Great projects start with a dream. Without dreams, there would be no goal, but it also takes perseverance, strength, courage, and the helpful hands of many people to create a solid company. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the company, Krzysztof Podgórski, the founder of Salumanus and currently the head of the Supervisory Board, told the story of this extraordinary project. He also thanked everyone who contributed to the success of Salumanus.
The round anniversary we celebrated on the 9th of June among the employees and friends of Salumanus in the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow. Special guests of the event were Jurek Owsiak and world-famous accordionists from Motion Trio band. The meeting was hosted by Magdalena Miśka-Jackowska, and the musical setting of the banquet was provided by Krakow pianist Adam Niedzielin.
In Krzysztof Podgórski's story, we went back to the very beginning, to the origins of who he is and what goals guided him in the process of building the company. It's a journey from the market square, where as a teenager he helped sell goods imported from abroad, through computer assembly for a living, a student advertising newspaper and the search for his place in the big world.
- After many different experiences, I realised that international trade was something I wanted to grow in. It was the 2000s, a difficult reality. There was an employer's market. The idea that I would like to create my own company was already arising in my head. And it was then, in 2002, in the afternoons, after working hours, that the Salumanus project was created - said Krzysztof.
He recalled the memories from the very beginning: a tiny office on the outskirts of Krakow, hand prints from screwing and unscrewing hard drives, first business trips to Asia and hours spent on tools for programming optical modules. Marcin Bała, CEO of Salumanus, added one more thing to this bag of memories: a cork board with a list of 10 biggest telecommunication operators in Poland that hung in the office at that time. Some of these companies no longer exist, with the rest Salumanus started cooperation.
- Searching for the company's identity and experimenting lead to the creation of a fibre optic laboratory in Salumanus in 2008. A strong position in our specialization is our blessing and a curse ;). Blessing, because we develop very fast. The curse ;), because we had to move every 3 years on average. We were constantly running out of space - the founder recalled.
For a few years, Salumanus has been located in an office building at Walerego Sławka 8A in Kraków. The opening of a new warehouse is planned soon. Currently, #Saluteam counts over 60 people. GBC Photonics, Salumanus' own brand, is present in the largest telecommunications projects not only in Poland but also worldwide. The company is also the exclusive distributor of the DCN brand for the European market. Salumanus is committed to supporting the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, the Noble Gift, the Wisła Blind Football team and many other organisations.
- I dreamt of creating a place that would be friendly. A company where it would be good to work. Many of you have already been with us for a very long time, so I believe that this goal has been achieved - said Krzysztof Podgórski. - The adventure of entrepreneurship requires great commitment, hard work, and resistance to stress. I would like to thank everyone who has helped me on this road - he concluded.
Marcin Bała, CEO of Salumanus revealed that Salumanus allowed him to realize his private goals and dreams. When Marcin was still a teenager he built the first network in his village. A few years later he was already an administrator of two large networks that connected 500 houses. And he dreamt that one day he would be able to build the biggest networks together with operators.
- Thanks to the work in Salumanus my dreams came true. Today, we cooperate with the majority of telecommunications operators in Poland. We talk with the biggest market players about the future of optical networks and we create it ourselves - Marcin Bała highlighted. - We are a mature company, so we go one step further. We want to be a global brand that will be a partner for the largest telecommunications operators and data centres around the world.
The official part of the meeting was finished with a motivational lecture by Jurek Owsiak. The charismatic leader was a guest of the event not by chance. Every year Salumanus auctions a gold heart, donating part of the profit to the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. In the jubilee year, they managed to get the heart from the 20th position.
See more in our gallery: After hours and watch our video from the event.
