Community Gala and 35th Anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Community Gala and 35th Anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice celebrated its 35th anniversary today at the NOSPR headquarters. During the event, the Economic Awards of the European Congress of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises were also presented..

RIG in Katowice anniversary

Members and friends of RIG met at the Chamber's Community Gala, during which the 35th anniversary of its activity was celebrated. The Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice is a rapidly growing economic self-government organization, currently associating nearly 700 companies. It was established on February 13, 1990, by 103 founders and registered on March 21, 1990. The first president of the RIG was Tadeusz Donocik, who held this position from 1990 to 2018 and is currently the Honorary President of the Chamber. It is worth noting that RIG continues the tradition of the Chamber of Commerce established in Katowice in 1922, and since 1927, the Silesian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, which operated until 1950.

Winners of the Economic Awards of the European SME Congress

During the gala, the Economic Awards of the European SME Congress were presented. The winners included:

• FORBES POLSKA, magazine, represented by Editor-in-Chief Katarzyna Dębek;
• GRUPA RECYKL S.A., represented by President of the Management Board Maciej Jasiewicz;
• STRABAG sp z o.o., represented by board member Dariusz Kolasa;
• Dariusz Miłek, founder and president of the management board of CCC S.A.;
• Robert Podleś, founder and president of the COBI capital group;
• NVIDIA CORPORATION, epresented by Roman Sioda, Managing Director for Central and Eastern Europe.
• SZEJA RALLY TEAM the award was received by Jarosław Szeja;
  
   

During the award ceremony, Dariusz Kolasa said:

- It is a great honor to receive this award. Our company has close ties with Silesia, as we employ many small and medium-sized enterprises from the province as subcontractors. We have recently completed the construction of a large rolling mill in Siemianowice, and we are currently creating a Gaming and Technology HUB on the site of the former Wieczorek mine in Katowice.

Dariusz Miłek also pointed out the similarities between his history and that of Silesia and RIG:

- I am also from a mining town, as I come from Lublin. My story is similar to that of RIG, as I also started out at the market in February 1990, and today my company has grown significantly.

Jarosław Szeja mentioned strengthening cooperation between entrepreneurs through sport:

- Sport is a platform that has brought us together in many areas. It's a great collaboration with KSSE and RIG, thanks to which we have built something unique that connects entrepreneurs.

Roman Sioda emphasized Poland's role in the international activities of his IT company:

- Poland is home to our hub for 24 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Together with Kulczyk Investment, we also opened the first AI factory in Poland.

Maciej Jasiewicz mentioned the growing role of Polish companies abroad:

- Looking at foreign markets, it is clear that Polish companies are going abroad and are not afraid to show their value, achieving success.

Robert Podleś made an important appeal concerning the Polish and European economy in his speech:

- I am honored. This is an award for all my employees. We are a large company where the entire process, from design to production, takes place in Poland. However, I have serious doubts as to whether this will still be the case among Polish and European manufacturers in twenty years' time. As entrepreneurs, we should do everything we can to put pressure on politicians to keep production on our continent.

Katarzyna Dębek expressed her great appreciation for Polish entrepreneurs in the SME sector:

- Usually, it is us, as a magazine, who award entrepreneurs. This makes this award all the more valuable to our editorial team, which follows your fortunes on a daily basis and rejoices in your successes. It is worth pausing to look at what Polish entrepreneurs have achieved over the last 35 years. The fact that Poland is among the twenty largest economies in the world is thanks to Polish SMEs.

A unique venue and artistic setting

The RIG Gala was held in the concert hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, which was filled with the sounds of soul, funk, and jazz music by Electro Deluxe, a French band that has been distinguished by its unique and original sound for over twenty years.