Cummins Poland celebrates 20th anniversary
Cummins Poland is celebrating the 20th anniversary of being a wholly-owned distributor of Cummins Inc.
Before April 2004, customers in Poland with Cummins-powered applications relied on two independent dealers for support.
The decision to create a Cummins-owned distributor was seen as key to accelerating growth in a strategically important market with strong credentials in the European underground mining, industrial and automotive business segments.
Cummins Poland was launched one month ahead of the country being welcomed into the European Union as an official member. This historic event was seen as a turning point for Poland as joining the EU opened up the country to new opportunities for growth.
Starting out with just nine employees – three technicians and six office staff – Cummins Poland today employs over 90 people across its branches in Lubin, Gdansk, Lomianki and at the recently opened European Master Rebuild Centre (MRC) in Krakow, a magnificent facility built at a cost of around $10 million which also serves as the headquarters of the business.
Marek Matuszewski, Country Leader Poland, said everyone within the business was proud to reach the 20-year milestone.
“Over the past two decades, we have seen engine technology develop considerably, and we have responded to our customers’ demands for ever greater levels of technical and strategic support,” he said.
Back in April 2004, Europe was at Euro III/IV emissions certification for automotive engines and Stage II for mining and industrial engines to be certified. Now, the standard is Euro VI for diesel, natural gas and hybrid, working toward Euro VII, and mining and industrial engines are at Stage V.
Meanwhile, technical advancements Cummins is making in new power solutions, including powertrains, batteries and fuel cells, will help enrich future partnerships with customers in Poland and across Europe.
Mining is an especially important market for Cummins Poland so it made complete sense that its first branch to open, in 2006, should be in Lubin, right at the heart of the Polish Copper Belt.
Three years later Cummins Poland started operations from a new location in Gdansk, Poland’s principal seaport, to be closer to its numerous marine customers.
In 2013, Cummins Poland opened a service branch in Lomianki, just outside of Warsaw.
Today, there are 11 dealers in the Cummins Poland network, which extends into neighbouring Ukraine and the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In its 20 years of operation, Cummins Poland has established itself as a major force for good in communities across the country.
The business helps to maintain national parks and supports childcare homes and organisations, including a rehabilitation centre in Gdansk for children with physical and intellectual disabilities.
It also organises technical lessons for school students to help with their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learning, working closely with high schools and technical universities.
One of Cummins Poland’s finest hours came in spring 2022 in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine and the resultant refugee crisis.
Poland saw an influx of around three million refugees and the response from Cummins was nothing short of spectacular, with many hours of employee time being volunteered to help women and children who were being settled in and around the Cummins Poland locations.
The success of Cummins in Poland over the past 20 years owes much to the commitment of a loyal and hardworking team that has pulled together to create successful partnerships with customers in a variety of business segments.
“With the power of Cummins behind us and such a talented workforce, we’re confident of taking our business in Poland to new heights,” said Marek Matuszewski.