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EBRD financing introduces modern logistics management to Poland
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has committed ECU 8.0 million in equity and debt-financing for the development of Parc Logistique, the first large-scale distribution logistics facility to be constructed in central and eastern Europe. The project marks an important step for the EBRD in the distribution sector, following its commitment earlier this year to provide financing for the Warsaw Distribution Center.
Marc Mogull, Director of the EBRD’s Property and Tourism team, said: “This state-of-the-art facility will introduce important new distribution logistics technology to Poland and increase the attractiveness of the Lodz/Warsaw region to manufacturers and distributors. By eliminating the need for companies to manage their own distribution operations, it will encourage foreign investment in Poland and reduce barriers to entry in the manufacturing sector.”
Parc Logistique is being developed by Societe d’Exploitation des Entrepots de Varsovie Sp. z.o.o. (SEEV), a wholly-owned subsidiary of France’s Faure & Machet, a leading logistics company. The 65,000 square metre facility will be constructed in three phases on a site near Mszczonow, Poland, between Lodz and Warsaw. The total cost of the project is expected to be ECU 23 million.
Mr Claude Faure, President of Faure & Machet, commented that: “Faure & Machet has been serving its clients’ distribution logistics needs in Europe for almost 30 years. Our entry into Poland was a direct response to the demand for this service from our clients and from other companies operating in the region. We are pleased to have cooperated with the EBRD on the Parc Logistique project, and will explore the possibility of working with the Bank in other markets of central and eastern Europe.”
Developing effective and efficient product distribution systems remains a major concern of companies manufacturing in central and eastern Europe. The retailing industry in the region is more fragmented than in western Europe, while significant gaps remain in the distribution infrastructure. Distribution inefficiencies increase product costs and are ultimately passed on to the region’s consumers in the form of higher prices.
A logistics facility can be distinguished from a warehouse and distribution centre by the range of services it provides. Logistics companies provide an integrated service, managing the entire supply chain for manufacturing companies including transportation, storage, administration, stock control, order preparation and packaging.
Parc Logistique will be managed and operated by F&M Polska, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Faure & Machet.
The EBRD was established in 1991 to assist in the transition process in central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. As of 31 October 1995, the Bank had committed ECU 5.075 billion of total investment to the region, including ECU 585.9 million to Poland.
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