Jarosław Rak from Poli Trade Polska shares how experience and dedication made his company one of the best
Jarosław Rak, CEO of Poli Trade Polska , has always been an entrepreneur and advocate for clean energy. He launches the innovative products under the brand called Feniks Pellets on the Polish market, which is now one of the most recognizable and recommended biofuel brands in the country. This year, Poli Trade Polska was also awarded the prestigious title Forbes Diamonds.
Hello Mr. Rak, please introduce us to your brand and tell us about your pellet production.
The production site where the wood pellets with brand name “FENIKS PREMIUM” are produced was established in 2015 in Niemodlin, Opole Province. In May 2018, we reached full production capacity, and since then, we’ve been continuously producing our pellets.
Looking back over the years, I can say that we are committed to providing our customers with products of excellent heating properties – quality class A1. That’s why we adhere to the highest standards, caring for every stage of production—from raw materials to the final product. I’m convinced that very few brands of wood pellets on the European market can match the quality of our flagship product, called: Feniks Pellet Premium.
If I can take you back in time, how did your adventure with pellet production begin?
In 2015, having acquired the land in Niemodlin, we decided to invest in used but available machines from REMATEC company. At the beginning, we operated on an old, used REMATEC production line with a SALMATEC MAXIMA 500 granulator. Our machines lacked technical documentation, so we learned much of the technology through trials and errors.
We worked directly on the production line, simply testing and analyzing the settings and the outcomes. We adjusted the machines manually step by step. Back then, we experienced frequent breakdowns — almost daily, all time.
The first two years were a real durability test for our whole great team. We learned everything, including how to granulate the pellets, which turned out to be a much more challenging process than expected. Ultimately, we gained a great deal of knowledge, not only about the production process but also about the raw material itself. In the years that followed, our experience proved invaluable, leading us to produce a truly excellent product. We got to know the material and the process, maybe even better than others, I believe (laughs).
What about the modernization of the plant?
After over two hard challenging years, we managed to reach a capacity of around 8 000 tons annually with satisfactory quality results – it sounds as success. With the experience gained, we decided to modernize the plant.
Due to our confidence in the old line and our past experiences, we built a new facility from scratch based on SALMATEC and REMATEC technology. Ultimately, the new production line allowed us to triple the plant’s capacity from 8 000 tons to about 30 000 tons annually, and today we are ready to double production again. We are so proud of it!
Why ENplus® certification is so important?
We are pretty sure that the ENplus® certification is a quality guarantee today. Our product was already produced with a strong focus on quality, but the certification opened the doors to clients who value objective verification standards. Today, I can say with 100% sure that ENplus® helped us achieve at least three goals:
- It granted us access to European markets.
- It boosted our credibility. We became a reliable supplier for customers in the EU and in our domestic market, Poland.
- The certification confirmed the quality of our product—one of the highest available on the market.
How has the ENplus® certification helped you meet customer expectations?
When it comes to an end customer, the consumer, I can say that our products called “Feniks Pellet” is the choice of many clients with modern home heating systems. These are smart consumers who often invested significant sums in modern pellet stoves.
We see that our clients look for a reliable, high-quality product that performs as advertised, meaning it heats efficiently, doesn’t damage modern stoves, is clean, and economical to use. That’s our Feniks Pellets Premium and Feniks Pellets Gold products.
Customers understand that the ENplus A1 certification seal is an objective standard. They choose our product, confirming its value by heating their homes with it. ENplus® also helped us secure recommendations from stove manufacturers who appreciate our commitment to high standards.
Photos: Poli Trade Polska