Atlas Copco Polska has joined the group of companies operating in the Zone. It is a leading manufacturer of stationary and portable compressors, generators, construction equipment, mining machinery and industrial tools. In the Polkowice subzone of the LSSE, the company will build a modern service and repair center for mining machinery. On Thursday, October 8, a ceremony welcoming the new investor to the Zone was held, combined with the admission of the Polkowice Municipality to the group of partners of the Lower Silesian Automotive Cluster.
As part of the new investment, Atlas Copco Polska Sp. z o.o. will open a modern service and repair center for mining machinery in the Legnica Special Economic Zone, with an area of 2,000 m². It will serve the Central European region, including Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. This is another stage in Atlas Copco’s more than 20-year history in our country. The company will invest nearly PLN 5 million in the new facility and create additional jobs in the region.
“When designing our products and services, we focus on efficiency, energy efficiency, safety and ergonomics so that we can meet all our customers’ requirements and needs, while also taking into account the impact on the environment and our future. We invest in the company and its people in a way that enables the development of the region and ensures employment stability. That is why we decided to build a new center in a region where we already operate,” says Piotr Szuliga, a member of the management board of Atlas Copco Polska.
The Atlas Copco Group operates in 140 countries and employs approximately 40,000 people in total. In Poland, the company employs more than 350 people and has four branches in Warsaw, Katowice, Polkowice and Gromadka, as well as sales representatives and service technicians throughout Poland.
For several years, the company has successfully operated in Polkowice as one of the leading suppliers of solutions for surface and underground mining. The company’s new headquarters in Polkowice will be built with respect for the natural environment. The service and repair center will be designed in accordance with the guidelines for obtaining LEED certification; the company plans to obtain LEED Gold certification.
“Polkowice is an example of a municipality that knows perfectly well how to attract investors. We proudly observe the development of the local government and the creation of a friendly place, not only for doing business but above all for living,” said Ilona Antoniszyn-Klik, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Economy, during today’s ceremony.
The Mayor of Polkowice, Wiesław Wabik, emphasizes that supporting infrastructure such as nurseries, preschools and leisure facilities is essential for the municipality’s economic development. “Every day, 16,000 people come to Polkowice to work. Many of them are employees of companies from the Legnica Special Economic Zone. Polkowice cannot be merely a workplace for them. We want them to feel good here and build the municipality’s potential together with us,” said Wiesław Wabik.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to admit another entity to the Lower Silesian Automotive Cluster, led by the Legnica Special Economic Zone. The Polkowice Municipality became a partner of the cluster. “It is no coincidence that automotive companies such as Volkswagen Motor Polska, SITECH and Sanden Manufacturing Polska decided to invest in Polkowice. They simply found the best conditions here for conducting business. The local government’s experience in business contacts with investors will now be used even more effectively to develop the automotive industry in the region. I am convinced that Polkowice will show the Cluster’s other partners the path that local governments and entrepreneurs should follow to cooperate more effectively and build their capital,” said Rafał Jurkowlaniec, president of the Legnica Special Economic Zone, in Polkowice.
The Polkowice subzone of the Legnica Special Economic Zone is an important alternative on the regional labor market. Its proximity to the main north–south transport route, the continually expanding S3 expressway, combined with the possibility of using rail transport, further increases the attractiveness of the area and means that more companies are interested in investing there.
The permit for Atlas Copco is the fourth issued by the LSSE this year and the 140th since the Zone began operating. For several years, the Legnica Special Economic Zone has successfully attracted investment capital to Lower Silesia, one of Poland’s most dynamically developing economic regions. “For companies interested in investing in the Zone, we offer more than 900 hectares of attractive investment land in 18 subzones, a system of tax incentives and full support at every stage of doing business. During the 18 years of the Zone’s existence, investors have created more than 11,000 jobs here and completed investments with a total value of over PLN 7 billion. The LSSE’s industry structure is dominated by the automotive and metal industries,” says Magdalena Szott of the LSSE.
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