Candidate’s name
Radosław T. Krochta
Company’s name
MLP GROUP S.A.
Work experience in this position
Radosław T. Krochta has over 20 years’ professional experience. He has been involved with MLP Group and the warehouse market at large for a decade now. In 2013, he had company shares successfully listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, raising funds to accelerate the company’s growth. The company’s market capitalisation has doubled over the last five years and its investment property portfolio has grown to include 19 logistics parks. The company initially focused on expanding its business in Poland. Today it is successfully pursuing a strategy of entering into new markets. Its primary objective is a rapid expansion in Germany, which, like its home country, is considered a priority market. In particular, MLP Group will seek to establish a presence in Germany’s key regions: Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt, and the Ruhr. In line with the growth path developed by Radosław T. Krochta, Polish and German operations should converge in terms of asset value and revenue by 2023.
Description of business activity (profile, market sectors served, etc.)
MLP Group is a leading developer of warehouse space in Poland, Germany, Austria, and Romania, providing the services of a property developer, consultant, and property manager. The company has been expanding its commercial property business since 1998. Today it operates 19 logistics parks, offering approximately 700,000 m2 of finished modern warehouse space. Its broad product portfolio includes big box, city logistics and BTS warehouses. Its key tenants are manufacturing, logistics, courier and e-commerce companies.
Size of the company managed by the candidate (headcount, regions of activity)
50 people, Poland, Germany, Austria, Romania
The y-o-y increase in profits/income generated last year
profit: PLN 129,4m +40% yoy
Career path (Previous employers, professional progress, when was the candidate promoted to the current position, etc.)
Mr. Radosław T. Krochta graduated from Management and Banking College in Poznań (Finance). In 2003 he completed postgraduate studies in Management at Nottingham University and a MBA postgraduate program. He has many years of financial experience in Poland, Eastern Europe and the United States. From 2001 to 2004 he held the position of CFO at Dresdner Bank Polska S.A. He was also the Director of the Department of Strategic Consulting at Deloitte Advisory and previously worked as a manager at PWC in Warsaw and in the United States. In 2010, he joined MLP Group S.A. and serves as the President of the Management Board and CEO.
Biggest business achievements, especially those made last year
MLP Group with Radosław T. Krochta at the helm enjoys an excellent financial position. The company has a robust capital structure, supporting delivery of long-term strategic goals, a land bank of attractively located plots, and highly qualified management personnel. MLP Group has recently rolled out the new ‘city logistics’ format, with one city logistics project already completed in Poznań and further such projects under way in Berlin, Niederrhein, and Vienna. The company’s logistics parks feature innovative eco-friendly solutions. All this helps MLP Group to stay on its path of rapid growth. The company boasts a stable tenant base, very low vacancy rates and a strong average lease length of 8.2 years. MLP Group has been delivering outstanding financial performance over the past few years. It posted just under PLN 130m in net profit for 2019, up 40% year on year. Its net profit for the first six months of 2020 came in at PLN 121m (up 75% year on year) despite the pandemic. In the same period the value of its investment property rose 20%, to PLN 2,16bn.
Contributions made to the improvement of the CEE commercial property market
MLP Group’s strategy is focused on strengthening the company’s position in key regions in Europe. In parallel with its rapid growth on the home market, the company is successfully expanding its business in Germany and Austria, and it also invests in Romania. The company’s first project in Germany is MLP Business Park Berlin I sited near the German capital, which is currently in the construction phase. This year the company has also launched its second business park project in Germany: MLP Business Park Niederrhein, which combines the functions of ‘city logistics’ properties with ‘big box’ warehouses and will meet BREEAM certification requirements. MLP Group is making preparations for further large projects in the region. The company owns land plots and has signed a number of reservation agreements to purchase new land for planned logistics parks in Poland, Germany and Austria (including in Gelsenkirchen, Cologne, and Vienna). Currently, the total development potential of the land held is close to 1.3m m2, which means the company will be able to nearly double its leasable area.
Other industry awards and prizes
Radosław T. Krochta’s strong management skills are recognised by industry experts. Every year, he is nominated for person-of-the-year awards in competitions held by the commercial property market community. He is among the leaders who exert the greatest influence on the industry and who have implemented spectacular changes in their organisations or drive growth across the market. MLP Group-owned logistics parks are renowned for their compliance with BREEAM certification requirements and high technical standards. Their major advantage is excellent location in key warehouse regions near important transport hubs. In keeping with its build & hold strategy MLP Group’s logistics parks are retained in its portfolio upon completion. Tenants favour this approach because they get to work with the same people responsible for high service quality throughout the lease term. Among the accolades received by the company is an award presented by tenants in MLP Pruszków I in a competition organised by Eurobuild.
