Corporate social responsibility is in our DNA. Andrzej Bułka, President of the Management Board of Fracht FWO Polska Sp. z o.o.
What are the main values and principles that guide CSR actions in Fracht Group Poland?
The overarching principle within the company, throughout the entire Fracht Group, is to actively engage in supporting various social initiatives, including sports and charitable endeavors. This commitment is ingrained in the company’s DNA. Our family business in Switzerland initiated such activities back in the 1960s and 1970s. We were known for collaborating on sporting events such as cycling races or charity football matches featuring prominent stars of the time. We supported local sports clubs, communities, and youth sports. Sports are associated with a healthy lifestyle. Today, the industry in which we operate is in turn associated with various tensions, stress, timely deliveries, and other challenges that we must overcome. We care about our employees leading active lifestyles, both inside and outside the office, beyond their professional activities. We are an organization that supports ambitious individuals, such as those who rebuilt the basketball section of Legia Warsaw from its downfall to great success or those who emerged from a youth team in an orphanage to become a thriving futsal section of a major sports club in Poland. Dorota Borowska, that we have known for a long time, received her first support from us when she attended sports camps and participated in her first regattas as a child. Today, we have a partnership with the Olympian and our sports ambassador, who missed out on a medal at the Tokyo Games by a fraction of a second, and we support her on her journey to Paris. We hope to be a small part of her great success.
Does Fracht Group Poland collaborate with external partners, non-profit organizations, or public institutions to support activities related to the development of the local community?
Yes, we collaborate with foundations and local authorities. We work with individuals who privately support youth sports or other events aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle. We also work pro-bono anonymously. We assist individuals associated with our company or simply those who request such assistance. We do not limit our activities to Warsaw; we collaborate with such organizations in Greater Poland, Subcarpathia, and Łódź as well.
The sports ambassador of Fracht Group Poland, Dorota Borowska, will be present at the Olympics in Paris this year. How does this collaboration benefit the company?
The benefit for us is even just aligning ourselves with a sport that requires immense effort and patience to achieve success. It’s not about scoring a goal in the first minute of a fast-paced futsal match. Building a sports club in team games is an enormous effort that requires patience and is full of difficulties. Similarly, kayaking is a sport that demands tremendous work and commitment from the athlete and the entire team. Women’s canoeing is not a hugely popular sport and does not involve the kind of profits that football or basketball players can count on. This mirrors the logistics industry. Logistics and freight forwarding are not sectors known for operating on high profit margins. It’s a business that requires patience and works in cyclical patterns. There are years when we simply go from one event to another. Then comes that one year, like the Olympics, when we execute one major, spectacular project that we’ve been preparing for years.
In terms of the nature of work and projects undertaken, Dorota reflects how we operate at Fracht Group. Dorota is an Olympian, recognizable in the Polish sports community, and a synonym for hard work and remarkable modesty. She’s not the typical celebrity, and our Polish company isn’t either. We don’t shine like some corporations in the Polish market. Instead, we are perceived as a very reliable entity, consistently executing our logistics operator strategy.
Kayaking is not the only sports field supported by Fracht Group in Poland as part of CSR. How do these actions look like in case of football and basketball?
When it comes to football, Fracht is a company that joins hundreds of football fanatics from around the world. The founder of the company was a big football fan. Also today, the company owner is a huge sports enthusiast. Here in Poland, we’re not much different from our colleagues in Switzerland or other countries. We deeply care about the results of local teams, national teams, and always follow international competitions such as the European Championships and the World Cup.
We even have our own “lottery” during this time and compete by predicting match results on a specially prepared global platform. Of course, there are prizes for the best ones. During EURO 2012, our colleague from Warsaw won, defeating hundreds of “football experts” from around the world.
Regarding Legia Futsal, our involvement with the club revolves around the WIN WIN project, which aims to collaborate with residential care centers, mainly supporting troubled youth, including those from orphanages. We are aware of the intense emotions many of these kids experience, sometimes struggling to control them, and they often find an outlet for these emotions in sports, particularly indoor soccer. We support various initiatives associated with this program. The program is endorsed by Legia Futsal, which is currently one of the teams playing in the Futsal Premier League. This is excellent promotion for the company, and for us it’s one of the elements of CSR activities aimed not only at connecting us with other entities supporting this team or related initiatives, but above all, it provides real assistance in developing the sporting interests of young people.
Fracht supports the Warsaw Zoo, particularly in caring for rhinoceroses. Where did the idea for such action come from, and how does it connect with company’s business?
