Panattoni Europe, leading developer of industrial space, sums up its ten-year presence in Europe. Since 2005, the developer has delivered 3.1 million square metres of space for more than 200 customers and together with Amazon closed a record-breaking lease transaction in the CEE region. Panattoni Europe has sparked a trend for building BTS facilities, notably in Special Economic Zones, and has also opened up the capital market to warehouse space, but most importantly, it has become an inspiration and a model to follow for colleagues across the Western border.
10 years ago, Panattoni Development Company - a transatlantic warehouse space giant, established a subsidiary in Poland under the leadership of Robert Dobrzycki, throwing down a challenge to the biggest developers present in Poland at the time. Today, the company leads the industrial space market, winning huge contracts, breaking its own records in leases signed, developing advanced production projects, and heading the net take-up rankings. A look back on the last decade in the industry according to the developer was presented during a press conference marking ten years of the company's presence in Europe. It took place on 24 March 2015, at the acclaimed Atelier Amaro, the first and only Polish restaurant to date to earn a prestigious Michelin star.
Poland, 2005. A special time and place - 16 years after the Round Table Talks, which had given a strong impetus to the dynamic growth in logistics, warehouse and production space, one year after Poland's accession to the European Union, and, finally, the moment when a new player enters the industrial space arena - Panattoni Europe. The objective - make its presence known right from the start. Tactics - small steps.
First achievements. As early as 2006, Panattoni Europe sets an industry record in warehouse space lease - with 52,000 sqm for H&M at Panattoni Park Poznań I. The following years bring new leases and new own parks developed in and around Poznań, Bielsko-Biała, Teresin, as well as Wrocław. Then another record is set - in 2008, Panattoni Europe signs the then biggest lease to build 56,000 sqm for Leroy-Merlin at Panattoni Park Stryków, breaking its own record set two years earlier. At year-end, the developer reaches a record-breaking quantity of space completed: nearly 500 thousand sqm in a space of 12 months.
Panattoni manages to keep its pole position despite the raging worldwide crisis, which ensued after Lehman Brothers, a US investment bank, declared its bankruptcy in 2008. In the same year, Panattoni Europe establishes a new structure within its ranks, BTS Group, headed by Marek Foryński. Year after year brings new tailor-made construction projects, becoming Panattoni's flagship product, under contracts with the largest FMCG and pharmaceutical investors.
The years 2010 - 2014 confirm Panattoni Europe's leadership. Despite the continuing crisis, the developer expands its portfolio of own parks adjacent to the major routes A1, A2, A4 and A8, capitalising on the so-called "Euro 2012 effect" and at the same managing to keep the vacancy rate down. New records in leased space are broken - in 2010 the developer reveals a 57,000 sqm development project for Tesco, and in 2013, at quite a difficult time for the sector, signs a contract to build a 50,000-square-metre central warehouse for Castorama. It also starts a new trend to develop production facilities outside of own parks at Special Economic Zones - for instance building a factory for Bosch (former Zelmer). Finally in 2014, Panattoni signs a huge lease to build 246,000 sqm for Amazon in two locations - near Poznań and Wrocław, and manages to complete the development in a record time, too.
Panattoni Europe's contribution to the market development is unprecedented. The developer can boast not only record-breaking transactions, but also establishing a new quality standard and new categories of products delivered to the market. It is no longer just multiple-tenant warehouse space, but facilities dedicated to the specific tenant within the park. The third product category are BTS production facilities, which are built in locations identified by the customer and adapted to the needs of its business operations. Panattoni Europe was the first to offer this type of investments, notably those located within Special Economic Zones. Examples of this category include the above-mentioned facility for Bosch, but also developments for Manuli, Pilkington, and Faurecia. But that is not all. Panattoni Europe has opened the capital market, attracting financial investors to the warehouse sector.
The developer's contribution to market growth has been recognised by numerous awards and honours for the company, its facilities, teams, as well as Robert Dobrzycki, who since 2014 as Managing Partner Panattoni Europe continues to lead Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, while also taking responsibility for Western Europe. The new function has expanded the scope of his competence, as well as that of the office at the Warsaw Financial Centre, which now manages the company's affairs in Europe's major regions from the banks of the Vistula. Panattoni Europe's plans have not changed and they are still based on the current strategy of rapid response to changing market conditions and strong customer focus, through the expansion of own parks, venturing out into new and uncharted areas, including Eastern Poland, and through build-to-suit developments.
