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No. 029 / 7th April 2014 / www.poland-today.pl / magazine, conferences, portal, newsletter
MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING Polish Synthos to invest USD 170m in Brazilian rubber plant page 2 Polaris plant reaches completion; production to launch in Q3 2014 page 2 Manufacturing PMI drops in March on weaker exports page 3 ENERGY & RESOURCES Energy giant Tauron lays cornerstone for PLN 618m heat & power project in Tychy page 4 LOT's new B787 Dreamliner fleet is helping the company get back on its feet.
Photo: LOT
LOT shows first profit in five years
PGNiG and Chevron sign agreement on joint shale exploration in Poland page 5
Much to everyone's surprise, Poland's ailing flagship carrier LOT closed the last year in the black with a net profit of PLN 26m. Although LOT's restructuring appears to be going well, the company is not out of the woods yet. page 9
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION W.P. Carey buys Bank Pekao SA headquarters in Warsaw for EUR 115m page 7
DB fund buys Rondo 1 for EUR 300m
SwedeCenter gets permit for giant office park in Wrocław page 7
A Deutsche Bank property fund has acquired Warsaw's Rondo 1 building for EUR 300m in the largest individual property deal Poland's office market has seen to-date. page 4
tel. +48 881 650 600
SERVICES & BPO Austria's CCC to create 400 jobs at Gdańsk contact center page 9 TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS Integer.pl strikes a deal with TNT Express to install 400 parcel lockers in Italy page 10 Goodman builds distribution centre near Poznań for global technology firm page 11 IT & TELECOM Freelancer.com buys Poland's top freelancing marketplace page 12 RETAIL PROPERTIES Warsaw needs more retail centers, top developers say page 13 POLITICS & ECONOMY World Bank's VP travels to Poland, affirms strong mutual partnership page 14 KEY FIGURES Up-to-date macroeconomic figures, currency & stock market data and lots of other hard-to-find info pages 15-17
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 2
MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING
Polish Synthos to invest USD 170m in Brazilian rubber plant Poland's listed chemical group Synthos seeks to launch a factory in Brazil in 2017 after acquiring license and know-how for polybutadiene rubber production from France's Michelin. The 20-year deal was sealed in December last year, but its announcement was delayed to protect the company's interests, the company said in a market filing. Synthos has orders from tire manufacturers Michelin and Pirelli for the supply of neodymium polybutadiene rubber (NdBR) to their facilities in Brazil. "The capex on this project is being estimated at some USD 170m. The factory will be build from scratch, but it will utilize some existing infrastructure, for instance a heat & power plant, " Agata Kościelnik Corporate Communication Manager at Synthos tells Poland Today. "The project will be put in motion as long as a deal we had inked with Braskem for the delivery of butadiene to the new facility enters into force." At the new factory, Synthos will produce neodymium polybutadiene rubber (NdBR) used to manufacture high-performance car and truck tires and various technical rubber products. "The plant capacity will reach 80,000 tons per year, which will result in a huge production growth of elastomers in Brazil and will replace a significant part of the current import," the company said. Over the coming months Synthos is to focus on putting together the necessary paperwork (including project documents) without incurring substantial financial li-
abilities, the company announced, adding that the new plant will be located in the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex in Rio Grande do Sul. "Considering the growing demand for synthetic rubber in Brazil and other South American countries, we will not aim at replacing the local production, but try to substitute the import into the region," said Tomasz Kalwat, CEO of Synthos.
Synthos Group key figures Turnover in PLNbn, lef t axis Net profit in PLNm, right axis 7
1, 050
6
90 0
5
750
4 3
60 0 450
2
30 0
1
150
0
0 200 6
200 7
20 0 8 20 09
20 10
20 11
20 12
20 13
Source: Synthos
Brazil is the world's seventh economy and the largest economy in South America, where Synthos sold 6.3% of its rubber exports last year (up from 3.3% in 2012). According to the Polish Foreign Market Research Lab, in the first three quarters of 2013, the sales of tires for new cars in Brazil increased by 9% y/y, whereas the replacement tires market increased by 11% y/y, making it a highly attractive target for Synthos. Created from the merger of Polish Firma Chemiczna Dwory S.A. and Czech Kaucuk a.s., the Warsaw-listed Synthos is one of the largest manufacturers of chemical raw materials in Poland, and Europe’s No. 1 manufacturer of emulsion rubbers and No. 3 producer of polystyrene for foaming applications. The Synthos Group turned over PLN 5.36bn last year (against PLN
6.2bn in 2012) while its net earnings came to PLN 417m (down from PLN 586m in the prior year. Holding a 62% stake in the company, the main shareholder in Synthos is the Polish billionaire Michał Sołowow, the driving force behind the property developer Echo Investment and bathroom fittings maker Rovese.
MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING
Polaris plant reaches completion; production to launch in Q3 2014 Industrial space developer Panattoni Europe has finalized the construction of the first European factory for Polaris Industries, a US manufacturer of allterrain vehicles (ATVs), in the Opole section of the Wałbrzych special economic zone, in southern Poland. The 33,000 sq.m built-to-suit project has taken little more than half a year to complete, with production set to launch in Q3 2014. "We will be starting production with a workforce of 250 but I can confirm that at full capacity, which we hope to reach towards the end of 2015 if our market projections prove correct, we expect to have over 500 employees in Opole," Bogusław Dawiec, Director of Operations at Polaris Poland tells Poland Today. "So far the results of our recruitment efforts have been very encouraging. We have a database of suitable candidates who have undergone the initial screening." "Opole, Poland was chosen due to the availability of skilled labor, location near the A4 motorway, and close proximity to the existing automotive supply base," Matthew Homan, Vice President Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) at Polaris told Poland Today's Lech Kaczanowski last year. "The plant will produce
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 3
Polaris ATVs, and the Polaris Ranger and RZR sideby-side vehicles. Chassis welding, painting, and finished good assembly are the major processes that will occur within the plant. Besides assembly, a product engineering and testing team, with the focus of meeting the needs of the European market, will be located in Opole," Mr. Homan said
Panattoni has just completed the 33,000 sq.m BTS project for Polaris Industries. The latter will now focus on installing machinery as well as recruiting and training staff in order to launch production in Q3. Image: Panattoni
Developed at the cost of PLN 100m, the Polaris plant is comprised of a 25,600 sq.m production hall, a 3,400 sq.m warehouse, as well as offices and staff facilities with a total floor area of 3,981 sq.m. The manufacturer's first European factory for off-road vehicles will be making 25,000 quads and small all-terrain vehicles per year, to be delivered to Europe, Middle East and Russia. "The construction work has reached completion and now we are focusing on installation of machinery and
infrastructure that will support production lines," says Bogusław Dawiec. "We are starting to seek out local suppliers and as the production volume increases we intend to gradually expand our local supplier base." "This project is a great win for Poland and proves that major global producers very much see Poland as a strategic location to establish new production functions to be able to service their local and international client base," said Tom Listowski, Partner, Head of Industrial in Poland and CEE Corporate Relations at Cushman & Wakefield, which advised Polaris. The NYSE-listed Polaris is a recognized leader in the powersports industry with annual 2013 sales of USD 3.8bn (+18% y/y) and net income of USD 381m (+22% y/y). The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and its trademark Ranger and RZR side-by-side vehicles (all three products lines will be made in Opole) as well as snowmobiles, motorcycles and on-road electric/hybrid powered vehicles. Polaris is among the global sales leaders for both snowmobiles and off-road vehicles but it has also established a presence in the heavyweight cruiser and touring motorcycle market with the Victory brand. With close to 5,000 employees worldwide, Polaris seeks aims to become a "highly profitable, USD 5+ bn global enterprise," according to its strategy. The value of Europe's ATV sector was estimated at some EUR 2bn in 2010. There are no official figures on the number of quads in Poland, but some industry representatives speak of 80-100,000 units. These off-road vehicles (mainly inexpensive Chinese imports) used to be popular a couple of years ago, but a number of wellpublicized accidents and the resulting tightening of regulations, accompanied by economic downturn, brought that boom to a halt.
MANUFACTURING & PROCESSING
Manufacturing PMI drops in March on weaker exports Poland's manufacturing sector purchasing managers' index PMI fell to 54.0 points in March from 55.9 points in February, a PMI report by HSBC and Markit showed. March was the ninth consecutive month when the indicator remained above the 50 threshold that separates economic growth from contraction. According to the report, the rates of growth in both output and new orders moderated since February, linked to weaker export growth.
Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) The 50 mark separates growth from contraction
60
55
50
45 Jan 13
M ar 13 M ay 13
Source: Markit & HSBC
Jul 13
Sep 13
No v 13
Jan 14
M ar 14
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 4
"Survey data and anecdotal evidence suggested that only a modest increase in new export business drove the loss of momentum in overall new work," the report said. "New export orders increased at the slowest rate since June 2013, in contrast to the record rate of growth registered back in October." Some firms linked weaker export orders to uncertainty linked to the situation in Ukraine. "We assume further pick-up in GDP growth in Q1 2014 with more bias towards some consolidation in the rates of growth in the following quarters," HSBC economist for CEE Agata Urbańska-Giner wrote in a comment to the PMI report. Firms continued to hire to support workloads, while, inflationary pressures in the sector remained subdued as both input and output prices fell since February.
Bieńkowska, visited the Tychy plant to attend the cornerstone laying ceremony on 29 March.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk was one of several high-profile guests who attended the cornerstone laying ceremony in Tychy. Image: Tauron
ENERGY & RESOURCES
Energy giant Tauron lays cornerstone for PLN 618m heat & power project in Tychy Katowice-based energy producer Tauron has commenced the second stage of a PLN 618m modernization of its heat & power plant in the southern Polish city of Tychy. The investment involves a brand new power unit that will produce heat and electricity using high-efficiency cogeneration starting from 2016. This project is in conjunction with other recent highprofile Tauron investments in Stalowa Wola and Łagisza. Many honored guests, including Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister Elżbieta
Tauron Chief Executive Dariusz Lubera said that the investment in Tychy, which will be carried out by the group's district heating arm Tauron Ciepło, will ensure improved performance with a significantly lower negative impact on the environment. The construction of a 50 MWe/86 MWt unit began in December 2013 and makes part of a broader project that aims at boosting the power output at Tauron's Tychy plant. Phase one of the investment, completed between 2008 and 2012, saw the plant's coal-burning unit get converted to rely entirely on biomass. The second stage, to be commissioned in 2016, will include the new power unit along with a fluidized bed boiler and turbine as well as all the key auxiliary infrastructure. The highefficiency cogeneration used by the new unit is characterized by up to 90-95% efficiency, whereas traditional
power plants operate at only about 35% efficiency, Tauron said. In comparison with past power units, the new unit will emit half the amount of carbon dioxide, seventimes less sulfur dioxide, and three-times less nitric oxide. Treasury Minister Włodzimierz Karpiński said that "the power unit which will begin operating in Tychy in 2016 will burn coal very effectively in an environmentally-friendly way." He added that "thanks to investments such as these, by 2020 we will have the most advanced power capacities in Europe. For PLN 30bn over the course of six years, new units will be built with a combined power of 5,000 MW, which is about 13% of Polish energy needs." Tauron is the second largest energy producer in Poland as well as the largest distributor of electricity. In 2013, the company made several investments including a modern power unit using cogeneration at its plant in Bielsko-Biała and two wind parks in Wicko and Marszewo with a combined power output of 122 MW. A 450 MW power unit is also currently being constructed in Stalowa Wola as well as a 413 MW unit in Łagisza. The latter is a PLN 1.5bn investment, of which up to PLN 750m may be contributed by Polskie Inwestycje Rozwojowe (PIR), a state investment vehicle (see BR+ No. 027 page 6). Despite its ambitions investment pipeline, Tauron reported an 11% drop in net profit in 2013, with expectations of even weaker results in 2014 due to the statecontrolled utility's struggle with falling energy prices and weak demand caused by the sluggish Polish economy. In March, Chief Executive Lubera said, "We hope that energy prices will hit their lowest level in 2014 after which they will start to rebound slowly." Story by Piotr Narel
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 5
ENERGY & RESOURCES
PGNiG and Chevron sign agreement on joint shale exploration Following the memorandum the two companies signed in December 2013, Polish gas distribution and production giant PGNiG and Chevron Polska Energy Resoruces, the Polish unit of US energy giant Chevron, inked a deal last week on joint shale gas exploration projects in south-eastern Poland. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly appraise shale gas deposits in four exploration license areas in southeastern Poland - two owned by PGNiG (Tomasz贸w Lubelski and Wiszni贸w-Tarnoszyn) and two belonging to Chevron (Zwierzyniec and Grabowiec), paving the way for their tighter cooperation on the Polish shale. According to PGNiG, the detailed scope and schedule of the exploration work will be determined by a joint technical committee appointed by both parties. The joint efforts will include the drilling of an exploration well. Pursuant to the agreement, the parties will also exchange geological data on the four license areas as well as experience gathered so far as part of their respective exploration activities. "By collaborating with Chevron we will be able to draw on its extensive experience in shale gas exploration. We hope that this partnership will be beneficial to both parties by allowing us to optimize the costs and improve the effectiveness of our exploration efforts," said Mariusz Zawisza, President of the PGNiG Management Board.
"As we said upon the signing of the MOU in December, Chevron Poland is delighted to partner with PGNiG in the safe and efficient exploration of energy resources," said John Claussen, Country Manager, Chevron Polska Energy Resources. If the parties move to the second stage of collaboration, their efforts will involve further exploration work in relevant license areas. At all stages of the relationship PGNiG and Chevron intend to jointly carry out the exploration work, determine its scope and decide on the financing methods.
According to a report from the Polish Geological Institute in March 2012, the country has reserves of between 346bn and 768bn cb.m of recoverable shale gas. According to government data, as of 1st March an estimated 57 exploration wells had been completed in Poland, with a further 30 to be drilled this year. In 21 cases the drilling was followed by hydraulic fracturing or "fracking". According to experts, at least 100 boreholes will be needed to properly assess the potential of Poland's shale plays. There are 92 shale valid shale exploration licenses in Poland at the moment, held by 34 domestic and foreign entities. The key license holders are San Leon Energy and its partners (with 17 licenses), PGNiG (15), Grupa Lotos (9), and PKN Orlen (9).
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION
Deutsche Bank fund acquires Rondo 1 office building in Warsaw for EUR 300m Dublin-based San Leon Energy backed by billionaire George Soros, has recently achieved first commercial shale gas flows from one of its Polish wells. Image: San Leon
Although Polish companies, mainly PGNiG, PKN Orlen, and Grupa Lotos hold the largest number of shale licenses in Poland, their exploration efforts have been limited so far, partly due to their lack of expertise with unconventional hydrocarbons. Last year PGNiG introduced what it called a "policy of openness" towards foreign rivals, hoping cooperation with the likes of Chevron would speed up the process of assessing potential shale gas resources in Poland.
The real estate investment unit of Deutsche Bank subsidiary Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM) has acquired Warsaw's iconic office tower Rondo 1 for approximately EUR 300m. The transaction brings its total assets under management in Poland to EUR 850m, Deutsche said. "The deal involved the sale of the best office asset in Warsaw was the largest single-asset office transaction ever closed in Poland and one of the biggest in Central and Eastern Europe, Mike Atwell, Head of Capital Markets, CEE, at CBRE told Poland Today. He added that with a number of investors currently planning further office building acquisitions, the total commer-
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 6
cial property investment volume in Poland should in 2014 comfortably exceed the volume recorded last year. Located on the Rondo ONZ roundabout, in the heart of Warsaw's central business district, at the intersection of two of the city’s major thoroughfares, right by the subway entrance and close to the central railway station as well as Warsaw's top shopping and entertainment centre Złote Tarasy, Rondo 1 comprises almost 70,000 sq.m of class A office space over two buildings, and includes 5,000 sq.m of retail space on the ground floor. The property, certified LEED Gold, is one of the largest office buildings in Poland and Central Europe. Its tenants include financial, legal and consultancy sectors including blue-chip level institutions such as EY, Allen & Overy, Baker & McKenzie, DZP, Frontex, Dentons and Volkswagen Bank.
The distinctive 40 storey, 192 meter high, Rondo 1 office building, designed by renowned American architects Skidmore Owens & Merill, is still considered to be the highest quality office building in the region. Image: Rondo 1
"The quality and location of Rondo One and its caliber of tenants, along the highly attractive and growing Polish market make this an excellent investment for our clients," said Gianluca Muzzi, Head of Real Estate,
Europe, at DeAWM said. "Our asset management team will take advantage of its strong track record and local experience as we look to capitalize on growth opportunities in the region."
Warsaw's top address
Completed in 2006 by Germany's Hochtief, Rondo 1 immediately became Warsaw's number one address. The property changed hand several times since the Germans embarked on the project. Almost a year prior to the building's completion, Hochtief sold Rondo 1 for EUR 200m building to Commerzleasing, which passed it on to Hannover Leasing. The latter sold it in April 2006 to London & Regional Properties for EUR 260m, which then sold a 50% stake in the scheme to the Blackrock Europe Property Fund II. The BlackRock fund assumed full ownership of the property in 2008. "Since the acquisition we have increased occupancy to 95% from 50%, enabling the asset to be brought to market for sale. We remain an active player in the Polish real estate market and are considering other opportunities here and throughout the region," Marius Schoener, head of Blackrock's German and Polish real estate business, was quoted as saying. With EUR 923bn of assets under management (as at December 31, 2013), Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management is one of the world's leading investment organizations. Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management offers individuals and institutions traditional and alternative investments across all major asset classes. It also provides tailored wealth management solutions and private banking services to high-net-worth individuals and family offices. BlackRock Real Estate is the dedicated real estate investment group within BlackRock and invests in strategies across the risk and return spectrum, providing access to all major property types. The business man-
ages over USD 23bn of private and public real estate equity and debt on behalf of investors worldwide in 17 offices across 11 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the US. Investment structures include commingled funds, co-investments, joint ventures and customized separate accounts. The parent company, BlackRock is a leader in investment management, risk management and advisory services for institutional and retail clients worldwide. At December 31, 2013, BlackRock’s AUM was USD 4.324 trillion.
