Wielkopolska takes the driver's seat

Over the generations, Warsaw's Żerań plant produced the now classic Warszawa and Syrenka automobiles, then the Polonez in the 1970s and Daewoos in the late 1990s. Silesia was known for the FSO plant in Bielsko-Biała, the production lines of which produced several Fiat models, including the "small Fiat" 126p. Silesia's presence in the auto industry was strengthened by the opening of Opel's plant in Gliwice in the 1990s.

Now however, the Wielkopolska region is making its presence felt on Poland's automobile map not only with Volkswagen vans and the renowned Solaris buses, but also with dozens of companies producing car parts and interior elements which have received acclaim throughout Europe.

Home grown

Polish vehicle production doesn't have to be limited to assembling someone else's inventions. Proof of this can be found in Solaris Bus & Coach from Wielkopolska's Bolechowo. The company has sold close to 2,800 buses and trolleybuses to 17 countries - and that's just the beginning. This year it has already sold 205 units, 106 of which went abroad. Nearly half of those exported buses went to Germany, with Slovakia, Czech Republic, France and Switzerland following. By the same time last year the company had sold just 29 units, before finishing the year with a total of 123 buses sold. This year Solaris' president, Krzysztof Olszewski has set an ambitious goal of selling over 700 buses.

"The first half of the year is always worse, because most of the orders are realized in the second half," Olszewski said, explaining that this results from the custom of gminas preparing tenders which usually take place in H2. Also, a number of industry fairs take place in the autumn.

"Industry fairs are a good occasion to promote the company and its latest products. We meet with both our clients as well as strike up new contacts, which could result in contracts in the future," Olszewski said. He adds that deals are never struck during such events, but they are a good opportunity to present new products.

Driving force

During the Hannover fairs due to take place later this month, the company will present a bus with a hybrid drive, which allows the vehicle to reduce fuel consumption by between 20-40 percent and reduce exhaust by up to 39 percent. Solaris stresses the importance of innovation and new technology - a number of its buses in southeastern Poland are designed to run on compressed natural gas (CNG). "This and next year we will devote a total of around zł.25 million to R&D," Olszewski boasts.

But Solaris doesn't have to worry about contracts. "We are waiting for the tender to provide 100 buses to the city of Warsaw to be concluded," Olszewski said. He disclosed that the company is still waiting for the results of few other "notable" tenders to be announced.

Competition around the corner

Solaris doesn't have to look far for competition. Man Trucks & Buses has an assembly plant in Sady, near Poznań, where 707 Man and Neoplan buses were produced in 2005. Company sources report that 93 percent of these buses were exported, mainly to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Norway, Italy and Spain. The plant in Sady, one of Man's two bus production sites in Poland, was opened in 1998 at a cost of EUR 13 (zł.51.7) million.

Volkswagen Poznań is the largest van producer in Poland. It's one of the two Volkswagen factories in Europe where Transporter T5 and Caddy models are manufactured. Last year over 156,000 units were produced in the Poznań plant, which represented a 28.6-percent increase year-on-year. "This is the result of our vehicles' popularity among clients, especially on the European markets," the company's president Joern Reimers explained.

The company's largest contract was delivering 3,754 Caddys for Deutsche Post. Volkswagen Poznań is one of the largest employers in Wielkopolska with nearly 7,000 workers.

Accessorizing

But Wielkopolska's automotive industry isn't limited to vehicle production. In fact, local companies producing car parts and interior elements have risen to international powerhouse status in their sectors. Inter Groclin Auto is a car-accessories manufacturer specializing in seat upholstery whose products cover the seats found in makes such as Volvo, Mercedes, Renault, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi or Audi. Some 99 percent of its production goes abroad.

This year Inter Groclin won two new significant contracts - one with Volvo to supply seat upholstery for the V70 and XC70 models, worth EUR 115 (zł.457) million, as well as for the new Renault Laguna, worth EUR 20 (zł.79.5) million. Apart from its flagship product, Inter Groclin Auto also makes car seats (for special models of Volkswagen), child-safety seats and upholstered furniture, which it almost entirely exports to Germany.

Battery powered

Poznań's Centra is the largest car-battery producer in Central and Eastern Europe. With a market share of nearly 50 percent in Poland, the company sells 65 percent of its production abroad. The company has a long history dating back to the inter-war period - it employed 850 workers before WWII. In 1995 it was acquired by the world's largest battery producer, Exide Corporation.

"The acquisition gave our company access to new markets (in Western Europe), to modern technology and a chance to exchange technology and know-how," Centra's president Janusz Mieloszyk said.

The batteries produced in Poznań cover 100 percent of Fiat Auto Poland's demand, and can also be found in cars made in Ford's plants in Genk, Belgium and Southampton, England, Volvo's plant in Gandavie, UK, Jaguar's plant in the UK and the Toyota Peugeot Citroen Association plant in Kolin, Czech Republic.

But even local companies lacking decades of tradition can make it in the big world. Founded in 1988, Lumag, which makes brake pads for passenger cars and both brake pads and linings for trucks and buses, exports nearly half of its products. Some 52 percent of its production is sold in Poland, 26 percent in the EU and 14 percent in the Eastern European markets. Last year the company decided to invest zł.10 million in new machinery used for the production of brake pads for passenger cars.