"“Poland has growing potential for investors"
In 1997 he and a business partner founded Freshworld. "At that time sales in Poland grew rapidly and it became necessary for us to have a warehouse there. We rented an office and a small shed and just set up business. In 1999 we were able to take over an existing building at the wholesale market of Atlanta Poland. That was a lucky break, because it was a nice and solid building of 3,500 m2, close to the wholesale market. Because of our growth we had the building expanded in 2008 with almost 5,000 m2.” Today, the company employs over two hundred people. The core business remains the import for the Polish market and to a lesser extent the Baltic States.
Erik now feels quite at home in Poland. "Poland is still one of the poorer countries of the European Union," he observes. "The average income here is still just 53% of the earnings of the average resident of the EU.” The country’s competitiveness is very good, he says, and will probably increase further in the coming years. "Big steps have been taken, but due to the economic crisis general growth has been slow. Recently the EU promised us 108 billion Euro to improve the infrastructure. New roads give a boost to the economy, both during construction and afterwards. These developments greatly improve the competitiveness of Poland, especially compared to countries like the Ukraine. Moreover, Poland is now a stable country. People from abroad are seeking to invest. All these factors provide growth potential."
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