DATA BOX: COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INVESTMENT IN 2013 According to Jones Lang LaSalle, the volume of transactions concluded on the Polish commercial real estate market increased by 26% y/y in 2013 and exceeded EUR 3.4bn, making the best result since 2006 when total investment volume amounted to over EUR 5bn. In 2012 the figure came to EUR 2.73bn). In terms of particular market segments, Jones Lang LaSalle’s data indicates that the volume of office transactions amounted to approximately EUR 1.06bn, retail - approx. EUR 1.32bn, industrial – ca. EUR 656m, mixed use projects and multi-segment portfolio deals over EUR 280m, and hotels - more than EUR 113m. Foreign investors accounted for ca. 94% of total volume in 2013. The majority of them were global investors (e.g. Blackstone, Atrium, and Allianz-led consortium that purchased Silesia City Center), followed by German investors (RREEF, Union Investment, Invesco, IVG, Allianz), British investors (LCP, Tristan Capital Partners, SEGRO) and US capital (WP Carey, Hines, Kulczyk Silverstein Properties and Lone Star). Polish investors accounted for 6% in the total 2013 investment volume. Source: Jones Lang LaSalle
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 7
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION
W.P. Carey buys Pekao HQ for EUR 115m
reinforces our position as an active investor in European properties that benefit from in-place, long-term net leases," commented Jeffrey Lefleur, Managing Director of W. P. Carey.
ern Europe, it is remarkable that Poland's growth rate remained positive."
Warsaw office market Key indicators as of end of 2013
W. P. Carey Inc., an independent equity real estate investment trust, said that two of its publicly held nontraded REIT affiliates have jointly purchased Lipowy Business Park, the headquarters of Poland's second largest bank Bank Pekao SA in Warsaw for nearly EUR 115m (USD 158m). The seller, CA Immo, is Austria's second largest property investor and is planning to concentrate and balance out its asset portfolio in Warsaw, W. P. Carey said. According to the new owner, the acquisition was closed on an all-equity basis, providing a fast, committed, low-risk closing process.
Office zones Central locations CBD-Central Business District CCF-City Centre Fringe Non-central locations
"Following our recent acquisition of H&M's Distribution Center in Poznań and the strong local economic tailwinds, we are delighted to have completed another transaction in Poland. This transaction fits well with our strategy of acquiring critical assets with strong covenants in thriving, well-connected locations. It also
Vacan-
sq.m
cy
1,247,000
9.9%
473000
12.2%
774,000
9.6%
2,866,000
12.2%
E-East (Praga)
172,000
9.4%
LS-Lower South (Puławska)
176,000
10.2%
N-North (Żoliborz & Bemowo)
143,000
13.8%
SE-South East (Wilanów & Sadyba)
193,000
5.0%
SW-South West (Jerozolimskie & Okęcie)
712,000
14.4%
1,152,000
12.4%
315,000
13.2%
4,113,000
11.7%
US-Upper South (Mokotów)
Built in 2009 by Hochtief, Lipowy Office Park is a class A business park situated in the Ochota district in Warsaw, on Żwirki i Wigury St., a main artery leading to the Warsaw Chopin Airport, and just a ten-minute drive from the city centre. The complex comprises four modern buildings with 39,000 GLA, housing more than 2,000 employees who have 450 underground parking places at their disposal. Lipowy's main tenant is the Polish Unicredit subsidiary Bank Pekao SA, which is publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange with an equity market capitalization of around USD 17bn. The company chose property advisory firm JLL to manage its newly-acquired Warsaw asset – W.P Carey's first office property in Poland.
Stock
W-West (Wola) Total
Source: CBRE Q42013 Warsaw Office MarketView
W. P. Carey Inc. is a leading global net-lease REIT that provides long-term sale-leaseback and build-to-suit financing solutions for companies worldwide. It also acts as the manager to a series of non-traded REITs. The company's owned and managed diversified global investment portfolio had a combined enterprise value of approximately USD 15bn at December 31, 2013. "Poland is the second largest economy in Central Eastern Europe—behind Russia—with projected GDP growth and a healthy and liquid banking industry," Lefleur said. "By European standards, Poland has experienced solid growth in the last ten years. According to data by Eurostat, real GDP growth has averaged 4.0% since 2004, compared with a growth rate of 1.3% for Germany, its closest trading partner. During the prolonged financial crisis that affected most of West-
Lipowy Office Park includes four buildings with a Image: JLL combined GLA of 39,000 sq.m.
PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION
SwedeCenter gets permit for giant office park in Wrocław Swedish developer SwedeCenter, the property unit of the Inter IKEA Group, has just obtained a building permit for its third (and largest) office park in Poland Business Garden Wrocław. The company aims to break ground on the development later this year, planning to deliver 37,000 sq.m of class A office space in phase one. With a total planned GLA of 110,000 sq.m, the project will be located at Legnicka Street, in the immediate vicinity of Magnolia Park, the largest shopping and entertainment centre in Lower Silesia and relatively
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 8
close to the city centre. The construction permit pertains to the entire complex, which will include eight office buildings and a hotel. The three office buildings to be constructed in phase one will be located at Jaworska Street.
Designed by APA Wojciechowski, Business Garden Wrocław will include an internal garden with a centrally located restaurant. In line with SwedeCenter's emphasis on sustainable solutions, the project has been LEED precertified with the "Gold" rank. Image: SwedeCenter
SwedeCenter is currently developing three parks under the Business Garden logo – in Warsaw (90,000 sq.m) and in Poznań (80,000 sq.m). In Warsaw, the company has so far delivered 32,000 sq.m (including a hotel) and the work on the following three of the remaining five buildings is to begin shortly. In Poznań, the construction of the 42,000 sq.m phase one has recently hit the halfway mark. In addition to offices, the buildings will also accommodate a restaurant and retail space, but no hotel, unlike in Warsaw and Wrocłąw. Located on Marcelińska and Bułgarska streets, the first stage of the LEED Gold-certified Business Garden Poznań, is to be opened in the beginning of 2015.
DATA BOX: WROCŁAW OFFICE MARKET IN 2013 In 2013, Wrocław strengthened its position as the second fastest growing office market in Poland, after Warsaw. Its modern office stock totaled 540,000 sq.m. Nearly 73,800 sq.m was delivered onto the Wrocław market, the highest total in five years. The key completions included LC Corp’s Sky Tower (28,100 sq.m), Skanska’s phase II of the Green Towers complex (10,800 sq.m) and Echo Investment’s phase II of Aquarius Business House (9,200 sq.m).
Polska, which has cooperated with SwedeCenter on a number of other projects, most recently on Business Garden Poznań. The first stage of the project (21,100 sq.m) will comprise a Mariott Courtyard hotel and conference center (to be managed by Scandinavian Hospitality Management) and an office building that were to serve as the new headquarters of Nordea Bank Polska, before the latter got bought out by Polish bank PKO BP.
Take-up reached 76,300 sq m, powered by several dozen deals, the largest being Getin companies’ lease of 11,700 sq m in Sky Tower and the debt collection company KRUK’s lease expansion of 7,500 sq m in Wrocławski Park Biznesu, followed by Eurobank’s lease renewal of 6,100 sq m in Wratislavia Center and Credit Suisse’s expansion of 4,300 sq m in the Green Day office building. At year-end 2013 the vacancy rate was up by over 3.7 percentage points to 11.75% from the rate at the end of 2012, which despite robust supply shows that tenants see growth potential in the Wrocław market. Headline rents remained flat at EUR 13–15.5/sq m/month while effective rents stood at EUR 11–14/sq m/month. Source: Cushman & Wakefield
The company is also working on an office and hotel complex Gdynia Waterfront. Located in one of Gdynia's most attractive spots, next to the landmark SeaTowers building and near the busy Kościuszki Square, phase one the LEED certified development is to reach completion in 2015. Gdynia Waterfront is a mixed-use project with a floor area of 90,000 sq.m, featuring offices, residential, retail, and hospitality space accompanied by cultural and leisure facilities. The general contractor is Austrian-owned PORR
The development of Business Garden Poznań hit a halfway mark in March. Image: SwedeCenter
Although SwedeCenter is primarily a real estate investment and development company, it also manages its own portfolio of commercial properties. Established two decades ago in a move to back the commercial real estate operations of Inter IKEA Group's property division in Poland, it has since developed a portfolio of 600,000 sq.m in completed and pipeline projects. Their developments include the SwedeCenter, University Business Center and N21 office buildings in Warsaw and Cracovia Business Center in Krakow (the latter three have been sold), Brama Portowa in Szczecin (13,000 sq.m with tenants that include Deloitte, LUX MED, Genpact, and Starbucks) as well as Mera Hotel & Spa in Sopot.
