Robert Dobrzycki, Chief Executive Officer Europe (CEO) Panattoni Europe, recognised as “One who changes Polish industry”. The title was awarded by PTWP SA Group – the publisher of Magazyn Gospodarczy Nowy Przemysł and WNP.PL portal – during the Gala concluding the “We Change Polish Industry” Forum. The event took place on 27 February 2019.
More than 5.9 million square metres of modern industrial space completed in Poland since the company’s arrival in the region (2005), out of 15.7 million sqm of existing space, record-breaking deals and their executions for global giants, plus continuous supply of new products and services – this is how Panattoni Europe’s achievements can be summarised. The developer has been pushing back boundaries for years, not only with the size of their developments, but also with the product range on offer. Behind the success is a strong team, led from the onset of Panattoni’s presence in Europe by Robert Dobrzycki – Chief Executive Officer Europe (CEO) Panattoni Europe. The company’s strategy, promotion of Poland in the international arena and the ability to respond quickly to the changing conditions were all recognised by WNP.PL Group – the publisher of Magazyn Gospodarczy Nowy Przemysł and WNP.PL portal – who awarded Robert Dobrzycki the honorary title of “One who changes Polish industry”.
After 10 successful years in charge of the Central and Eastern European market, in 2015 Robert Dobrzycki became the CEO for Europe. The new function has expanded the scope of his competence, as well as that of the Warsaw office, which now manages the company’s affairs in major European regions: the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Germany and the UK. The title of “One who changes Polish industry” was awarded for bringing to Poland global development standards in the logistics sector. The winner comments: “I feel honoured by this title and proud to have been able to develop the industrial space sector in Poland under the Panattoni brand for the past 14 years. In this way, as a developer we contribute to creating thousands of jobs and, most importantly – we have managed to demonstrate that Poland is a trustworthy partner for the world’s leading economies, by implementing in our facilities the concepts of the fourth industrial revolution and the changes that it brings.”
Panattoni Europe’s contribution to market development is unparalleled. In 2018 alone, the developer completed 1.2 million sqm of new space in Poland (vs. 3.7 m sqm delivered in total by the industry in 2018), worth EUR 753 million (PLN 3.2 billion).
Having succeeded with investments in the main warehousing markets – Central Poland, Greater Poland, Upper and Lower Silesia, and Warsaw – the developer, as the only one in the industry to date, recognised the investment potential of smaller municipalities, establishing emerging markets and breathing life into new locations: Białystok, Zielona Góra, Kielce, Lublin, Grudziądz, Bydgoszcz, Bielsko-Biała, Bolesławiec, Stargard Szczeciński, Nysa, Piątek, Radomsko, Kutno, and most recently in Legnica. In doing so, Panattoni Europe not only added new locations to the warehousing map of Poland, but also energised smaller regions, boosting their investment attractiveness. Moreover, in 2018 new opportunities emerged in the market, when Panattoni Europe inaugurated a new formula – City Logistics Parks. Poland already has five such projects – City Logistics Warsaw I, City Logistics Warsaw II, Warsaw Airport, City Logistics Wrocław I and Łódź I.
Like every year, Panattoni Europe also broke new market records in terms of facility size. At the beginning of 2018, the developer announced the Central European Logistics Hub – the largest logistics complex in Poland planned to total 400,000 sqm, situated in Łódź, which spearheaded the establishment of the New Industrial District by the City of Łódź. In April 2018, Panattoni embarked on the development of the largest distribution facility in Poland in terms of size at ground level, the 123,600-square-metre central warehouse for Leroy Merlin. In October, in turn, the company launched the largest dishwasher factory (58,500 sqm) for BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego, executed in line with the concepts of Industry 4.0.
In the development of new locations, especially in or around cities, Panattoni increasingly turns to brownfield investments. The developer takes on revitalisation projects for new facilities, where the site might require land remediation and demolition procedures before new buildings are erected with improved environmental performance. In 2018 alone, Panattoni spent close to PLN 2 million on new investments with higher technological and – primarily – environmental parameters. In addition, the developer has for years been introducing sustainable solutions in its facilities. The adopted environmental principles include notably the enhanced insulation of walls and roofs, as well as building tightness, which help reduce the emissions of exhaust gases and carbon dioxide, and also contribute to energy savings in heating the facility. On top of that, cutting-edge process installations allow for recuperation, i.e. heat recovery using rotating heat exchangers. The facilities feature LED lighting and motion sensors in areas with intense traffic (pick towers) and sanitary facilities. Panattoni Europe also supports its customers in getting the facilities ready for environmental certification under LEED and BREEAM systems, as evidenced e.g. by the 9,300-square-metre green cross-docking facility for DB Schenker.
