”Poland is strategically very important“

1.    Mr. Topolski, on August 19th you opened the new building together with numerous guests and Dr. Florian Hesse, Managing ­Director of EMKA Group. What was this moment like for you?

Of course, this was the day we were all looking forward to. Moving into this new building just 15 kilometres away from our old location makes us very proud as a team. I see this as another important motivation boost. After all, with this investment, the EMKA Group is indicating how important Poland is as a subsidiary. Cutting the blue ribbon to the entrance together with Dr. Hesse was a great moment. The timing is also perfect, as we are celebrating our 15th anniversary in Poland this year. The new building is a symbol of our continuous development. We are very really looking forward to the modern offices.

2.    How do you rate the new location and the infrastructure around it?

I think we have found the perfect location for our purposes with Mysłowice in the immediate vicinity of Katowice. The transport infrastructure is excellent with many newly built roads and an optimal connection to public transport. Katowice Airport is only half an hour away, so we can keep the distances to our customers short. This new building with an area of 1375 square meters including a high-bay warehouse is now an added bonus. It is also astonishing how fast everything went. Following approval of the final concept last year, construction started in the middle of 2018 and now we can already move in.
 

4.    In your opinion, what is the greatest characteristic of the polish market – also with regard to the mentality of the people and therefore your customers?

A very important aspect is the mentality of companies operating in Poland, where our customers still place high value on rapid response times. For many companies, productivity coupled with efficiency is the most important criterion when selecting a supplier of locking solutions and fittings. We are therefore required to respond flexibly, quickly and with good prices to customer enquiries. But that‘s our philosophy at EMKA anyway, and that‘s why the Polish mentality suits us so well.

5.    Let‘s look into the future: What are your medium-term goals for the new EMKA location?

In short: sustainable, healthy growth. From Poland, we are also targeting the markets and customers in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Belarus. There is still a lot of customer potential slumbering here, which we would like to tap into in the coming years. Of course, we also want to grow as a team. We are currently eleven and a well-rehearsed team, but we are always open for new people.

6.    Mr. Topolski, in conclusion, could you tell us why you think the best striker in the first division German soccer league comes from Poland and whether your team has similar strengths to Robert Lewandowski?

Well, Robert Lewandowski is absolutely brilliant and he is one of the best strikers in the world. Of course he demonstrates world-class skill, while scoring goals and beating records. He does all this quickly and precisely. And that’s our approach as EMKA’s team in Poland – to be precise and quick, while achieving our goals and beating records. I think it connects us.