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 9
SERVICES & BPO
Austria's CCC to create 400 jobs at Gdańsk contact center center
In recent years, the city has attracted a number of large scale Business Process Outsourcing & Shared Services projects, including investments by Metsä Group, Bayer, WNS, Misys, OIE Support and Kemira in the past two years alone. Asked whether the recent BPO boom is not making it more difficult for newcomers to find suitable candidates, Mr.Herbrechter replies:
ability to work in a team, when looking for new employees. The basis for delivering competent and fast customer support is the training in product and project related topics and permanent knowledge updates. We look for good computer skills and written communication skills as we provide written customer communication, back office and social media services to many of our partners," says Ulf Herbrechter.
Austrian outsourcing company Competence Call Center has launched a Polish unit in Gdańsk to deliver multilingual contact centre services to European clients with plans for 400 new jobs by the end of next year.
Operating from twelve locations in eight countries, Competence Call Center offers Contact Center Solutions such as incoming hotlines, outgoing campaigns and written customer communication in more than 28 languages.
"Our first partner in Gdańsk is an existing international client representing the travel industry and we are looking for German, Nordic, Russian and Polish speaking employees," says Ulf Herbrechter, COO of CCC. "We plan to employ 200 people in the office in Gdansk by the end of 2014. The expansion to 400 employees is planned for the next year," Mr. Herberchter tells Poland Today.
"We work with a variety of industries, such as ecommerce and online services, telecommunication, tourism, energy provision, banking, insurance and financial services. We focus on providing high quality contact center solutions and long-term partnerships with local and international partners."
The company, which operates 11 locations in Austria, France, Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey, has chosen the Polish port city of Gdańsk due to its convenient location and large local talent pool. The Tricity area (encompassing Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot) is home to more than 1.2m people, many of whom have good German, English and Russian skills. Similarly, Nordic language skills can be found, in particular because of the historical relationship to Denmark, Sweden and Norway. "Gdańsk is a very important transport hub in northern Poland. The convenient location with excellent accessibility, a total of 28 universities in the region as well as excellent language skills are convincing arguments," said CEO Christian Legat about the recent CCC expansion.
The Gdańsk unit of Competence Call Center will be Image: OBC based in Olivia Business Center.
"When entering a new market it is very important for us to establish the company as a reliable employer and one that offers prospects for further individual development. We have a strong focus on the development and training of our team - especially with our internal training program CCC Campus - and we are determined to remain an attractive employer for our people. So far we have been very satisfied with the number of applications. At this moment there is a new group of employees being trained in our office." Being an expert in customer service, the investor is prioritizing the so-called "people skills." "We focus a lot on soft skills such as problem solvingand customer orientation as well as empathy and the
TRANSPORT
LOT Polish Airlines shows profit profit for the first time in five years Looks like the worst is over for Poland's flagship carrier LOT, or at least that's the impression one gets looking at the audited financial results the company published last week. LOT posted net earnings of PLN 26m – the airline's first post-tax profit since 2008 – and had an operating loss of merely PLN 4m. According to a restructuring plan LOT had submitted to the European Commission for approval in order to make use of a public aid package, its 2013 net result were to be a PLN 196m net loss, with a PLN 142m loss at the operating
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 10
level. Clearly, the improvement has been impressive and according to observers it should help LOT convince Brussels to support its restructuring efforts.
Despite some initial hiccups, LOT's B787 Dreamliner fleet has been instrumental in helping the company get back on its feet. Image: LOT
The PLN 4m operating loss means that Poland's national carrier is about to start making money on its core business. According to LOT, it saved merely PLN 19m due to external factors, such as cheaper fuel, fewer flight cancellations, and lower costs on winter maintenance. The remaining PLN 119m worth of savings (against the PLN 142m operating loss the company had been expecting to post according to its restructuring plan) was said to be the outcome of reorganization, staff reductions, cost cutting, more effective marketing and better seat occupancy. The airline boosted its performance despite a 5% drop in passenger numbers (down to 4.6m), which was caused in part by the European Commission's requirement for state aid recipients to reduce their network and flight capacity as a way of preserving fair competition.
Besides traditional cost-cutting measures, LOT has successfully renegotiated contracts with suppliers and found new ways to generate revenue. The airline said it's been managing its flight newtowkr much more efficiently, and introduced additional transfer opportunities and flexibility of tariffs to the benefit of its clients. The carrier has launched additional services and expanded distribution channels, including mobile platforms. "The signing of agreements on charters to eight global holiday resorts by B787 Dreamliner was also important," LOT said. Crucially, the result did not include the reported PLN 103m that LOT were to receive from Boeing as compensation for the period when due to initial technical faults LOTs newly-acquired B787 Dreamliner fleet was grounded. Although the amount Boeing promised to pay LOT has not been officially confirmed by neither party, it is known that the Polish carrier will receive the bulk of the money in 2014. Despite the initial technical problems, the Dreamliners have given LOT some competitive edge over other airlines, as the Polish company had been the first carrier in Europe to receive Boeing's newest creation. Thanks to the new aircraft, LOT saw Business and Premium Class passenger numbers rose by 80% last year from the 2012 level, particularly on longhaul flights to the US and Beijing. Last but not least, the Dreamliners are way more fuel efficient that LOT's former fleet. However, despite the significant progress made it made last year the company is not out of the woods yet. LOT has used up all of the most obvious ways to improve its performance, whereas the restrictions the European Commission had imposed on its business remain in force. LOT received the first tranche of state aid in the amount of PLN 400m in December 2012 and initially expected to get the second tranche (up to PLN 381m) in August 2013, but LOT's management has
been doing its best to postpone the acceptance of the latter installment or reduce its scale in order to avoid additional pressure from the EU. The government's long-term objective is to sell the airline to a strategic investor.
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
Integer.pl strikes a deal with TNT Express to install 400 parcel lockers in Italy Polish postal services group Integer.pl has struck a deal with TNT Express Italy as its logistics partner as it introduces its trademark parcel locker terminals into Italy. The company said its cooperation agreement with TNT Express will support plans for 400 of its "easyPack"-branded automated self-service parcel pick-up and drop-off points to be installed in Italy by the end of June. Up to 1,000 terminals could be in place by the end of 2015 under the firm's plans. Customers using TNT’s delivery services will be able to opt to have items dropped off at easyPack machines rather than home or business addresses. Integer.pl said the machines would be integrated into the TNT network along with the 1,200 TNT outlets and 100 branches of the company in Italy. The partnership with TNT in Italy follows on from the partnership deal Integer.pl agreed with major Italian e-commerce retailer Banzai back in February, which should see Banzai’s web businesses E-Price and SaldiPrivati as the first e-commerce websites to offer delivery to easyPack machines. Integer.pl said the ecommerce market in Italy has reached a "very high"
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 11
level of maturity, with growth breaking records every year. E-commerce sales reached EUR 11.3bn in 2013, up 18% on the previous year, the company said citing data from eMarketer research. "This agreement is a key point in the TNT Express strategy to provide services dedicated to the Italian ecommerce market," commented Tony Jakobsen, managing director of TNT Express Italy, which has been restructuring and streamlining its business over the past nine months. "This will benefit TNT Express by improving the flexibility of our operational processes. This established partnership will also be a valuable solution for the business-to-business market, as it will allow a reduction in the number of administrative staff needed to support shipments."
Integer.pl Group key figures Turno ver in PLN m, left axis Net prof it in P LNm, right a xis 350
56
300
48
250
40
200 150
32 24
1 00
16
50
8
0
0 200 5 200 6 20 07 200 8 20 09 20 10
201 1 20 12
2013
Source: Integer.pl
"We see great prospects for e-commerce in Italy. The first 400 machines will be deployed on the Apennine Peninsula by the end of June, but this is only the beginning of our expansion. Ultimately we want to run 1,000 easyPack machines in the Italian market. The partnership with TNT Express is crucial for us, as an experienced partner they provide the highest standards of expertise and quality of service," said Integer.pl Group CEO Rafał Brzóska. A few weeks ago (see BR+
No. 023) Mr. Brzóska told Poland Today his company was looking for new investors to support the global rollout of the easyPack concept. "Last year alone our capex came to PLN 300m and this year we are projecting a similar amount," CEO Rafał Brzóska told Poland Today. "We are starting a formal search for a second private equity partner for easyPack. Our targets are fully dependent on the kind of financing we manage to attract. I expect the total figure to be somewhere between EUR 50-150m. If we raise less than EUR 100m, our focus will be on Europe and entry to the USA. Should we get EUR 100-150m, Canada, Brazil and China will be added to the mix." Integer.pl has more than 3,000 parcel terminals in operation at the moment, mainly in Europe. It has recently made inroads into Latin America and its next targets are the US, where the company wants to launch 10,000 locations by 2016, as well as Asia. In 2013 the Integer.pl group net-earned PLN 8.63m (down from PLN 47.2m in 2012) on revenues of PLN 347.32m (PLN 281.93m). Its private equity partner is Pinebridge, which two years ago agreed to put EUR 50m into the easyPack project.
TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
Goodman building distribution centre near Poznań for global technology firm Australian-owned Goodman industrial property developer is building a 14,790 sq.m warehouse in project Niepruszewo, in the Buk district, near Poznań for a global leader in digital media technologies, the com-
pany said last week. The warehouse, will be used for the storage of household appliances and their distribution throughout Poland and Germany. The company brok ground on the BTS project in November 2013 with its completion being expected in May 2014. "We cannot comment on the identity of the client or the number of jobs to be created at the site, but we can confirm that the warehouse will be operational shortly after its completion in May 2014." Bartosz Sroka from Goodman's press office in Warsaw told Poland Today. The mysterious "leader in digital media technologies" that needs warehouse space for household appliances in the Poznań area sounds like the Korean giant Samsung, which produces refrigerators and washing machines for the European market in Wronki near Poznań.
The facility will comprise a 14,290 sq.m warehouse and 500 sq.m of office space. Image: Goodman
"Our customer needed a partner who could provide them with a facility quickly to meet their storage and distribution requirements. Despite the construction works being undertaken in the winter months, we are on track with the strict development schedule to deliver this high-quality facility," said Błażej Ciesielczak, Regional Director Central & Eastern Europe. The new warehouse is located in Goodman’s Poznań Logistics Centre, where the group previously devel-
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 12
oped a 30,000 sqm warehouse for Amica (a Polish manufacturer, which sold its fridge & washing machine business to Samsung in 2009), in 2012. At the same site, Goodman also has available land for the development of a 5,050 sq.m unit. The location in the western part of Poznań with direct access to the A2 motorway is well connected to the city centre (25km), Warsaw (340km) and Germany (195km).
DATA BOX: WROCŁAW WAREHOUSE MARKET IN 2013 The highest concentration of warehouse space in the Wrocław region is along the A4 motorway (Bielany Wrocławskie, Kąty Wrocławskie, Kobierzyce, Krajków) and national road no. 8. Wrocław is now one of the fastest growing industrial markets in Poland with very large deals signed in 2013. Two of Amazon’s three distribution centres developed by Panattoni and Goodman will be constructed in Wrocław and will deliver more than 200,000 sq m of new space to the market. These transactions pushed the region’s total take-up in 2013 to 482,000 sq m – a twofold rise on 2012 – accounting for more than 20% of Poland’s total take-up. Some 192,000 sq m is under construction with the largest projects underway including BTS Amazon (123,000 sq m) developed as part of Goodman Wrocław South Logistics Centre, another phase of Prologis Park Wrocław V (35,000 sq m), and a BTS scheme for Polaris Industries (33,000 sq m). Headline rents remain stable at EUR 3.0–3.9/sq m/month. Source: Cushman & Wakefield
Separately, Goodman has a further development opportunity at its second logistics park in the area, Poznań Airport Logistics Centre, offering up to 52,000 sq.m of built-to-suit warehousing and light production
space, which is available for immediate development. The logistics centre is located close to Ławica Airport and provides direct access to the A2 motorway through the express road S11 connecting Poznań with Germany, central Poland and Warsaw.
IT & TELECOM
Freelancer.com buys top Polish freelancing marketplace The world's largest online freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace Freelancer.com acquired its leading Polish peer Zlecenia.przez.net ("Work through the Net") in March for an unspecified "six digit amount in USD." Freelancer has since integrated Zlecenia.przez.net users onto its platform, operating via the regional website www.freelancer.pl, and serviced by a dedicated Polish support team. Founded in 2004, Zlecenia.przez.net is Poland's leading marketplace dedicated to a range of online categories of work. The marketplace has grown to over 85,000 users who have sent over 1.1 million proposals to 115,000 projects posted on the site. The marketplace's founders, Karol Kruzelecki and Sławomir Magdziarz, were pioneers in the online freelancing industry, with the concept being entirely new in Eastern Europe when the first beta version went public on March 1, 2004. Kruzelecki and Magdziarz started the marketplace whilst at university and saw the company transform dramatically in 2011 when zlecenia.przez.net sp. z o.o. was incorporated and the company opened the doors to its first office in the Krakow Technology Park's (KPT) Technology Incubator. Since inception,
Zlecenia.przez.net, has remained one of the fastest growing and most recognized freelancing marketplaces in Poland. According to the Australia-based Freelancer.com, the acquisition doubles their current user base of 82,500 Polish users. Following the transaction, Freelancer now supports transactions in Zloty, in addition to the Polish language. "The acquisition of Zlecenia.przez.net continues our commitment to creating a global marketplace where small business and freelancers can work together on any job, in any country, in any language, at any time," Freelancer Chief Executive Matt Barrie stated. "Freelancer.com is the easiest way to get work done online, or find a freelance job online. We look forward to welcoming Polish businesses and freelancers into our global community." Triple Webby award winning Freelancer.com connects businesses with over 10.5m independent professionals globally, specializing in over 650 categories. Over 5.5m projects have been posted to date, in areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Prior to the Zlecenia.przez.net takeover, Freelancer.com had acquired several outsourcing marketplaces including GetAFreelancer.com and EUFreelance.com (founded by Magnus Tibell in 2004, Sweden), LimeExchange (a former business of Lime Labs LLC, USA), Scriptlance.com (founded by Rene Trescases in 2001, Canada, one of the early pioneers in freelancing), Freelancer.de Booking Center (Germany), Freelancer.co.uk (United Kingdom), Webmaster-talk.com (USA), a forum for webmasters, Rent-A-Coder and vWorker (founded by Ian Ippolito, USA, another early innovator in the freelance marketplace space).
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 13
RETAIL PROPERTIES
Warsaw could use more retail centers, top developers say There is still ample space for development of retail space in Warsaw, according to top property sector insiders who attended the second edition of Poland Today's annual "Primetime Warsaw" conference last week.
cation, the centre has so far failed to attract notable crowds, showing that not every project based in Warsaw has to be an instant hit. The developers behind Plac Unii, Flemish Liebrecht & wooD and Polish BBI, are currently seeking buyers for the complex. "I believe that mixed-use projects, such as Plac Unii that blends offices with retail, are the way of the future," said Rafał Mazurczak, Office and Hotel Projects Department Director at Echo Investment. "It's all about building spaces that live during and after office hours."
"One cannot ignore the fact that the shopping centre penetration rate in Warsaw is among the lowest in the country even though the city boasts the highest income per capita," said Piotr Goździewicz , Director of Capital Markets CEE at BNP Paribas Real Estate during a panel focusing on the challenges that face Warsaw's office and retail sectors. With a shopping centre density of 437 sq.m/ 1,000 inhabitants, Warsaw still ranks low among the major agglomerations, ahead only of Szczecin and Katowice. According to the property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle, the modern retail stock in the greater Warsaw area totaled 1.61m sq.m of GLA as of end of 2013, of which the shopping centre sector occupied 70% (1.10m sq.m in 36 assets).The retail parks segment comprised five schemes with close to 270,000 sq.m of GLA, with Inter IKEA in a leading position, operating two assets of paramount importance. Three outlet centers represent the remaining 50,000 sq.m of GLA. Last year, a total of 59,000 sq.m of retail GLA was delivered to the Warsaw market, with the most notable completion being the Plac Unii City Shopping (15,500 sq.m), the first inner-city shopping centre in Warsaw since the launch of Złote Tarasy. Despite its central lo-
The panel on the challenges facing Warsaw's office and retail sectors during last week's Primetime
Warsaw II conference organized by Poland Today featured (from the left): Tomasz Rusak, Procurement & Financial Director, Hochtief Development Poland; Jarosław Zagórski, Commercial & Business Development Director, Ghelamco; Rafał Mazurczak, Office and Hotel Projects Department Director, Echo Investment; Jarosław Bator, Managing Director for Real Estate at Polish State Railways (PKP SA); Leszek Sikora, Managing Director, ECE Projektmanagement Polska; Piotr Gożdziewicz, Director of Capital Markets CEE, BNP Paribas Real Estate; and Andrew Kureth, Editor, Poland Today (moderator). Photo: PT
Other completions in 2013 includes Factory Annopol (an outlet centre from Spanish developer Neinver, which has just announced plans for a major extension of its other Warsaw centre in Ursus), phase two of Auchan Łomianki, Galeria Mokotów enlargement (by 5,000 sq.m) and Galeria Podkowa, in Podkowa Leśna. To adapt to the evolving market, some of the existing assets, e.g. Auchan Piaseczno, Centrum Janki, Wola Park and Atrium Promenada, are planned to be refurbished and enlarged. An extension of Centrum Krakowska (CK61), located in the vicinity of the Southern Ringroad (S2), has just been announced. Dynamic development of new residential clusters, coupled with an improvement of the road system, creates new locations for further retail developments such as Galeria Wilanów and Galeria Północna, two giant projects the Warsaw-listed developer GTC hopes to break ground in the near future. "We currently are looking for partners to help us develop the Warszawa Główna area, where we have some 10ha of largely vacant, centrally located space that would be ideal for a visionary mixed-use project," said Jarosław Bator, Managing Director for Real Estate at Polish State Railways PKP. "With all the development that's taking place in the Wola area at the moment, I think an attractive leisure and retail project would be a perfect fit there." PKP hired property consultants Cushman & Wakefield to assess the potential of the Warszawa Główna site on Towarowa St., which currently houses a former train station and a train museum. PKP owns a large portfolio of well-located property assets across the country and in recent years it has participated in a number of large-scale mixed-use developments including Poznań City Centre (with Hungary's TriGranit), Galeria Katowicka (with Spanish Neinver), and the soon to-be launched Warsaw West (with Slovakia's HB Reavis).
