โIf I could choose between durability and sustainability on the one side and quick sales on the other, Iโd always go for quality!โ
says Marek Flisowski, who after 15 successful years as KLINGER Polandโs Managing Director is still a man of conviction. On the occasion of KLINGER Polandโs 30-year-anniversary, we asked Flisowski, who has been with the company from day 1, to review the past 3 decades.
Contacts mentioned in the article:
Marek Flisowski, Managing Director at KLINGER Poland
Approaching the free market
โIt all started in 1989/1990 when Poland, having been a communist country for 45 years, gradually approached a free-market economy,โ says Flisowski. Until then, it had not been possible to trade with end users. โThere were governmental trading centers. Only legal persons were allowed to trade with foreign currency.โ When this changed in 1991, Flisowski, a technical expert for valves, was asked by a friend to join him in the representation of KLINGER products. KLINGER w Polsce Sp. z o.o., a subsidiary of the Austrian based KLINGER Group, was founded. In the beginning, the company consisted of no more than three people in a small office in the center of Warsaw. There was no space to keep stock. Everything had to be ordered directly from Gumpoldskirchen, Austria.
Winning over district heating
โAt first, it was hard to convince customers to opt for KLINGER products. They were definitely not the cheapest on the market,โ Flisowski remembers. โBut in the long run, due to their durability, the products would more than pay off.โ The breakthrough came when KLINGER Poland closed a deal in district heating. โPolish district heating technically was in a very bad state. The valves were old, the pipes full of rust. They needed renovation quickly,โ says Flisowski, who at that time managed to win over five of the biggest Polish cities (Katowice, Krakow, Warsaw, Gdansk and Gdynia) as customers. Via loans from the World Bank, the city councils were able to completely overhaul their dilapidated infrastructure.
Suddenly KLINGER valves became a household name in the industry: โEarlier, KLINGER was known as a producer of gaskets, mainly used in Polish power generators. Now, early on between 1992 and 1995, we had opened a door to district heating,โ Flisowski recalls. โThat was our big success, the big kick off.โ Over ten more cities followed suit.
KLINGER Polandโs expansion course
In 2004, the company moved from the city center to the outskirts, where a warehouse could hold some stock. โToday, we are a total of 17 people. 12 in the office and 5 sales engineers in the field,โ says Flisowski. โEven though we are still one of KLINGERโs smallest companies, we are growing systematically.โ
Fact box
Fun facts & records
- 1.5 million kilometers: this is roughly the distance, that Marek Flisowski covered in the course of 30 years with KLINGER โjust convincing our customers,โ as he says.
- Super-long duration: โI know of a case of KLINGER valves, already sold in 1986 that are still working after 36 years! The average district heating valve is fully tight for 5 to 10 years. So, this is fantastic!โ
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What products are part of the KLINGER Poland portfolio?
KLINGER Poland delivers industrial valves, level gauges, expansion joints and gaskets to the power industry, the heating sector and other areas of industry and manufacturing. A team of specialized sales engineers provides both technical and commercial advice to customers.
How can KLINGER Poland guarantee swift delivery?
The warehouse in the outskirts of Warsaw is always well stocked and refreshed with deliveries from Gumpoldskirchen/Austria on a regular basis.
