1. How did you find your way to the Gromada Cooperative?
In 1989, I worked as a construction manager for ZIB, and I was tasked with supervising the assembly of a bridge over the Kryniczanka brook at the Gromada Resort in Krynica Zdroj. Later, the president of OST Gromada, Henryk Skoczylas, invited me to work on the construction of the Gromada Airport Hotel ul. 17-go Stycznia. My contract was supposed to last a year... But I ended up working at Gromada for another 35 years in various roles!
2. What roles did you work in at OST Gromada?
I started work as the Construction Manager of the Gromada Hotel at ul. 17-ego Stycznia 32 in Warsaw. My responsibilities included overseeing construction, organizing construction crews, and managing tenders. Next, I was promoted to the positions of deputy Technical Director and Director of the Investment and Renovations Office. At a later time, I held the position of President of the now defunct Gromada TOURS LLC. and Gromada Invest LLC Additionally, from 1991 to 2019 I served as the Director of the "Dom Chłopa" Hotel, later renamed the Gromada Centrum Hotel in Warsaw. As you can see, I started working in the broadly understood "construction industry", and ended up managing a hotel in all areas of its operation.
3. What gave you the most satisfaction while working at Gromada?
It gave me great satisfaction to feel that I had a real impact and contributed to the construction (or modernization) and commissioning of many OST Gromada hotel facilities, including the aforementioned Gromada Airport Hotel, the Hotel in Torun, or the "B" building of the hotel complex at Plac Powstańców Warszawy in Warsaw.
I must also add that I've always enjoyed working with people. As a Hotel Director, I personally acquired clients at various trade fairs and industry conferences. We collaborated with many travel agencies, organized picnics during which we acquired new contacts and new clients, but we also nurtured and built relationships with our regular guests.
I have always been proud of my employees, I had a very good crew, my priority was to make a profit from the hotel business and I must admit that I was successful in this, every year we made a profit of 5-6 million PLN.
In recognition of my overall achievements, I was awarded the Gold Cross of Merit by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.
4. What was the biggest challenge during your tenure at Gromada?
Perhaps it wasn't the biggest challenge, but the renovation and modernization of Building A of the Gromada Centrum Hotel in Warsaw. It began in 2014 and it really took a toll on us. Referring to the history of the hotel, it can be mentioned that we were renovating the part of the hotel that was opened in 1961. At every stage, we encountered surprises, such as wooden partition walls that were built of wood and lined with reeds, pillars, theoretically made of reinforced concrete, that were only suitable for replacement... And many, many different peculiarities - from the ground floor to the roof practically everything had to be replaced, only the external walls were left intact. The culmination of this hard work was the opening of that part of the hotel for guests in 2016. It is worth adding that the hotel reopened as a four star hotel.
5. What would you wish for OST Gromada on the occasion of its 85th anniversary?
On the occasion of the anniversary, I wish you "health, prosperity, and happiness," or in other, more appropriate words: I wish you 100% occupancy and as many satisfied guests as possible!