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 14
Newcomers and quitters The existing centers are also upgrading their tenant mix. In Q4 2013, Klif welcomed COS, Super-Pharm and H&M with their Home concept, with Bohoboco and Versace Collection to follow suit. Another centre that has been received a major makeover is Blue City, which launches a new remodeled food court area on the +2 level this April to make the vacated space available to new tenants i.e. H&M. Other new brands that will enrich the tenant mix of the centre include: a Street restaurant, Home&You, Promod and Venezia. Around 60 units will be renovated during 2014. "Market fundamentals in Warsaw are solid. The high purchasing power of its residents, coupled with a strong demand for good quality retail space in leading centers, is keeping the vacancy rate at a low 2%. Shopping centers like Złote Tarasy, Arkadia, Galeria Mokotów, Klif and Blue City have been steadily refreshing their offer. This process will continue in 2014. Traditionally, Warsaw is a bridgehead for expansion across the country, both for newcomers like Louis Vuitton, Hollister or Original Marines as well as operators with established position on the Polish market. Warsaw retail projects remain attractive for Polish leading brands as well. Examples include the LPP Group that has signed letters of intent for leasing space for its entire portfolio of brands in GTC's planned projects - Galeria Wilanów and Galeria Północna," says Anna Wysocka, Head of Retail Agency Poland, Jones Lang LaSalle. While some new brands arrive, many other are likely vanish from the market, following a recent decision by the retail group Empik Media & Fashion (operator of the Esprit, Gap, Aldo and many other chains) announced it would pull out of the fashion segment altogether. Their potential exit is likely to make the already relatively uniform tenant landscape of Polish retail centers even more boring, with the LPP Group,
Inditex, and H&M occupying a huge percentage of space in nearly every asset. "I would like to see more variety in Warsaw shopping malls. No matter where I go I seem to encounter the very same brands," Jarosław Zagórski, Commercial & Business Development Director at Ghelamco commented during the Primetime Warsaw panel. "At Ghelamco, we have chosen to focus on development of small street malls in residential areas. We have three projects of this kind in the pipeline at the moment," said Zagórski referring to the retail centers with a combined GLA of nearly 30,000 the Belgian developers seeks to build in Warsaw's Łomianki, Wilanów, and Ursus areas.
tween Poland and the World Bank as well as midterm economic predictions and challenges facing the country and the region. It was the first visit to Warsaw for Ms. Tuck, since she was appointed in September 2013. During their trip, Ms. Tuck and Mamta Murthi, the World Bank's Director for Central Europe and the Baltic Countries, met with Finance Minister Mateusz Szczurek, Central Bank President Marek Belka, and Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski. Their discussions were mainly concerned with the development of the new Partnership Strategy established for Poland for the years 2014-2017.
POLITICS & ECONOMY
Speaking from Warsaw, Ms. Tuck outlined the four key pillars of the new strategy: a focus on boosting competitiveness, inclusion aimed at increasing flexibility of the labor market, a focus on climate action to achieve 2020 EU environmental standards, and strengthening Poland's role as a global player. The last pillar was something which Ms. Tuck noted Polish officials to be very enthusiastic about, especially in light of recent events across the border in Ukraine. During an earlier meeting with the World Bank representatives, Minister Sikorski had said, "As part of the technical assistance provided by the World Bank, Poland is ready to share its transformation experience with Ukraine."
World Bank's VP travels to Poland, affirms strong mutual partnership
Concerning Poland's economic performance, Ms. Tuck referred to the country as "one of the top performers in the EU in recent years, if not the top performer." She also name Poland one of the top EU countries in terms of "shared prosperity,” which she noted as "very impressive."
Over the course of 2013, owing to the recommercialization of key retail assets, prime shopping centre rents for a 100 sq.m boutique from the fashion category, located prominently in a leading shopping centre, increased slightly and currently span between EUR 85 and EUR 100 sq.m/ month, according to JLL. Prime high street rents vary between EUR 80 and EUR95 sq.m/ month, subject to location.
Poland has done a "really amazing job at converging with EU living standards" since its accession in 2004, said Laura Tuck, World Bank's Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, who was in Warsaw last week to take part in discussions concerning cooperation be-
Besides the fiscal indicators, Ms. Tuck praised the strong partnership between Poland and the World Bank, emphasizing the mutual exchange of knowledge between the country and the bank. Story by Piotr Narel
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 15
KEY STATISTICS Consumer Prices Prices
Inflation
-0.2
0.0 +3.4 +0.8
+0.1 +3.7
Clothing, shoes
-4.9
-0.2
-4.9
-0.6
Housing
+1.8
+0.1
+1.8
0.0
Transport
+2.2
+1.4
-3.7
-4.7
-1.7
+1.9 +0.2
+1.9
+0.1
-5.0
-2.3
-1.2
-0.9
0.4
-1.2
-1.5
-1.1 +0.4
Communications -11.7
-4.9
-11.6
0.0
-7.8
-0.3
-3.2 +0.4
Gross CPI
-0.2 +0.7 +0.1 +0.5 +0.1 +0.7 +0.1
+0.6
Oct '13
Nov '13 Dec '13
Jan '14 Feb '14
m/m (%)
+3.6
-5.8
+17.3
-21.3
-0.6
y/y (%)
+3.2
+3.8
+5.8
+4.8
+7.0
Year
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Turnover in PLNbn
582.8
593.0
646.1
676.0
n/a
+4.3
+5.5
+11.6
+5.6
+2.3
y/y (%) Feb 14
+1.6
Dec 13
+1.6
Alcohol, tobacco +3.6
+1.8
Oct 13
+1.5 +0.7
m/m
Aug 13
+0.3
Jun 13
+1.9
y/y
Apr 13
Food & bev
Month
5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% -1% Feb 13
y/y m/m y/y m/m y/y m/m y/y m/m
Dec 12
Sector
Retail Turnover
Oct 12
Feb '14
Aug 12
Jan '14
Jun 12
Dec '13
Apr 12
Nov '13
Feb 12
Data in (%)
Residential Construction Dwellings
2009 2010
2011
2012
2013 Jan-Feb y/y
178.8
174.9
184.1
165.1
138.7
158.1
162.2
141.8
127.4
(in '000 units)
Producer Prices Prices
Industrial Output
Permits Commenced
142.9
-0.3
+0.1
-0.7
-0.3
-0.1
0.0
-0.1
m/m (%)
-4.5
+9.6
