Farnell looks to the future with the opening of new Krakow office

Farnell has relocated to impressive new offices in Krakow, providing over 130 employees with a modern working environment as the global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions commits to a long-term future in Poland.

After first opening a Krakow office in 2012, the new 1200sqm office has been designed to embrace changes in the ways that employees now work at Farnell, with a mix of full-time office occupation and hybrid homeworking.

Incorporating enhanced environmental features and materials throughout, the building significantly reduces energy consumption through having SMART LED lighting with move and dusk sensors, access to daylight from every seat and the highest standard electronic equipment. In addition, Nowy Styl furniture has been fitted throughout to provide world-class comfort across a range of desks and chairs made from sustainable materials to suit all physical requirements, while the entire office has been decorated with environmentally friendly paints.

Outside of the office, a series of ‘Chill Zones’ have been created to offer places for employees to relax in comfortable sofas and chairs positioned in a setting with sunlight and pleasant views. A spacious green area also includes table tennis, table foosball, seating and trees to create a relaxing and welcoming area for when colleagues wish to take time away from work.

Farnell’s first Krakow office employed 30 people supporting customers across Eastern Europe. The team has since more than quadrupled in size to include employees working in areas of the business including customer service, sales, asset management, quotes, marketing, technical support, legal, translations and customer lifecycle management.

Sabina Rozlach, Farnell Commercial Centre Director Eastern Europe, said: “After celebrating our 10-year anniversary in Krakow last year, we are delighted to have taken the next step on our growth journey by opening this fantastic new office space. By relocating to these high-quality facilities, we are ensuring that our more than 130 colleagues continue to deliver the very best in high service distribution for thousands of customers across 26 countries, working in 15 different languages.”

“One of the main goals in designing Farnell’s new office was to create a calm and supportive space for employees. To this end, a colour scheme and materials inspired by nature were used. The space is dominated by neutral colours such as beige, as well as grey combined with green and blue, plus a touch of various natural, warm materials such as wood and cork. In the social spaces, including chillout, kitchen and coffee point, wallpapers with floral motifs help employees rest and relax.

“What’s more, the design of the new office was adapted not only to the new location, but also to the hybrid mode of work. This is reflected in a functional layout that supports collaboration and enables flexible use of the office aligned with the changing needs and diverse activities of users. When designing the new space, we put strong emphasis on the common spaces such as meeting rooms of various sizes and social spaces that promote employee integration,” says Agnieszka Ulatowska, Senior Architect at Colliers Define.

Colliers Define experts were also responsible for carrying out the fit-out works – comprehensive finishing of the new office, delivery of furniture, AV system and greenery.

“A major challenge in implementing the project for Farnell were long lead times for materials. In order to deliver the finished space within the customer’s expected timeframe, we made orders for key materials, such as air conditioning units, before the work began. In turn, to meet the expectations of architects and Farnell in terms of aesthetics of finishing, we brought special moulds to shape the decorative felt panels used as wall cladding. The result pleased us all, as did the cooperation itself. Thanks to the smooth operation of all parties involved, Farnell employees are already able to meet in a space that delights, integrates and increases productivity,” says Sebastian Socha, Project Manager at Colliers Define.

The opening of the new Krakow office is Farnell’s latest significant investment in EMEA operations, after the completion of a £6million pound refurbishment of the company’s global head office in Leeds, UK in September 2022.