Located in Swarzędz, near Poznań, the CLIP Group is the owner, manager, developer and operator of logistics and industrial sites covering the area of 250 000 m².
The Group comprises such companies as STS Car Distribution Centre, which is a top car distribution centre in Poland, and CLIP (Centre for Logistics and Investment Poznań) – the most advanced logistics centre in the country. CLIP offers investment services and can meet all requirements concerning construction projects for manufacturing and logistical sites, irrespective of the type of the client’s investment. In short, the enterprises belonging to the CLIP Group provide a wide range of services connected with warehousing, logistics, transport, infrastructure management and the Real estate branch. Owing to prompt completion, flexibility and reliability, the CLIP Group enjoys an excellent reputation regardless of the service provided and attracts a growing number of customers.
Stages of development
CLIP (pol. Centrum Logistyczno Inwestycyjne Poznań) is one of the largest private investments in the Wielkopolska region with only Polish capital. It was established in 1998, but its history dates back to the early 90s and the STS (pol. STS Centrum Dystrybucji Samochodów), which was the first company set up by Mr Wojciech Staniszewski. At present, STS, which occupies 300 000 m² and employs app. 400 people, is a shipping, logistics and distribution giant. The company has always been characterized by constant and dynamic development, firstly only in the Automotive industry, and later in time in other areas connected with logistics and development. The 20-year activity has resulted in carrying out almost twenty major business projects. In 1998, as the only carrier in Poland, STS concluded a contract with Peugeot Polska and Citroen Polska concerning the transportation services, which can be deemed as the first major success of the company. It also managed to commence cooperation with Skoda Auto Polska S.A. and Kulczyk Tradex Sp. z o.o., which is a general importer of VW, AUDI and PORSCHE. Another milestone in the history of STS was building the biggest logistic facility in Central and Eastern Europe, which provides international transport of passenger cars and trucks, stores the vehicles and delivers them to dealerships in Poland. It operates all the essential preparation facilities (including a three-track railway siding), which are necessary for storage purposes, customs clearance, delivery and distribution. Furthermore, STS installs additional equipment in passenger cars and delivery vans. The site, covering the area of 30 ha, is able to accommodate up to 15 000 cars at a time and complies with all storage norms required by European concerns. STS is constantly expanding its range of activities, thus not limiting itself to car logistics, transport and storage. Apart from increasing the number of the Mercedes-Benz car transporters, in 2005 the company decided to create its own authorized dealer outlets, which provide sale and service of Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Delivery Vans and Mitsubishi Fuso Trucks. In 2000 STS signed a contract for providing exclusive service to the VW factory in Poznań, which consisted in picking up Caddy and T5 cars from the assembly line and transporting them to the Distribution Centre in Swarzędz, and, finally, delivering them to outlets all over the world. However, the turning point in the history of the CLIP Group, was the decision to construct the factory for Volkswagen Poznań in Swarzędz. The factory of 130 000 m² includes a Logistics Centre with a Welding Shop, a Special Cars Plant and a Supplier Park for component manufacturers. The ultimate major stage in the company’s growth was the construction of Centre for Logistics and Investment Poznań (CLIP) in Swarzędz which occupies 80 000 m² of floor area located on 80 ha within the Kostrzyn-Slubice Special Economic Zone and provides a comprehensive logistical, customs and administrative service. Among key clients renting the storage area are Imperial Tobacco, Kompania Piwowarska and BSC Packaging Group. CLIP focuses on providing clients with central and regional warehouses, and cooperates with leading logistic operators, i.e. ND for road transport and DB Schenker Rail for rail transport.