+6.0
-6.2
-9.7
+2.9
-1.8
U. construction
670.3 692.7 723.0
713.1 694.0
-1.1
-1.4
-1.4
-1.5
-1.0
-1.0
-1.4
y/y (%)
+2.2
+6.2
+4.4
+2.9
+6.6
+4.1
+5.3
Completed
160.0 135.7
152.5
Year
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Source: Central Statistical Office (GUS)
y/y (%)
+2.0
+2.2
+3.4
+2.1
+7.6
+3.3
-1.3
y/y (%)
+10.7
+3.6
-3.5
+9.8
+7.7
+1.0
+2.2
Gross Domestic Product
-0.1
-0.1
-0.1
-0.2
-0.2
-1.9
-1.8
-1.8
-1.7
-1.7
-1.7
-1.6
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
+7.4
+4.8
+0.2
-0.1
+1.0
+0.2
-1.8
Q3 2013
A
A
A
A
8,427
B
192 6,060
B
138 6,290
B
B
143 6,061 138
Manufacturing
3,522
154
3,491
152 3,560
155 3,625 158
Energy
6,535
198 6,196
188 5,828
177
152 3,693
157 3,766 160
Construction
3,829
163 3,556
Retail & repairs
3,365
143 3,432 146
3,421
6,021 183
146 3,408 145
Transportation
3,816
135 3,439
122 3,547
125 3,589 127
IT, telecoms
6,379
166 6,685
174 6,707
174 6,654 173
Financial sector 6,044
136 6,356
143 6,702
151 6,109 137
National average 3,878
154
3,741 149
Source: Central Statistical Office (GUS)
3,613
144 3,652 145
Current account def. in % of GDP -1.5% -1.9%
Q2 2013
+0.8%
389,244
-2.3%
Q1 2013
+0.5%
370,089
-3.1%
2013
+1.6%
1,635,746
-1.5%
2012
+1.9%
1,596,379
-3.7%
Sentiment Indicators
2011
+4.5%
1,528,127
-5.0%
Economic sentiment and consumer confidence indicators
2010
+3.9%
1,416,585
-5.1%
y/y (%) Year y/y (%)
-64.0
+18.7
-11.1
-4.8
-3.2
-8.9
+5.8
-3.9
+14.4
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
+15.5
+12.1
+5.1
+4.6
+11.8
-0.6
-12.0
Co nsumer conf id ence (lef t axis) Economic sentiment (right axis)
20
120
0
100
-20
80
-40
60 M ar 14
Q2 2013
-4.9
442,167
+21.5
Dec 1 3
Q1 2013
-1.5
23.7
393,725
-2.9
Sep 13
Coal mining
Q4 2012
+56.4
+1.9%
+14.3
Jun 1 3
Sector
GDP in PLN bn current prices
16.5 687.5
+2.7%
+9.4
M ar 1 3
A: avg monthly wages in PLN B: indexed avg wages, 100=2005
146.1
+0.8
Q3 2013
-0.8
Source: The Central Statistical Office of Poland, GUS
Gross Gross Wages
Growth y/y unadjusted
131.7
(%)
18.4
Q4 2013
m/m (%)
Dec 1 2
y/y (%)
-0.1
Period
Aug '13 Sep '13 Oct '13 Nov '13 Dec '13 Jan '14 Feb '14
S ep 12
Year
-0.2
Month
J un 1 2
y/y (%)
Aug'13 Sep'13 Oct'13 Nov'13 Dec'13 Jan'14 Feb'14
M ar 1 2
m/m (%)
Aug '13 Sep '13 Oct '13 Nov '13 Dec '13 Jan '14 Feb '14
Construction Output
Construction Prices Price s Month
Month
Dec 11
y/y (%)
Aug'13 Sep'13 Oct'13 Nov'13 Dec'13 Jan'14 Feb'14
Sep 11
m/m (%)
J un 11
Month
2014
The economic sentiment (1990-2010 average = 100) is a composite made up of 5 sectoral confidence indicators, which are arithmetic means of seasonally adjusted balances of answers to a selection of questions closely related to the reference variable. Source: Eurostat
Key Economic Data & Projections Indicator
2010
2013
*2014
GDP change
+3.9% +4.5%
+1.9%
+1.6%
+3.5%
Consumer inflation
+2.6% +4.3%
+3.7%
+0.9%
+1.1%
Producer inflation
+2.1% +7.6%
+3.4%
-1.3%
+0.1%
CA balance, % of GDP
2011
2012
-5.1%
-5.0%
-3.7%
-1.5%
-0.6%
Nominal gross wage
+3.9%
+5.2%
+3.7%
+3.4%
+4.7%
Unemployment**
12.4%
12.5%
13.4%
13.4%
12.6%
3.99
4.12
4.19
4.20
4.09
EUR/PLN
Sources: NBP, BZ WBK, GUS *) projections **) year-end
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 16
100 DKK
55.81 ↓
100 SEK
46.52 ↓
350
300
292.66 ↓ 15.18 ↓
100 CZK 10,000 HUF
USD EUR
19 Apr 13
10,000 JPY
400
50.71 ↑
100 NOK
135.87 ↑
Money Supply in PLN m Monetary base M1 - Currency outside banks
WIG-20 stocks Price Change Change in alphabetical 4 Apr 28 Mar end of order '14 '13 '14
WIG Total index
Sep '13 Oct '13 Nov '13 Dec '13 Jan '14 Feb '14
PLN (up to 1 year)
4.5%
4.5%
4.5%
4.3%
4.2%
4.5%
PLN (up to 5 y )
4.9%
4.9%
4.9%
4.9%
4.9%
4.8%
PLN (over 5 y)
4.8%
4.8%
4.8%
4.7%
4.8%
4.7%
→ Asseco Pol.
PLN (total)
4.8%
4.8%
4.8%
4.7%
4.8%
4.7%
↑ Bogdanka
EUR (up to 1m EUR) 1.8%
2.0%
1.9%
1.9%
2.0%
2.0%
→ BZ WBK
EUR (over 1m EUR) 3.2%
2.5%
3.0%
2.9%
3.6%
3.4%
→ Eurocash
↓ Alior Bank
Overnight
1 week
1 month
3 months
6 months
2.59%%
2.60%
2.61%
2.72%
2.74%
Nov '13 153,672 538,837 113,718
Dec '13
Jan '14
164,010 555,851
161,544 546,487
114,401
113,455
548,033 114,680
934,713
960,361 947,443
954,284
412,469
421,160
423,296
953,446
978,924
962,416
968,442
- Net foreign assets 148,702 143,430 140,617 135,759 Monetary base: Polish currency emitted by the central bank and money on accounts held with it. M1= currency outside banks + demand deposits M2= M1+ time deposits (inc in foreign currencies) M3= the broad measure of money supply Source: NBP
Lombard
2.59%
158,330
- Time deposits
418,259
Reference
Feb '14
NBP deposit
4.00%
1.00%
46.35
Change 1 week
+2% ↑
126.1
+1%
0%
Change end of '13
+3% ↑
412
0%
+6% -19%
WIG-20 blue chip index
+7%
46.99
+7%
-12%
2,4 2,471. 71.50
↑ Kernel
31.22
+9%
-18%
Change 1 week
+2% ↑
→ KGHM
107
0%
-9%
Change end of '13
+3% ↑
8700
-3%
-3%
536.85
0%
+7%
WIG Total closing index
10.19
-1%
+4%
last three months
198.95
+3%
+11%
55,000
20
+4%
+23%
54,000
↑ PGNiG
4.38
+2%
-15%
↑ PKN Orlen
43.4
+3%
+6%
42.5
+1%
+8%
50,000 49,000
↓ Orange Pol.
Credit
↑ Pekao
The financial sector's net lending in PLN bn,
↑ PGE
Type of loan
52,660. 660.68
+1%
0%
→ mBank
loan stock at the end of period
+7%
0%
+3%
↓ LPP
2.75%
-1%
38.7
↑ JSW
Rediscount
87.1
37.81
↑ Grupa Lotos
Warsaw Inter Bank Offered Rate (WIBOR) as of 4 Apr 2014
Central Bank (NBP) Base Rates
M2 M3
as of 4 April 2014
Nov '13
Dec '13
Jan '14
Feb '14
Loans to customers
906,298
903,890
914,189
914,068
↑ PKO BP
- to private companies
262,396
259,061
263,063
263,941
↑ PZU
433
+2%
-4%
563,157
562,381
567,984
567,257
↑ Synthos
5.05
+3%
-8%
1,627,119 1,601,293
1,628,197
1,616,891
↓ Tauron
5.2
-1%
+19%
- to households Total assets of banks Source: Central Bank NBP
53,000 52,000 51,000
4 Apr 14
340.52 ↓
Warsaw Stock Exchange, rates in PLN
on loans to non-financial corporations
13 Mar 14
504.35 ↓
100 CHF
4 Apr 14
100 GBP
28 Jan 14
416.57 ↓
15 Nov 13
100 EUR
Key indices
Term / currency
450
6 Sep 13
303.97↑
1 Jul 13
100 USD
Stock Exchange
Average weighted annual interest rates
19 Feb 14
as of 4 April 2014
Interest rates
28 Jan 14
100 USD/EUR against PLN
Central Bank average rates
3 Jan 14
Currency
Source: Warsaw Stock Exchange
T rade Poland's ten largest trading partners, ranked according to 2013
Poland exports and imports according to commodity groups, according to SITC classification EXPORTS in PLN bn Jan 2014
y/y (%)
share (%)
2013
EXPORTS in PLNbn
IMPORTS in PLN bn share (%)
Jan 2014
y/y (%)
share (%)
2013
share (%)
