This year, AWT Group, a member of PKP CARGO, celebrates 65 years since the inception of OKR – Doprava and Čechofracht. 55 years have passed also since the establishment of AWT Rekultivace (formerly OKR, Rekultivace), the only non-transport company within the group.
AWT Group has its roots in traditional and reputable companies, thanks to which it prides itself with extensive know-how, based on more than 65 years of experience and the confidence of its customers. In the past few decades, these companies have played a part in major changes in freight transport, whether such concerned the development of modern railway sidings or the provision of comprehensive services in the field of rail and combined transport.
From the year 2010 these companies are jointly developed under the auspices of AWT and since 2015 they have been a part of PKP CARGO Group, the third largest rail freight operator in Europe.
Today, AWT is synonymous with solid, modern and reliable rail freight and logistics transport in Europe, having grown within a short time in size and scope, to being respected at international level. Meanwhile it maintains high efficiency and flexibility of the services provided.
„Over the years AWT has undergone market changes that have confronted it with a variety of challenges. I think I can say that it resolved these tests with confidence and thanks to that built a strong position in the market. Cooperation with PKP CARGO group then still increased this strength,” says CEO Arkadiusz Olewnik.
„AWT is seen as a stable, strong and respected company with a manifest development potential, the strongest and largest value of which is its own staff,” says the CTO Bohumil Bonczek.
While in the past the company has been heavily oriented towards the transport of coal, it has gradually managed to replace this commodity by others. It is the ability to adapt to the changing market, which is according to the CCO Victor Bystrian one of the greatest advantages of the company. „We’re not such a great juggernaut, so there is flexibility and a proactive business approach. On the other hand we are not a small firm either, so we can undertake larger scale projects too, and our customers entrust us with such projects with confidence.” The future is seen by the CCO in particular in international transport in respect of which he adds: „Here we can take advantage of our experience, which gives us a strong base from which to further develop the group.”
AWT Group currently employs more than 2,000 employees and is thus one of the largest employers within the Morava-Silesian Region, but also within the whole of the Czech Republic. It is active also in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary and provides its services throughout the whole of Europe. „Despite the difficult situation on the market we continually strive to develop our key assets, and therefore great emphasis is placed on human resources. AWT invests in the training of its employees considerable financial resources, whether in respect of professional training or other development activities. We have a huge advantage in the fact that we are able to, through an accredited training centre, flexibly and directly in accordance with the terms of AWT train employees for key positions such as engine drivers, wheel tappers or dispatchers,” adds Žaneta Sigmundová, CHRO of AWT.
The AWT Group strategy, in future also in synergy with the parent PKP CARGO, lies mainly in the development of intermodal transport and transportation services for the automotive, chemical and food industries, the strengthening of international transport, in particular, on the North-South axis, provision of comprehensive services in integrated logistics chains while importing coal for major regional customers, usage and integration of railway transportation in the area of large-scale reclamation work and the construction of transport line structures or the use of equipped siding infrastructure for new investors in the region of Northern Moravia.
Last but not least AWT then contemplates the use of a unique rail network linking large regional centres (Ostrava, Havířov, Bohumín, Orlová, Karviná, Rychvald) for the construction of a suburban network of fast light passenger transport trains.
