Poland

Rzeszów – Panattoni, market leader in industrial real estate in Europe and Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, operating in the area of charging technology for electromobility, celebrated together the first construction phase of a new electric mobility plantat Rzeszów-Dworzysko Science and Technology Parkon September 16, 2020.

Just in two months, the entire hall structure was constructed and covered with a roof. Starting in Q1 next year, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility will manufacture and test various AC and DC charging cables, and will supply them, among others, to leading automotive producers. Polish Investment & Trade Agency(PAIH) helped with the efficient implementation of the investment. Colliers International advised the tenant for this transaction.

At the topping-out ceremony the completion of the first construction phase was celebrated with the ceremonial attachment of the company's logo on the masonry of the new plant. The management of Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, CEO Michael Heinemann and COO Ralf Döhre, together with Michał Chodecki, Panattoni, welcomed the invited guests and informed them about the entire project. Paweł Baj, Mayor of Głogów Małopolski, also gave a speech and was pleased about the positive development of the Rzeszów region.

As Michał Chodecki, BTS Development Directorat Panattoni admits, the commissioning date was a challenge. „Due to the pandemics, time needed for obtaining necessary permits was extended and the construction started with a month delay. Over the next two months, however, we managed to erect the hall structure and cover it with a roof. We installed 108 prefabricated columns in total, used 170 tons of steel and 10 000 square meters of metal to cover the roof as well as 2 000 sqm of mineral wool for roof insulation. The work is now underway on gas, water and electricity network, heat recovery system, ventilation. The assembly of elevation panels has also started. In the next stage, an industrial floor will be made. The client will gain early access to the facility at the beginning of December, in order to start assembling technology lines in the production hall. The investment is scheduled to be completed three weeks later. This date, despite a delay at the beginning, has not changed” – says Chodecki.

The new plant in Poland will cover a total area of 15,000 sqm. Of this, 14,000 sqm is production and storage space and 1,000 sqm office space. The plan is to start production at the beginning of 2021 and to expand the workforce to more than 250 employees within the next few years.

The management team of the new Phoenix Contact E-Mobility plant led by Dominik Mazur has already been recruited and is currently working in a rented office in the center of Rzeszów. Project manager Christoph Paetzold explains that the chosen location offers many advantages: “Rzeszów is a dynamic and fast-growing city with universities and many well-established industrial companies. The region is also known as Aviation Valley due to the numerous aerospace companies located in the area. We hope that this environment will help ensure the long-term success of our production location.”

Sure of it is Grzegorz Słomkowski, Executive Vice President of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency: „For several years now, the automotive industry in Poland, has been experiencing dynamic development and attracting major investors. I am very happy to welcome a new player, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, to our unique ecosystem of manufacturers and sub-suppliers for the electromobility industry. Today, Poland has once again been chosen as the location for is an important investment in the global production network for the automotive industry” – says.

Situated close to an airport (15 minutes’ drive) and benefiting from a well-developed road infrastructure, the Science and Technology Park Rzeszów-Dworzysko offers many advantages from a logistics point of view. The facility is situated along the S-19 route, part of “Via Carpathia” which, once completed, will connect Klaipeda in Lithuania with Thessaloniki in Greece. Moreover, the A4 motorway is nearby, spanning the south-eastern and south-western borders of Poland, with extensions running west into Germany and east into Ukraine.