Within Kemira’s international network, its nearly 20-year-old Polish branch has emerged as one of the company’s most consistently successful operations. Kemira’s Polish branch, Kemipol, is a joint venture between Kemira and various local organizations. Because of Poland’s industrial profile and geography, the company focuses primarily on developing municipal wastewater treatment solutions; meanwhile, Kemira’s regional involvement in paper, oil or mining industries is less significant.
Some of the largest players in the country’s municipal water treatment efforts are also Kemipol’s most important clients: Warsaw Waterworks, for example, turns to Kemipol for coagulants and other purification solutions.
In order to maintain a balance in its client roster, however, Kemipol also serves a number of smaller organizations, says Josef Linderoth, Kemira’s Director of Sales and Marketing for Central East Europe. “We always try to have a large portfolio of clients,” he explains.
Polish division aims high
Ferric sulphate, an iron-based coagulant, is currently Kemipol’s most on-demand product. The company’s newest customizable coagulant variety, polyaluminum chloride (or PAX), is also gaining footing – due, in part, to its ability to maintain a high level of performance in cold temperatures. The seaport city of Szczecin, for example, treats its potable water with a PAX product.
“PAX is a very good complement to our other products,” says Linderoth. “PAX has been a big success, based on the fact that a lot of our Polish customers have changed from aluminum sulphate to PAX in recent years, and have used it as a seasonal application for bulking sludge.”
Kemipol’s 2004 acquisition of Zlotniki, a Polish water treatment chemicals firm, allowed for a facilitated, economical production and transport of widely used products like aluminum sulphate, polyaluminum chloride and ferric sulphate. With a larger European market at its fingertips, Kemipol is now setting its sights on building a customer base outside of Poland.
“Our main market region is Poland, but neighboring countries are also part of our natural market region, and we are seeking growth there”, says Kemipol’s managing director Dorota Jasina. “We are also always expanding our product portfolio to customers, to really give them tailor made products,” Linderoth adds. “Kemipol sees good growth every year, and there’s a lot of very good potential.
Text: Laura Palotie
Original article published in Kemira’s stakeholder magazine Just Add 2/2009