Xylem has opened a new 1,100 square-meter commercial facility in Warsaw as part of its ongoing investment in Poland. The new plant, which includes office space, a service and maintenance hub and a warehouse, will help Xylem serve customers in the region even better.
“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,” says Rafał Bonter, Managing Director, Xylem in Poland. “It will help us deliver stronger customer relationships and tailor-made solutions. Our new facility will also provide an enhanced aftermarket offering for our customers.”
Xylem currently employs almost 350 people at sites in Strzelin and Warsaw. Further recruitment at the new Warsaw facility, where 45 employees are based, is expected in the coming months as the company enhances its sales, marketing and business development capabilities.
Supporting communities to build resilience
“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,” says Bonter. “We will continue to invest in our Polish operations, and we see a bright future for us, our employees and our customers here.”
The new facility in Warsaw follows major investment in Poland by Xylem during 2014 and 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 “center 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.
Xylem in Poland – key statistics
– Xylem production facility in Strzelin, Poland, opened in 2007.
– Within ten years the plant expanded from 8,890 to 17,187 square meters.
– From less than 100 employees in 2007 to almost 350 today.
– 220,000 units produced annually.
– The Strzelin production facility now features six production lines
One of the fastest growing markets in Europe
In Poland, Xylem supports a wide range of customers, from industrial applications with leading Polish food and drink businesses, to public utilities including Grodzisk Maz Waterworks.
“The Polish market is one of the fastest growing in Europe, with a vibrant, young population of 40 million,” says Alessandro Bertuzzo, Regional Director for Eastern Europe. “We enjoy a strong market presence here due to our comprehensive portfolio and extensive expertise. We are experiencing strong demand across the three primary market segments we operate in – industrial, public utility and building services.”
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.
“Our investment in our Warsaw facility and skilled workforce is a further demonstration of our continued commitment to the wider Eastern European region,” says Christian Blanc, Senior Vice President & President Europe Commercial Team for Xylem. “We look forward to continuing to work with customers to solve their complex water challenges.”