{"id":1213,"date":"2022-12-16T15:15:15","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T15:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arridgegaragedoors.co.uk\/blog\/?p=1213"},"modified":"2022-12-16T15:19:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T15:19:45","slug":"trip-wisniowski-factory-poland-december-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arridgegaragedoors.co.uk\/blog\/garage-doors\/trip-wisniowski-factory-poland-december-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Trip to Wisniowski Factory Poland December 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"

The principal UK importer of the Wisniowski brand of sectional and insulated side hinged garage doors organised and generously paid for a factory visit for a selection of their trade customers. This was the second trip they have organised since their launch of the Wisniowski brand in the UK earlier in this year.<\/p>\n

Mark Arridge, MD of Arridge Garage Doors Ltd was invited and this is how it went \u2026..<\/p>\n

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In Bristol Airport Brunel bar at 1pm on Tuesday 6th<\/sup> December 2022 I met up with Lewis our new rep, a lovely guy, who offered me a beer straight away and Jason the sales manager (who was full of cold) plus 8 other trade customers. I strategically avoided the early beers and boarded the plane.<\/p>\n

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To Infinity and Beyond\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bar and pool, a good start to any trip<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It was a good flight, then a 2 hour drive in the minibus from Krakov airport and we arrived at the Heron Hotel. Built and owned by Mr Wisniowski, just 10 minutes from the factory, this 5 star hotel with a sauna, pools (swimming and snooker type) was a real treat.<\/p>\n

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Fantastic View of the lake from breakfast<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We get ready for the 10 minute ride to the factory<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Monsters Inc<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

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The entire atrium at Wisniowski\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jason Braced himself for the corporate intro again<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Covering the area of approximately 60 football pitches the Wisniowski factory employs 2200 people, makes 200,000 doors per year and has a turnover of \u00a3250,000,000 and makes a jolly good garage door.<\/p>\n

The vast \u201coverhanging\u201d offices, glass open plan workspaces and unhurried, efficient and friendly, hardworking staff immediately impressed.<\/p>\n

It looked like Lloyds of London or something from Dubai certainly compared to any other garage door factory any of us had visited before.<\/p>\n

Mr Wisniowski started in 1989 by building his first up and over garage door in his garage at home. He built six, sold them, used the proceeds to build a workshop in which he could build more doors and set himself a target of making one door per day. He\u2019s certainly managed that!<\/p>\n

Now you see it<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now you don\u2019t<\/strong><\/p>\n

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We had the usual corporate introduction by Marcin, the export manager (the one in the chequered jacket in the photo above trying to get the PowerPoint presentation to work) ate homemade pastries, met some other engaging Wisniowski staff and set off on a very long walk.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately no photographs were allowed in the actual factory, only in the showroom that showcases the finished products.<\/p>\n

No exaggeration here, it was exceptional.<\/p>\n