Kontri grows in Białystok. Logistics center for e-commerce already expanded

Kontri, an e-commerce company, has completed the second stage of its investment at ul. Kuronia 3 in Białystok. The building, commissioned in June 2022, has increased the space by another 4,000 sqm.

The company conducts multi-channel sales through over a dozen online stores in Poland (including kontri.pl), the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, as well as on many auction portals and marketplace platforms. Products shipped from the Białystok headquarters reach over 100 countries.  Kontri Sp. z o.o., together with its English branch Kontri LTD, achieved a turnover of over 140 million PLN in 2021. In December 2021, the company employed over 180 people.

The Kontri Logistics Center is located in the Białystok Science and Technology Park, adjacent to the Białystok subzone of the Suwałki Special Economic Zone. In 2017, the company completed the first stage of the investment and moved to a new building with an area of 3,250 sqm. The growth momentum led Kontri to lease 2,800 sqm of high-bay warehouse space in the town of Ploski.

- Since we compete in many European markets, we must react quickly to current needs, increase our assortment, and improve the quality and speed of service. Customer expectations are constantly rising, which is why we are increasing the availability of goods to shorten delivery times, and this requires more warehouse space. The new building will increase efficiency in managing logistics processes and warehouse management, and will streamline the handling of the constantly growing number of orders. It will also enable the introduction of new products of our own production to the market and opening up to new industries – says Marek Ciulkin, Managing Director at Kontri.

On the premises of Kontri, there is a sewing room, production lines, a warehouse, as well as office and social rooms spread across four floors. The entire facility has 4 loading docks and 5 external gates. The efficient operation of the Kontri Logistics Center is overseen by a modern WMS (Warehouse Management Software) class system, which manages the storage of goods, streamlines order picking and shipping, thereby increasing work efficiency.

- Dynamic growth in orders, constant expansion of the offer, and development of production capacities meant that the current warehouse became too small for us and limited our growth opportunities. Therefore, to consistently implement our development strategy and maintain a strong market position, it was necessary to acquire new space. The opening of the new investment will allow us to consolidate all company departments in one place, provide comprehensive handling of the entire production process, and ensure efficient logistics - says Marek Ciulkin.

The building project was guided by the principles of ecology, sustainable development, and energy efficiency. Energy-saving external and internal LED lighting with motion sensors was used, which will allow for the reduction of operating costs. The company also invested in the construction of a transformer station, enabling the connection of medium voltage, which in turn reduces energy costs and the cost of product manufacturing.

It also planned the expansion of photovoltaic panels to 200kW, which will provide up to 50% of the electricity demand during the peak summer season. Additionally, the company took care of energy security by building a power generator, which will secure operational activities in case of power supply interruptions. The general contractor for both stages was the company Mark-Bud Sp. z o.o. from Białystok.