albert of Monaco and the Cannes Film Festival. The company has also produced numerous limited edition series, as well as pieces it has developed itself. Famous name companies and brand such as Brennerei Sobieski, Bols, Polmos Zyrardów, Absolut, Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, Ozembal, L`Oreal, Avon, Oriflame and Estee Launder have put their trust in Dekorglass craftsmanship in the past, and its business partners include Procter&Gamble, Diageo, Remy Martin and others. CEO Gabriel Chojak said the following about the company`s choice of location: “We decided upon Działdowo because of the region. People here are extremely reliable when it comes to their disties. The city may be small, but location is highly accessible. Transportation infrastructure is also being developed very well. It`s definitely a place where you feel you`re working with the local authorities, and not constantly struggling against them.”
Schwarte-Milfor in Olsztyn
The company Schwarte was originally founded in 1932, in Ahlen. It came into being in its modern form following the takeover of the Milfor Group from Olsztyn in 2002. Schwarte-Milfor specializes in the production of stainless steel contrainers used for the hygienic and safe storage of liquid food-stuffs such as milk or beer. Alicja Matuszewicz of the company`s Food Industry Department said this: “Rather than using a production line, we produce on the basis of individual orders, using independent development, according to what the customer wants. We develop the produce the containers ourselves, as well as building them on site for our customers, with volumes of up to 1 million litres.” The range of the company is extremely diverse. Along with the foodstuffs industry, it supplies the pharmaceuticals sector (producing containers for solutions, suspended solids and syrups), cosmetics, and chemicals companies.
Opegieka in Elbląg
Opegieka is a company with 20 years of tradition, and specializes first and foremost in producing systems for supporting, administrative-technical duties, electronic document circulation, and map portals for regional authorities. The company latest product is a photogrammetric flight platform based on an aircraft with a large-format camera, laser scanner and thermal imaging camera. It also produces systems for the administration of spatial information and databases, as well as topographical maps for military and civilian usage. Its customers include government facilities, city, voivodeship and district authorities, as well as the military. Company CEO Florian Romanowski described the benefits of Elbląg: “For me, it`s important to live in a place with all the features of a major city – good school, hospitals, and the like – but in a small town. I don`t want to spend my life stuck in a traffic jam or queuing. Gdańsk Airport is nearby, which is a major benefit. And at this excellent location, I can lead a quiet life and breathe fresh air, but still run my company while doing so. With its transport links, broadband internet, and proximity to the most important centres of population in the region, Elbląg gives me absolutely everything I need in a Location.”
Photo © Milena Kaszuba