Sources of success
The CLIP group has enjoyed a great success, which is the outcome of various factors, the most important being the favorable location of the compound. As the company admits, development possibilities of the company grow together with the improvement of road and rail infrastructure, making up the intermodality of the location. The CLIP facilities, including the main headquarters, warehouses, the container terminal and the investment sites within the SEZ, are situated in Rabowicka Street in Swarzędz, on the East-West transport route, half-way between Berlin and Warsaw. Thanks to its close proximity to the Poznań international airport, the E20 Paris-Moscow railway, the A2 international motorway, the Berlin-Warsaw motorway (which is currently under construction) and the port of Szczecin, STS and CLIP can easily provide services for clients from all over Europe, including the Ukraine and Russia. Owing to the system of private railway sidings, 3 fully loaded trains bring vehicles and containers to the STS site every day. The company’s popularity may stem also from general philosophy of the company which focuses on providing services of high quality and satisfying client’s needs. The company has earned trust and good reputation of a reliable partner thanks to just-in-time delivery and safety, ensured with a satellite monitoring system and constant control of the transported and stored goods. STS has at its disposal 260 cutting-edge Mercedes-Benz multi-car transporters, which, despite the crisis in 2009, delivered over 400 000 cars. Nowadays STS delivers cars to 650 dealers in the domestic market and to 40 unloading stations in the whole of Europe. Transportation of new cars by STS accounts for 40% of the market in Poland, while the most important clients in terms of car distribution and storage are: Volkswagen, Skoda, Audi, Porsche, Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Mercedes, Chevrolet, Mazda and Opel. The confirmation of the company’s leading position in the shipping, logistics and distribution branches is an ISO Quality Certificate as well as numerous awards, including the European Carrier Award 2009 from Daimler AG. STS was ranked third and became the first Polish company to receive it in the whole 10-year history of the European Carrier Award. Last but not least, the success would not have been possible if it hadn’t been for the vast experience and passion of the President of the Group, Mr Wojciech Staniszewski, whose personal commitment to transportation matters in Poland has been awarded by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. Mr Staniszewski has been actively managing all the companies within the CLIP Group, while his attention to detail translates into high quality of the services, which bears fruit and benefits all his companies and their clients.
What does the future hold?
For the CLIP Group future means further continuous development, but it also entails widening the array of activities. Trying to gain customer satisfaction, the company reacts to market needs and follows the trends. Therefore, today’s offer includes comprehensive investment service, which covers a range of strategically located and easily accessible sites, planning and design, financing, comprehensive completion of own and entrusted investment projects and renting of sites. The plan for the future includes making use of the location along the trans-European corridor Paris-Moscow as well as expanding the network of railway sidings and connecting it to the main railway. Moreover, the CLIP Group prepares various housing projects, renewable energy projects and projects connected with ecological economy. As for the future goals, the Group hopes to urbanize the Special Economic Zone area by gathering attractive investors, clean technologies, and creating new jobs. This undertaking would be a long-term success for CLIP. All CLIP companies are perceived as stable, ever-growing, profitable, competitive and highly specialized. Recently, the company’s position has strengthened, as the global crisis determined the tendency to concentrate logistical services in one place. The benefits of this practice are becoming noticed by the growing number of customers, which puts CLIP in a strong position and helps to acquire new clients.
For the common good
The CLIP Group strives to live in harmony with the environment and create a better world for the benefit of all people. As for the environmental protection, it implements procedures aiming at reducing the negative impact on the environment, e.g. by keeping European emission standards (EURO 4 and 5), segregating refuse, reducing power, using filters, special separators and settling ponds, as well as working on renewable energy. Apart from being a good neighbour, CLIP wants to be an attractive employer. Currently the Group employs over 750 highly skilled people in different branches, but thanks to Mr Staniszewski’s investments of 450 million PLN, it was possible to create around 3000 workplaces in all companies having their seats in the facilities belonging to the Group’s companies. Attractive pay, working conditions, trainings and good atmosphere make the CLIP Group a desired workplace. Since there is no job rotation in the administration branch, the employees’ plans for the future are intertwined with the company. Having in mind those in need, Mr Staniszewski also participates in numerous charity activities and donates money to non-governmental organizations, which has earned him silver and golden badge of the Polish Social Assistance Committee. Moreover, the President takes care of women in Swarzędz by financing free medical tests for them, which helped him to receive the title of “The Swarzędz Inhabitant of the Year” in 2005.
Written by Anna Chudzik
