One of the greenest office buildings in Cracow, V.Offices, has a new tenant. Imperial Brands Services has signed a rental contract for nearly 1,600 square meters of office space. In the new location, will develop a global business service (GBS) established in Kraków as a part of the company strategy and operating model a truly multiple-scope organization for Finance, IT, Data, and Procurement. Both parties were supported by international consulting companies, with the owner of the building, AFI Europe, represented by Knight Frank experts and the tenant by CBRE.
Imperial Brands, with its headquarters in Bristol and London (the United Kingdom), is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of tobacco products. Global Business Services (GBS) with a main location hub in Krakow is the fourth investment of the concern in Poland. Currently, there are already two modern factories of the manufacturer in the country – in Tarnowo Podgórne near Poznań and in Radom, as well as a global supply chain center in Warsaw.
“Our vision is to create a true centre of capability bringing together a talented team of experts with specialised knowledge in various domains, such as Finance, IT, Data, and Procurement. Our innovative approach and global footprint are inspiring people to join us on our journey. We have already attracted over 100 talented colleagues to our Krakow centre, and we are growing quickly. We are very happy that we have moved to a new sustainable office in the heart of historic Krakow. The new office at V.Offices meets our high requirements, providing excellent conditions and an inspiring work environment,” says Edwin Bennaars, Director of Global Business Services at Imperial Brands.
“I am glad that yet another tenant has appreciated the green solutions offered by V.Offices. We are almost finishing the commercialization of the building and the new contract proves that the strategy we chose was and is right. V.Offices is considered to be the greenest office building in Poland. Our building offers a wide range of energy- and water-saving facilities and focuses on renewable sources of energy and systems for recovering heat, power, and humidity from the ventilation and air conditioning system. I am certain that the new users will also appreciate the facilities that the building has for cyclists and that they will be using the green patio willingly,” comments Sebastian Kieć, CEO at AFI Europe Poland.
V.Offices is an attractive place to work offering over 21,400 square meters of office space. It boasts a great location on the map of Krakow in terms of access to public transport. There are numerous bus and tram stops in its immediate vicinity, and it only takes 3 minutes to get to the main railway station. In addition, the office building is green-oriented, providing charging points for electric cars as well as bicycle stations and showers for cyclists to meet the needs of the employees choosing environmentally-friendly transport. At its design stage, V.Offices was awarded the BREEAM “International New Construction” certificate, with an “Outstanding” score of 98.87%.
“Cracow, which I mostly associate with tourist attractions and history, is predominantly a city with immense potential. As many as 261 shared services centers, employing over 92,000 employees, operate in the capital of Lesser Poland. The assets of the city such as very good universities and well-educated graduates are recognized by international corporations. In order to provide them with the best working conditions and environment possible, companies choose office buildings that guarantee both comfort and safety. V.Offices is one of the best office buildings in Cracow and I am convinced that the tenant will feel at home here very soon,” adds Monika Sułdecka-Karaś, Partner and Regional Director at Knight Frank.
“Location is still the key factor influencing building selection and operation. But sustainability is becoming more and more significant, our report shows that 55% of companies see sustainability as among the most sought-after features for selecting buildings, that’s a big change compared to last year, 44% and 37% the year before that. We used the same criteria when looking for a new office for our client, who is a very conscious company that cares about employees and their comfort as well as the environment,” said Anastazja Berniak, Associate Director at CBRE.
