An eye on the regions

Wojciech Kaczmarczyk, partner, Xplan: This is true. In May last year we opened our Gdańsk office. The opening of new branches – and we are planning to open two more offices in regions this year – lies at the core of our client acquisition efforts. Opening another office and taking on more staff also forms part of our work on a specific project. In Gdańsk we are working with Hines Polska to carry out the comprehensive fit-out of the Neptun office centre in Wrzeszcz. BetweenJuly and the end of December we completed 60 pct of the work, that is, almost 7,500 sqm of the building’s area. We have also prepared offices for companies – such as 4,500 sqm for Arla Foods, as well as for HSBC, Citi Bank, Comarch and CBRE. We are looking to strengthen our presence in the TriCity, particularly since we are expecting a few large contract renegotiations and would like to be involved in the facelift of such facilities in the area. Our branch is also starting to make money out of acquiring local clients. We are also
addressing tenants’ needs.

You mentioned two potential locations for Xplan offices. Which cities do you mean?

We are thinking about Kraków. Right now we are finalising the contract. I can only disclose that this is with an international player and one of the most well-known global corporations. Two people will be working in the city supervising all the activities on the building sites. Wrocław will be another location for us to expand into. We are negotiating with one of the city’s leading developers. According to the schedule we could enter the building at the end of the year. In our case the opening of an office means that people will be working on the project locally and we will be supporting them from Warsaw. Each office will have a project manager and building site manager who are very familiar with the local conditions and know local subcontractors very well. We are focusing on regional cities because this is where the business is moving to. This is due to the presence of international BPO firms, among others.

And what about Warsaw?

The capital city is still important for us. We are building our position in Warsaw and trying to secure new contracts. We have a strong presence in Wola – so this is where we want to grow the most – as well as in the central Śródmieście district. One example of our Warsaw activities is our cooperation with Concept Development, which commissioned us to carry out a 100 pct fit-out of the Concept Development building on ul. Grzybowska. This was a total of more than 4,680 sqm. The office building mainly comprises the head offices of firms such as Stora Enso, companies from the BPS group, Exalo, Felson and Strafols.

You can achieve such results on the current market?

The market at the moment is allowing us to make these healthy profits. The year started fantastically – January was a very good month for us. And we are hoping for increased turnover for the whole year. We can see that finishing and fitting out interiors is becoming more and more important for many developers and tenants. Their requirements are increasing and, as a result, so is the quality of the workmanship. Even if few funds have been allocated in the budget for furnishing the office, the aim is to produce something creative from the money available. I have also seen that companies are trying to make sure that their employees feel good in the place they come to everyday and where they spend most of the day. Arla Food is one example of such a tenant. Their offices are laid out for the company’s operations, but they have also been adapted for the employees so that their work is not just a duty but also a pleasure. More and more often we are being given requirements such as well-equipped large kitchens and recreational areas.

Are you planning wider activities on the retail market?

Yes, we are. We are also currently entering the beauty segment. We created the interiors of a few hairdressing and beauty salons, a pharmacy and a chemist shop. Furthermore, we want to emphasise our presence in retail through exclusive projects. We have been contracted for the Omega store on pl. Trzech Krzyży in Warsaw.
And we are in negotiations with a distributor of foreign premium brands. We already have an agreement with one of the design companies we will be cooperating with on such projects. We are prepared to carry out work on top quality stores. We also want to start working on restaurants and fitness clubs. These will be new experiences for us. However, the office market will always form the core of our business.

Last year you took on a completely non-commercial project. What was it exactly?

Like any company we want to make a profit. However, this does not limit us and we are concerned about other human beings, which is why we became involved in helping a foster family with eight children. Two years ago there was a fire
in their house. With one of our subcontractors, we decided to help them out and are now renovating the kitchen and bathroom for the family.