Krzysztof Oleksowicz, vice president of Inter Cars, the founder and at the same time the biggest shareholder is not dreaming about a retirement, but about holding the palm in Europe. He is counting on the support of the Ministry of Finance.
The founder of giant in trade of automotive spare parts comes to the meeting with a collar, but in sports shoes.
- I have a golf game today - he explains, but being asked a bit later about a a quiet retirement in the shade of a tree, he strongly protests.
| There is no way of becoming a gentleman of leisure , selling worth several hundred million shares in Inter Cars and consuming till a very old age. | Exceed Zakroczym: At present Krzysztof Oleksowicz tests his racing cars on the plot in Zakroczym. His final plan is to build a logistic centre there, thanks to which his business would speed-up in pan-European race. Therefore he urges the Ministry of Finance to grant investment allowance. |
Mazuria in Modlin
This will first of all depend on public aid. Inter Cars is lobbying so that a plot in Zakroczym nearby Modlin became a part of ... Warmian-Mazurian Special Economic Zone which includes investment allowance. Construction of logistic centre is going to consume over PLN 150m.
- Zakroczym is for us a step into the 21st century. Investments in automatics and intelligent systems in logistics, including the sorter, will amount to PLN 40-50m. Since the moment of obtaining a positive decision we will be able to launch the logistic centre in just several months - explains Robert Kierzek, CEO of Inter Cars.
The decision of Ministry of Finance shall be announced by the end of June. The idea for Zakroczym is not only to be a boost for the benefit of the stock exchange company, but also an opportunity to build cargo services on Modlin airport.
- The government fights for the investment of Volkswagen or Fiat, the decision in our case has not been taken yet. We would like to obtain the support, as we have never taken any public aid on a large scale - added Krzysztof Oleksowicz.
Zakroczym is supposed to be the base for the Company, using which it should attack the top of the market, which it has been climbing to for many years now. The target is clear: leading position in Europe. None of the automotive market players have ever implemented the sorters on such a large scale before. As regards revenues, Inter Cars is now just outside the European podium, the e-commerce in Europe (West and Russia), further acquisition of the market in Poland (currently 25 percent, targeted even up to 40 percent.) and development of branches in other countries, mainly to the south from Poland shall be pushing it even higher.
- We have such a B2B business, from the Balkans to the Baltic see - jokes Robert Kierzek, showing a map with several countries, in which Inter Cars has its operations.
We grieve Ukraine
The key to a successful B2B is to be the extremely efficient and optimized logistics in Zakroczym, which already tempts global leaders. According to the information of "PB", Inter Cars is now in the middle of negotiations with Amazon, but not only, on the so-called drop-shipping. The American giant is looking for, among other, a partner in Poland, which would be able to bear the whole logistic process for orders from automotive segment. Here the main requirement of the business Jeff Bezos is one: you have got to build Zakroczym.
- We begin to develop a model of collecting goods directly from the factories, without going through central warehouse, which gives us a few more percent of discount from the manufacturers," says Krzysztof Oleksowicz and he also strongly denies, that Inter Cars is on the top, because then there is only the way down...
He aimed in one billion Zlotys, then Euro of sales revenue. Now there is only a billion Pounds Sterling? It could be that, but still not everything goes smoothly, such as the subsidiary in Ukraine, which generates 4 percent of revenue of the Group. It lives in uncertain environment and will not show impressive results this year.
- Our business is not dependent on economic conditions, in the multi-year average we will go up. With Ukraine it is different. This is a growing market, with great perspectives, but also with the eastern characteristics, where logical, stock market business does not necessarily do well. From this perspective, I would prefer that we had not had invested years ago in Ukraine, but from the perspective of entire group it is just a small percentage of revenue - said Krzysztof Oleksowicz.
Impressive increases this year were recoded by the companies from Romania and Bulgaria. They are intended to help to keep a strong pace on the way to Mount Everest of the business. The Managers of Inter Cars estimate that a revenue of even EUR 4 billion is within reach of the Company in a few years. Then a half Group's revenue is expected to come from foreign markets.
- We are building our strength to start-ups and we shall stick to this. After the merger with JC Auto in 2007, today we do not see any value of development through acquisitions. Organic expansion abroad is an opportunity for us to improve profitability, outside of Poland the margins are higher, says Oleksowicz and mentions something about the production of cars.
However he advises to wait until the opening of warehouses upon the Vistula River.
source: Puls Biznesu
28-05-2014
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