Q: One of the most important things, which is not entirely measurable, but which investors always appreciate, is Gorzów’s industrial tradition.  

A: Our geographical location is also our natural advantage. Gorzów is close to the border with Germany and near the largest communication routes, the S3 expressway and the A2 motorway. This means that today we are within reach both for suppliers who can deliver materials with no trouble and manufacturers who can despatch finished goods easily to any client. 

Western Poland today is more liberal and very pro-European. This is evidenced by recent statistics which indicate that citizens of Ukraine are keen to come to this part of Poland. One of the reasons is the fact that they are warmly welcomed here and assimilate naturally into the local community.

The companies that have already invested in Gorzów are a living proof that Gorzów is a good location for business. The investors include well-known brands like SC Johnson, which chose Gorzów as its European headquarters and is now expanding its plant. In 2016, an international chemical group, Solvay, opened its Move 4earth plant in Gorzów. The investment is the world’s first plant of this kind and is part of the Move4earth project, which aims to develop and implement innovative waste recycling processes to convert technical fabrics, mainly airbags, into high-quality polyamide 6.6 with reduced environmental impact. 

[Portugal’s] Jeronimo Martins opened its distribution centre in the special economic zone. The centre employs 320 people…[and] the [new] warehouse is the chain’s largest distribution centre.

[Taiwan’s] TPV has decided to build its Distribution Centre in Gorzów. The centre will provide services to clients all over Europe. This is yet another very large investor, after SC Johnson and Jeronimo Martins, which has recently decided to strengthen its co-operation with Gorzów. In order to meet the new challenges, a 30,000 sq m warehouse has been built. 

German company Cordenka has decided to significantly expand and hire new employees at its plant in the Stilon industrial zone. This investment confirms that our economic policy is right. 

Another investor is a US company, Universal Fibers, which chose Gorzów as a location for its manufacturing facility and main distribution centre for Europe. It will be the only location of the company in Europe. With this investment, the tradition of the textile industry in Gorzów will continue.

Q: What sectors, in your opinion, can attract more foreign investment? 

A: When it comes to the foreign market, so far we have had the greatest experience in the automotive and electronics industries, but we don’t confine ourselves to a specific industry. We are open to new opportunities coming from every business sector. Gorzów’s economic structure is based on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. There are thousands of small businesses here, which employ a dozen or several dozen people. The companies co-operate with one another, across virtually all industries, including the IT industry, which is also developing very strongly here.

Q: Every city has its business challenges. What puts investors off from investing in Gorzów?

A: I think they may be discouraged by the prevailing belief that big business prefers big cities. However, such a disadvantage turns out to be an advantage, because all those who invest in medium-sized cities like Gorzów know that all formal matters can be solved much faster here. Public administration is more accessible. The mayor of Gorzów issues the same decisions as the mayor of Warsaw. In both cases the same law applies, but in Gorzów the procedures take less time. We adjust the plans to the investor’s needs.