Water technology company Xylem has opened a new 1,100-square-meter commercial facility in Warsaw, Poland, as part of an ongoing investment in that country. The new plant, which includes office space, a service and maintenance hub and warehouse, brings Xylem’s total investment in Poland to more than 67 million PLN (about U.S. $19.6 million). Xylem currently employs almost 350 people at sites in Strzelin and Warsaw. The company plans to recruit more people at the Warsaw facility as Xylem enhances its sales, marketing and business development capabilities.
Xylem works with almost 50 Polish suppliers, representing a multi-million spend on electric motor components and drivers annually.
“Our new facility in Warsaw, as well as the additional talent we plan on recruiting this year, will mean that our customers in Poland, and across Europe, will benefit from our closer proximity which will deliver stronger customer relationships and tailor-made solutions,” said Rafal Bonter, managing director, Xylem in Poland. “Our new facility, complete with service and maintenance capabilities, will also provide an enhanced aftermarket offering for our customers.
“We see a strong role for Xylem in relation to Poland’s new Water Law Act, supporting communities to build their resilience in the event of extreme weather events such as flooding, as well as ensuring they have a consistent, sustainable water supply in the event of drought, for example. We will continue to invest in our Polish operations and we see a bright future for us, our employees and our customers here.”
“The Polish market is one of the fastest-growing in Europe with a vibrant, young population of 40 million and we enjoy a strong market presence here due to our comprehensive portfolio and extensive expertise,” said Alessandro Bertusso, regional director for Eastern Europe, Xylem. “We are experiencing strong demand across the three primary market segments we operate in – industrial, public utility and building services. The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index released by HIS Markit, has been positive for the past three years and increased EU funding is driving investment in more efficient, smart technologies in the public utility sector. Similarly, the commercial and residential building services segment is in a growth phase, boosted by increased business spending capacity and personal incomes.”
Christian Blanc, Senior Vice President & President Europe Commercial Team for Xylem, said, “Our investment in our Warsaw facility and skilled workforce is a further demonstration of our continued commitment to the wider Eastern European region. We look forward to continuing to work with customers to solve their complex water challenges.”
The new facility in Warsaw follows major investment in Poland by Xylem during 2014/2015 when the company doubled the size of its factory located in Strzelin to more than 17,000 square meters. The factory, which manufactures large wet rotor circulators and a range of other high efficiency and smart Lowara-branded pumping solutions, has been designed as a ‘centre of excellence’ in water engineering technology. The plant adopts a Lean Six Sigma approach and a continuous improvement culture, with a focus on consistently meeting customer needs, product quality, durability, delivery time and reduced waste.
With its unique set of global assets, Xylem plays a crucial role in solving water, addressing customers’ challenges along the entire life cycle of water – from intake to treatment to transport, usage, and reuse or return – touching all market segments where water is needed. In Poland, Xylem supports a wide range of customers, from industrial applications with leading Polish food and drink business, to public utilities including Grodzisk Maz Waterworks. Xylem’s Flygt N-pump with SmartRun controller solved chronic clogging issues at the Czarny Las pumping station in the town of Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Since the pump control unit was installed in April 2017, the station has been clog-free compared with the two or three weekly blockages that occurred prior to Xylem’s solution being commissioned.
