Accolade maintains a strong position in the warehouse market in Poland
Accolade's portfolio reached over 1,300,000 sqm of leased space in 26 modern warehouse parks across Poland at the end of the first half of 2023.
The investor maintains its leading position in several regions of Poland, including the West Pomeranian, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Lubusz, and Podlaskie voivodeships.
Accolade also continues its sustainable development strategy, earning BREEAM certificates for its investments and supporting local communities.
The investor obtained the first BREEAM Outstanding certificate in Poland for an industrial building, making it the highest-certified building in the industry.
In the first half of 2023, Accolade continued its commitment to the development of the Polish warehouse sector, leasing 185,000 sqm of warehouse space, which is a result similar to that achieved in the same period last year. The number of new contracts, under which 103,500 sqm was leased, remained at a similar level to the first half of 2022. The largest transactions include agreements with Regesta for 32,900 sqm in the park in Ruda Śląska and with Kostal Automobil Elektrik for 17,000 sqm in Świdnik, where the company's newest project in its portfolio is located. Furthermore, Accolade doubled the size of leased space through contract renewals with existing tenants. A total of 81,500 sqm was leased in this way, and the largest transactions include an agreement with Tyco Electronics Polska, which occupies 56,000 sqm in Park Szczecin I, and with Iveco for 16,500 sqm in Park Zielona Góra. At the end of the first half of 2023, the total warehouse space owned by Accolade amounted to 1,300,000 sqm across 26 parks located throughout Poland. The total value of the managed portfolio is over 1.3 billion EUR.
"These results confirm that Accolade is not only a trusted investor but also an experienced asset manager. Although the first half of this year was full of challenges and uncertainty related to macroeconomic factors, our company, thanks to a local perspective and experience gained both in European markets and domestically, is actively investing and flexibly responding to the changing business environment. We believe in the potential of the Polish warehouse sector, which is why we are successfully continuing our work, focused on creating modern, ecological warehouse parks that contribute to the country's economic development and meet the requirements of our clients." – said Jarek Wnuk, Managing Director of Accolade in Poland.
Accolade remains a leader in many regions of Poland. Its strong position is particularly noticeable in locations along the country's western border. The record holder in terms of leased space is the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, where the investor offers warehouse parks with a total area of 420,000 sqm in Szczecin, Goleniów, and Koszalin. The scale of investment in this region prompted the investor to open its first regional office in Szczecin, aimed at active cooperation with the local community and creating even better conditions for building business relationships, including with companies operating in Szczecin and the surrounding area. Accolade is also very active in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, where it has parks with a total area of almost 250,000 sqm in Bydgoszcz, and in the Lubusz Voivodeship with parks in Zielona Góra with an area of 170,000 sqm.
"Poland is the undisputed leader in terms of newly built industrial facilities in our portfolio. Accolade, seeing the potential and importance of markets in this part of Europe, is also consistently investing in the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovakia, and we are also planning to enter further European markets. We believe that attractive locations, developed infrastructure, and access to qualified staff, supported by our commitment to sustainable development, are the foundations of dynamic growth and increasing demand for industrial and logistics spaces in Europe." – said Lukáš Répal, Chief Operating Officer at Accolade.
In Poland, the investor not only focuses on portfolio development through investments in new locations but also grows in those already occupied. An example is the completion and full leasing of the second park in Białystok. In total, parks with an area of 80,000 sqm are available here. All Accolade investments have had a positive impact on the local economy and have contributed to the creation of 12,500 new jobs throughout Poland.
A common feature of the parks is also a focus on ecology. Accolade has created an investment opportunity assessment system that prioritizes so-called brownfields. In the company's portfolio, investments on revitalized areas account for as much as 30%. This commitment is visible in the BREEAM certificates received for all new parks. The investor aims for new parks to be certified at a minimum of Excellent level. This year, Accolade was particularly distinguished, as Park Szczecin III received a BREEAM certificate at the Outstanding level, making it the first such highly certified industrial building in Poland.
The company does not limit itself to business initiatives, as evidenced by, among other things, the creation of the Accolade Industrial Art program, which introduced art to industrial spaces. In the first quarter of this year, as part of this initiative, an outdoor exhibition was opened, dedicated to the industrial history of Załom, where the largest Accolade industrial park in Poland is currently located – Park Szczecin I. Furthermore, educational programs aimed at children and youth are also implemented at the investor's initiative. Examples include ecological workshops held in Zielona Góra, during which students learned the secrets of bees' lives and understood their importance for the natural environment. Accolade also cooperates with the Teatr za Jeden Uśmiech, whose actors brighten the time for children staying in hospitals. Such events are an integral part of the Accolade strategy, which emphasizes building close and positive relationships with local communities.
source: press materials
