Andreas Kern
Member of Managing
BoardHeidelbergCement AG
Why we invested in Opole region?
HeidelbergCement was one of the first international companies to enter the markets of Central Europe East region after the political changes in 1989 and during the years has developed its network of subsidiaries in 7 countries throughout the CEE and become here the largest investor in its field. Poland was among the first countries in our portfolio. Why did we invest in CEE and namely Poland, Opole region? We saw the opportunity of promising market with a big need for reconstructions and investments in infrastructure but also with a big potential for economic growth and development in the future. We were aware of professional skills of the people and long tradition in cement manufacturing in Opole region. We invested significantly in our subsidiaries to improve the quality of products and efficiency of our production.
Today, Gorazdze Cement is one of the most modern and most efficient company in our Group and our Polish subsidiaries contribute significantly to the good results in CEE and the whole Group.
Judith Pickering
Director of investment programs
Cadbury Schweppes
– Selection of the location for our investments proceeded in several stages – firstly, we decided to choose Poland, then the Opolskie Province and finally, the commune of Skarbimierz.
Why? It is clear – very good road infrastructure and communication accessibility of the region, good access to a highly qualified workforce and also great support of local and regional authorities, which our company received. All these factors influence good conditions for those companies which want to invest.
Philip Deforche
Sales Director Betafence, Ltd.
Betafence consortium (former Bekaert) was established in 1895 and has been transformed into the greatest Belgian company in the steel industry. In order to get closer to the customers from Central and Eastern Europe, the factory in Kotlarnia (commune of Bierawa) was built in 1993 and soon became the leading manufacturer and supplier of fencing systems and weldable mats in the Polish market. The important element in the process of selecting the company location was the opportunity to purchase a factory manufacturing meshes for the mining industry.Thanks to the friendly attitude of the local authorities, the plant was soon modernized and developed by an increase of employment up to 140 people (the majority of workers come from the neighbouring towns). During the time of our activity, we have experienced kindness and support from clerks and everyone participates in meetings and corporate events. We hope that our good experiences will serve as encouragement for other companies interested in investing in the Opolskie region.
