Tuesday, 02 December 2008 14:01

Company’s history with its crucial moments

Zakład Wykonawstwa Sieci Elektrycznych in Rzeszów (South-East part of Poland) was officially established, as an independent unit the 1st July, 1976. Since then, the enterprise has marked an impressive development, including number of notable realizations – electric power buildings and other establishments of high, medium and low voltage, telecommunication grids and fiber optic tracks – which more than once had to be elevated and installed in really hard field conditions. Currently, thanks to the great devotions of its managers and common employees, ZWSE still increases its potential, but in the same time, after more than 30 years of its activity it can be proud of occupying the leading position in a branch. However this positive situation did not just happen over nightly. As all such successes, this time it was also a process, and a long road stuffed with hard decisions. Briefly speaking, as a result of great economical and political national changes after 1989, the company bravely entered newly born free market. Those were really controversial days for Polish business as wholeness, thus each decision made, each move has been totally new and could effect in a completely unexpected way. Fortunately, dynamical campaign, aiming at the maintenance on a fresh and unstable market, had finished with a complete triumph, owing to the creative thinking of ZWSE’s Board of Presidents. After spectacular survival the company decided to present a new, up-dated image and an innovated offer. In 1995 ZWSE invested in some new equipment. The company, by its own means, bought devices designed for optical fiber installation and implemented this additional activity in its offer. After an intensive personnel trainings, conducted in Germany, Japan, and United States, the plant has become one of the few indigenous enterprises, which are occupied with this technically advanced constructional field. The year 1999 was crucial for ZWSE, because it was that moment, when the plant was finally privatize and become a public limited company. Where exactly ZWSE singles out its success and good repute among customers and investors? Basically, the professional attitude, highly educated work team and proper equipment representing world’s standards seem to be the fundamental factors, by which it gained a common trust and respect. ZWSE’s representatives claim that the customer’s satisfaction is a key to every operation and action taken up. All clients are equally important, so ZWSE cares for devoting them an equal interest and commitment. The strategic potential thus is being constituted by the working stuff and their great cooperation skills. What is more, the present position on a market is a direct result of a courage characteristic for the persons at the helms of the company, who do not hesitate over the investments regarding modern technologies and over the widening of services offered.

ZWSE as an employer

Currently the company employs almost 270 persons. Thanks to their abilities it is possible to operate not only in Poland, but also widely abroad. All of them work for the common well-being and success of ZWSE. The management, informally speaking, stakes on youth and high education. The company believes that this is a good investment in a future, and also a great opportunity for the young talents to evolve. In regard of this noble philosophy, ZWSE collaborates with universities, and gives national and foreign students an interesting chance for complete their professional stages and practices. As it was mentioned above, ZWSE’s employers are being trained and tutored also in the bosom of the company itself. The technical development is so enormous nowadays, that companies specializing in such complicated branch simply must have their fingers on a pulse, so to speak. That is why the employers have a possibility to extend their knowledge and deepen their professional and interpersonal skills during the trainings and courses organized for them abroad – in Germany, United States and even Japan.

Activity and references

The core activity is composed with designing and constructing electric power and telecommunications building engineering. Company’s offer includes such operations and constructions as: construction of overhead high voltage (HV) electric power lines up to 400 kV, building of the electric power lines and signaling cable lines up to 30 kV, electric power switchyards and switching stations - overhead and interior in the full of voltage scope up to 400 kV, overhead and cable fibre optic lines building, telecommunications lines building, steel and alluminium structures. It is an impressive range of services, if we take under the consideration the beginnings of ZWSE and its first steps. Even though the assortment is so wide the company does not distinguish more and less important parts of its activity. Each of activities develops in its own particular rhythm characteristic for the investment intensity. There is only one general goal that ZWSE hopes to accomplish – the company wants to be seen as a modern enterprise, which, by its actions, contributes to the development and to the improvement of the national electric safety. The list of awards and titles according to the ZWSE’s achievements is very long and various. Still, there is one especially worth mentioning. In 1999 the company won a tender announced by Polish Energy Group. The contract considered electric power line up to 400 kV located between Dobrzyń and Wielopole. The whole investment amounted for millions of zlotys, so it even got an inside branch nick-name “The contract of a century”. The signing of an agreement constituted a history meaning for the whole company and now after its splendid realization ZWSE is a real “catch” for new investors. From the quality management point of view ZWSE fulfills all the necessary requirements and demanded norms. The Company has begun the Quality Management System introducing works in 1998 according to PN-ISO 9001:1996 standard. In 1999 The Company had granted ISO 9001 Certificate. Moreover, ZWSE Management is well aware of the fact, that the plant has a noticeable impact on the natural environment. The company admits that there is a certain number of postproduction wastes and air pollutants involved. By these reasons the steps were taken to provide unnecessary environment degradation. In 2001 the Company was ISO 14001 certified by TÜV Management Service GmbH in Munich. Environmental management System was introduced according to the PN-EN ISO 14001:1998 standard.

What makes ZWSE managers proud?

Today whole world is quite obsessed with the concept of a general crisis. We were wondering what meaning it has for ZWSE Board. Surprisingly, the company representative answered: “Owing to the proper management and long sight of our managing stuff, the changing floats of the International market are hardly noticeable for us”. How it is possible? “This is matter of a modern management, which regards constant development and changes. Standing in one safe position is not an answer in today world”. What can we say more? Such a positive and wise attitude, both simple and effective, is a guarantee of success. The company is really proud of its current position, its professionalism and world standard of services, and frankly, there is a lot to be proud of. ZWSE is a top-notch Polish enterprise in electric branch and it has a lot of achievement waiting ahead.