No Country
Jan 2014
share
IMPORTS in PLN bn *2013
share No
Country
Jan 2014
share
*2013
share
10,999 20.7% 139,334 21.5%
5,692
+4.4
10.6
69,304
10.9
4,066
+3.5
7.6
47,906
7.4
1 Germany
599
-8.0
1.1
8,624
1.4
275
-17.9
0.5
4,150
0.6
2 UK
3,488
6.5%
41,503
6.5%
2 Russia
7,852 14.8%
Crude materials except fuels
1,547
+4.9
2.9
15,744
2.5
1,908
+0.9
3.6
21,585
3.3
3 Czech Rep.
3,394
6.3%
39,421
6.2%
3 China
5,497 10.3% 60,914 9.4%
Fuels etc
2,713
+5.4
5.0
30,013
4.7
7,191 +17.7
13.5
75,539
11.7
4 France
3,313
6.1%
35,745
5.6%
4 Italy
2,357
4.4% 33,703 5.2%
176
+56.6
0.3
1,864
0.2
187
-15.3
0.4
2,646
0.4
5 Russia
2,140 4.0% 34,058
5.3%
5 Netherlands
1,856
3.5% 25,005 3.9%
4,833
+7.8
9.0
59,103
9.3
7,585
+0.3
14.3
92,917
14.3
6 Italy
2,391
4.4% 27,450
4.3%
6 France
1,971
3.7% 24,533 3.8%
10,662
+2.5
19.8
129,915
20.3
9,221
+3.7
17.3
112,392
17.3
7 Netherlands
2,269
4.2%
25,292 4.0%
7 Czech Rep.
1,869
3.5% 23,778 3.7%
20,448
+14.8
37.9
239,434
37.5
16.711
+3.0
31.4
216,608
33.4
8 Ukraine
n/a
2.8%
18,037
2.8%
8 USA
1,209
2.3%
17,350
7,198
+8.1
13.3
82,816
13.0
4,685
+1.1
8.8
58,210
9.0
9 Sweden
1,723
3.2%
17,498
2.7%
9 UK
1,295
2.4%
16,861 2.6%
94
n/a
0.1
1,782
0.2
18,091
n/a
n/a
16,242
2.6
10 Slovakia
1,293
2.4%
16,795
2.6% 10 Belgium
1,309
2.5%
14,913 2.3%
100
53,226
0.0
100
648,195
100
Food and live animals Beverages and tobacco
Animal and vegetable oils Chemical products Manufactured goods by material Machinery, transport equip. Other manufactured articles Not classified TOTAL
53,962
+8.4
100
638,599
14,097 26.1% 159,622 25.0%
Source: Central Statistical Office (GUS)
1 Germany
*) preliminary estimates
79,601 12.3%
2.7%
weekly newsletter # 029 / 7th April 2014 / page 17
Industrial Industrial Properties
Regional Data Industrial output Jan-Feb 2014 *
Poland's regions (main cities indicated
Indus-
in brackets)
Monthly wages (PLN) Jan-Feb 2014**
Unemployment Feb 2014
Constru- Indus- Constru-in '000
%
New dwellings Jan-Feb 2014
Existing stock, sq.m
by region, Q4 2013
Num- Index *
Warsaw central
563,000
17,000
22.3%
3.6–5.1
12.5%
2.1–2.8
try
ction
try
ction
100.8
103.3
4,061
3,663
160.5
13.7
2,682
99.3
Central Poland
1,021,000
80,000
15.2%
2.1–3.3
Kujawsko-Pomorskie (Bydgoszcz) 108.6
112.9
3,324
3,132
157.0
18.8
1,116
86.7
Poznań
1,023,000
215,000
4.4%
2.5–3.15 2.4–3.3
Dolnośląskie (Wrocław) Lubelskie (Lublin) Lubuskie (Zielona Góra) Łódzkie (Łódź)
ber
VaEffective Under const cancy rents EUR/ ruction, sq.m ratio sq.m/mth
Warsaw suburbs 2,063,000
106.8
80.0
3,801
2,996
140.1
15.0
729
73.6
Upper Silesia
1,431,000
37,000
9.3%
118.5
105.2
3,397
2,964
62.6
16.3
596
86.0
Wrocław
780,000
259,000
11.7%
2.6–3.1
102.6
110.1
3,686
3,110
158.9
14.6
1,111
108.5
Tri-city
184,000
46,000
9.2%
2.8–3.3
Kraków
141,000
0
4.0%
3.3-4.0
95.6
97.0
3,659
3,286
172.4
12.1
2,570
77.7
107.2
100.0
4,457
4,793
295.4
11.4
5,028
107.3
Opolskie (Opole)
105.5
145.9
3,481
3,449
54.3
14.9
332
100.6
Podkarpackie (Rzeszów)
104.8
120.3
3,347
2,991
160.3
16.9
1,105
117.3
Podlaskie (Białystok)
106.1
118.8
3,207
3,666
73.4
15.5
564
120.5
Pomorskie (Gdańsk-Gdynia)
105.9
101.2
3,866
3,415
120.0
13.9
1,312
66.5
Śląskie (Katowice)
100.5
108.9
4,708
3,460
218.3
11.7
1,681
93.0
Warsaw
115.1
62.6
3,325
3,150
94.3
17.1
524
133.7
Kraków
Warmińsko-Mazurskie (Olsztyn)
105.6
129.7
3,295
2,950
120.4
22.3
956
116.9
Katowice
5,898
Wielkopolskie (Poznań)
110.3
93.2
3,685
3,593
152.6
10.0
2,437
103.6
Zachodniopomorskie (Szczecin)
113.0
87.0
3,418
3,332
115.5
18.5
965
82.8
Łódź
National average
104.7
101.1
3,930
13.9 23,708
95.1
Wrocław Gdańsk
Małopolskie (Kraków) Mazowieckie (Warszawa)
Świętokrzyskie (Kielce)
3,967 2,255.9
Commercial Properties New apartments* Q3 '13
City
PLN/sq.m
Poznań
*) Index 100 = same period of the previous year. ** without social taxes Sources: Central Statistical Office GUS, NBP, C&W
Offices 2H'13
Retail rents**2H'13
Change Headline Vacancy Retail ratio
High
y/y
rents**
centres streets
8,146
+3.4%
11.5-25.5
11.75%
80-90
5,989
-13.1%
13-15
4.90%
35-45
78
+9.0%
13-14
7.30%
35-45
56
6,351
-6.7%
14-16
14.20%
35-45
55
4,780
-3.8%
12-14
14.40%
35-45
25
5,997
-4.3%
13-15.5
11.75%
35-45
40
6,398
-1.2%
13-15
11.20%
35-45
31
85
*avg, offer-based ** EUR/sq.m/month; Retail units 100-150 sq.m
Poland Today Sp. z o. o. ul. Złota 61 lok. 100, 00–819 Warsaw, Poland tel/fax: +48 22 464 82 69 mobile: +48 694 922 898, +48 602 214 603 www.poland-today.pl Business Review+ Editor Lech Kaczanowski office: +48 22 412 41 69 mobile: +48 607 079 547 lech.kaczanowski@poland-today.pl
Foreign Direct Investment (EUR m) Quarter
Q3
Q4 '12
Q1 '13
Q2 '13
Q3 '13
Q4 '13
in Poland
1,381
2,886
175
-3,020
1,885
-3,614
957
2,588
-1,449
1,588
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
in Poland
10,128
9,343
10,507
14,896
4,763
-4,574
Polish DI
-3,072
-3,335
5,484
-5,935
-607
3,684
2013 Q2 '13 Q3 '13 Q4 '13
-5,175
2,309
1,203
1,094
151
4,048
4,642
5,249
1,686
1,032
1,257
-18,519 -14,191 -4,984 -3.7%
-1.5%
486 -2,086 -1,071 -2.3%
-1.9%
-1.5%
stable
Standard & Poor's
A-
stable
Moody's
A2
stable
9
6 months- EUR 375 (PLN 1480) 3 months- EUR 245 (PLN 980) Sales Director James Anderson-Hanney
Real Earnings
2,000
1,800
6
Source: NBP, BZ WBK Source: Central Statistical Office GUS
Wage
180 160 140 120 100 Feb 10
Oct 10
Jun 11
Business Review+ Subscription 1 year- EUR 690 (PLN 2760)
mobile: +48 881 650 600
Average gross wage vs inflation.
Q4 13
-10,059
CA balance vs GDP -5.0%
12
Q2 13
CA balance
2012
A-
Source: Rating agencies
Q4 12
Services, net
2011
outlook
2,400
Q2 12
Trade balance
15
2,200
Current Account (EUR m) Period
number (left axis) % (right axis)
2,600
rating
Fitch Ratings
% of population in working age
Q4 11
-550 -1,203 2008
Agency
Registered unemployed, in ‘000 and
Q2 11
Year
Unemployment
Q4 10
Polish DI
Country Credit Ratings
Feb 12
james.anderson-hanney@poland-
CPI
Oct 12
Index 100 = Jan 2005. Source: GUS
Jun 13
today.pl
Feb 14
Publisher Richard Stephens Financial Director Arkadiusz Jamski Creative Director Bartosz Stefaniak New Business Consultant Tomasz Andryszczyk