As the Fracht group, we have multiple business lines. Apart from transporting oversized cargo, where we are one of the world leaders, we are also involved in what is called the “zoological business”. We participate in transporting various other difficult-to-transport cargoes, and unfortunately – to put it bluntly – animals are also among these cargoes. Within the Fracht Group we have such expertise and collaborate with zoos, work with foundations, and with various other entities and institutions. It is known that zoos with larger budgets and capabilities strive to attract as many animals as possible, especially the most attractive ones. Hence the response to the initiative of the Warsaw Zoo, which approached us with a cooperation proposal. We are a company headquartered in Warsaw, though of course the Warsaw Zoo is not the only zoo that collaborates with Fracht; we have more such cases around the world. Why rhinoceroses specifically? For the reasons mentioned above, heavy-weight cargo in transportation is what interests us the most. 😉
How does Fracht engage its employees in CSR initiatives?
First and foremost, we strive to participate in charitable actions, such as the Szlachetna Paczka initiative. We try to respond to requests from people who are not operating on such a large scale but are carrying out very interesting initiatives, such as summer camps for youth. We involve the team in helping others, but we also organize joint initiatives, such as team-building trips, support for employees’ participation in cultural or sporting events. We finance the possibility of private medical treatment and encourage active leisure time by funding sports cards.
How does Fracht Group in Poland contribute to environmental protection?
Following the guidelines of our clients, we strive to organize as many shipments as possible using intermodal or inland transportation. One of our priorities when selecting a maritime carrier or airline is whether the company adheres to the latest guidelines regarding the reduction of carbon emissions. We also educate our clients in this regard. We support the environment by reducing harmful actions related to transportation, and we also promote an ecological approach to the environment by relying on a closed-loop system of electronic documents, minimizing excessive documentation printing, and segregating waste in leased properties.
Does involvement in CSR development play a significant role in the decision-making process regarding cooperation with other business partners?
Absolutely yes. Every year, we collaborate with over 2500 transportation companies – shipping lines, maritime carriers, airlines, but above all, road carriers. Our first choice is always companies that can boast relevant certifications. We know that they implement procedures aimed at reducing CO2 emissions.
Fracht FWO Polska is part of the Swiss Fracht Group. Why is sports so important in the CSR policy of the Group and where did the idea of supporting sports in the Group come from, for example, cooperation with FC Miami?
The founder of the Fracht Group is Ruedi Reisdorf Senior, who was himself an active athlete. Since the inception of the company, we have been involved in activities supporting sports and had very good contacts in the football world. We supported sports not only in Switzerland but also in South America. This has translated into subsequent generations of Fracht Group employees. The idea of supporting and cooperating with Inter Miami stems, first of all, from the DNA of our company – we are football fanatics. Every major football tournament is an occasion for us to compete in predicting results, and we receive awards for it; we have a great time doing it. When the cooperation with Inter Miami came about, it revealed what kind of company Fracht Group is. And it’s not about collaborating with a sports club, but about partnering with other business partners. We are a small enough company and operate efficiently enough that we can make decisions very quickly, yet we are large enough to undertake very large projects. Collaborating with David Beckham and his team is certainly a major project, a challenge for any company. When entering into cooperation with Inter Miami, the company’s management was aware that it would be well received not only by clients but also by the thousands of Fracht Group employees worldwide. So far, we have seen only benefits from this collaboration. As someone who rarely wears a shirt other than that of Legia Warsaw, I felt quite good when we met with the Fracht Group community from around the world in Las Vegas six months ago, and we all could take a group photo wearing Inter Miami shirts.
What challenges must a company face when actively engaging in CSR?
First and foremost, CSR activities also involve budgetary considerations. It’s sometimes an organic process, working with the team, where understanding the rationale behind CSR strategies and the overall need for CSR action varies greatly. We deal with people with different perspectives, mentalities, varying levels of education, and from different backgrounds and regions. The biggest challenge is to indicate that it’s not just a fad or trend, but a real need. Through what we do as a company and as a team, we can contribute to making life nicer, better, and the air cleaner. How we and our children will live is a shared responsibility here and now.
Andrzej Bułka, President of the Management Board of Fracht FWO Polska Sp. z o.o.
Since 2019 he has been the President of the Fracht FWO Polska management board. He gained his experience as a merchant navy officer, and then developed his career in international logistics companies. International logistics expert and speaker at conferences and economy events in Poland and abroad.
Last Updated on May 23, 2024 by Anastazja Lach