Development at all costs isinscribed in the DNA of Action Business

1. I am always interested in the way entrepreneurs start their careers. How did you make your entrance? When did you start?

I started in the early 90s when the free market was launched in Poland. Poles, hungry for the latest things from the West, eagerly bought not only clothing or food but also television and radio sets, household appliances, computers and PC games – the trade that actually started it all.

2. What was the beginning of your business like?

At that time, business was based on the classic principles of trade. All you had to do was buy and sell goods at sat- isfactory rates for yourself and for your partners without the Internet, without the dominance of big manufactur- ers. It was a simple task on the one hand, dif cult on the other because it took a lot of effort. But it also gave us a lot of joy because it had a real impact on the market.

3. Why do you think Action as a group has become so effective?

Apart from standard distribution, we quickly became a manufacturer of computer hardware. Our brands, name- ly Activejet and Actina, have been on the market for more than 15 years and are consistently trusted by customers in Poland and abroad. Over time, we started to develop our business with new competencies, such as new product categories and new sales channels, such as our online shop sferis.pl, or our portal for gam- ers gram.pl. In parallel with our expanding offer and new customers, we developed distribution capabilities. Today, our logistics center is one of the most modern in Poland. As you can see, Action’s success is a result of good investments. We did not spend away all the mon- ey we made, but rather we have tried to multiply it. As a result, we have come to the point where the Polish IT distribution market has become too small to grow further. That is why we decided to expand to other countries. We decided on Germany, where we built Action Group on the assets of the former IT distributor, and it now serves mainly the German market.

4. Recently, Action faced a big dispute with the Polish tax authorities. Many people are calling handelot and asking if the company is stable and what is going on. Can you explain?

Regarding the fraudulent decisions of the treasury, we obtained the consent of the court to open a sanctioning procedure in order to defend the interests of our contractors, employees and shareholders. This is one form of restructuring, something like Chapter 11 in the US. Thanks to this, we have the time to make the necessary changes in our organization according to the restructuring plan and return to the path of growth. In addition, we also gain more time to appeal against the decision of the tax authorities.

5. Piotr, there are rumors that your company is being targeted for your liberal beliefs. Do you think the attack on the company has political justication or is the result of turmoil in the industry?

I do not even want to think that the punishment I’m paying today along with all of Action’s employees is a punishment for my views. If so, it would mean a return to the Middle Ages for our society.

I’m one of those people who always see the glass as being half full. That’s why, despite everything, I think that reform is a chance for us. It is an opportunity to make changes in the company as quickly as possible, which will adapt it to today’s difficult IT distribution market.

6. If you were to look back, what would you do differently?

Man is the sum of his experiences. The good and the bad. That’s why I prefer to draw conclusions from what’s behind me rather than think what would happen if I could change something. It’s a waste of energy that I could be devoting to business development.

7. What is the strategy for the coming years? Do you think you can overcome all the obstacles?

I am committed to making Action come out of the restructuring even more competitive be- cause it will translate into success for us and our partners. Apart from the core business, we are also developing additional projects at Action Capital Group. The first concerns the export of Polish food to China, while the second is the distribution of innovative medical equipment. Both these activities are going forward one step at a time. I hope that over time their results will have an even greater impact on the achievements of the entire Action Group.

Export / Import Department Illona Czyrska

Illona.Czyrska@action.pl

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