AKSEL’s core mission is to ‘connect people’ – whilst ensuring the highest levels of quality, reliability, professionalism and dependability. Stanisław Słowik, współzałożyciel i Prezes Zarządu AKSEL

How did it all begin? What were the origins of AKSEL?

My adventure with radio began in the 1970s when, as a teenage boy inspired by an older colleague, I caught the ‘bug’ of ham radio. This passion consumed me completely. So instead of playing football like my peers, I preferred to spend my time in front of a tank radio, borrowed from the radio club, and listen to what was happening ‘on air’.

Encouraged by this colleague, Marek, who became my mentor, I decided to continue my education at the Electronic Technical School in Zduńska Wola. An important motivation was the fact that there was an active ham radio club at this very school. My passion was rewarded by obtaining a full-fledged transmitter’s licence with the callsign SP7FAD in 1970.

Does that mean you are now celebrating the 50th anniversary of your activity in radiocommunications?

In principle, yes, although there was a bit of a break in my ham radio career when, as a student at the Wrocław University of Technology, I met a professor I knew, whom I had also met earlier as a radio amateur. From him I received some ‘good advice’, which sounded more or less like this: ‘My friend, if you want to finish these studies, I advise you to forget about shortwave for the time being. I can assure you that whoever has not done so, has usually left in a very short time.’

Sounds interesting. What happened next?

After graduation, I migrated to Silesia (following my wife), worked in a mine – also in the communications department – and tried to get back into ‘shortwave’, which resulted in activity in the SP9KJT radio club, where I met an enthusiast similar to me, Dariusz. We also quickly found a common language, realising the motto ‘shortwave brings people together’ – not only as a hobby, but also professionally.

How did you manage to reconcile these two areas of activity – amateur and professional?

The influx of new technology in the early 1990s was helpful, as was the support of kind-hearted people connected to the mining industry who understood the nature and importance of radio communications.

A major breakthrough was the opening up of the previously unavailable 27MHz band for CB-Radio, with a simplified registration procedure. The authorisation of 4W power for communications in this band was a revolution compared to the previous state of the regulations.

The opening of borders made foreign travel possible, providing an opportunity to establish contacts with radio equipment manufacturers – both CB and VHF (the band intended for professional communications, mainly used by public safety services such as the Fire Department, Police, Border Guard, Medical Rescue and others). In these respective forces, the need for a thorough equipment upgrade was also becoming apparent, which was an important motivation for the radio communication companies.

Not waiting long, after a visit to the CEBiT trade fair in Hanover in 1990, we founded AKSEL, which focused on radio communications – both amateur and professional.

A milestone in the company’s development was the signing of a contract with MOTOROLA – the world’s leading company in radiocommunications – in 1993, which resulted in the procurement of professional communication equipment, the construction of networks and radiocommunication systems and the implementation of new technologies.

The 2000s saw the dominance of digitisation trends and the introduction of new standards such as TETRA and DMR. These standards gradually replaced analogue communications, bringing additional functional capabilities.

How did you keep up with technological advancements, the changing range of products and customer needs?

We participated in major conferences, fairs and exhibitions, establishing contacts with leading manufacturers and organisations coordinating the implementation of standards and products with prospects for application in the Polish market.

The main role in these activities was played by the company’s employees – creative, ambitious and motivated. It is their actions that contribute to the company’s success. The requirements of our customers, especially organisations involved in public safety, as well as companies from key sectors of the economy such as transport, energy and others, have also been and continue to be a significant inspiration for us.

How do you view the company’s market position and future development prospects?

From the perspective of over 30 years of activity, I feel proud and satisfied with the company’s achievements:

– for several years we have maintained one of the leading positions on the radio communications market, not only in Poland but also in Europe;

– thanks to our activity, our strategic partner, MOTOROLA, has qualified us for the elite category of ‘Master Distributor’, as one of the four companies authorised to market PMR (Private Mobile Radio) class radios, as well as a Strategic Partner in other categories of professional radio communication equipment;

– we passed the certification process, resulting in the Industrial Safety Certificate and the Concession for the manufacture and marketing of equipment for the army and police;

– with the efforts of the programming team, we developed a Dispatcher Application which was accredited by MOTOROLA.

Albert Einstein said ‘Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.’ What principles do you follow in life and business?

Of course, we try as much as we can to support activities for organisations and social groups in need, including those related to science, such as the Foundation for the Support of Radio and Multimedia Technology. In recent years, we have provided communications for the organisers of the Tour de Pologne race. We have also donated a significant amount of equipment to the fighting Ukraine.

There is also another motto, expressed in the words of Father Mieczysław Maliński: ‘The measure of humanity is the readiness to do good for other people’. Translating the above ‘golden thoughts’ into the language of business, I can summarise them as follows: business cannot be a goal in itself, but only a means to an end.

AKSEL is sort of my baby – it currently employs around 50 highly qualified employees. My overarching goal is to provide these people with jobs and motivation for further training. I treat their participation in conferences, including those abroad, in precisely these terms and not as an unnecessary cost for the company.

Can I imagine another field as a career path? Let me answer briefly: NO.

Last Updated on July 18, 2024 by Anastazja Lach