Interview with the new president of AVIA

Date of publication: 18.10.18

You became the President of AVIA International in July, so what challenges are you facing?

The challenges may differ from region to region or country to country, but one common challenge exists …. The question about the future of fuels for our mobility? What will happen to our existing fuels business on the retail stations (Diesel / Petrol)? Will it be the e-mobility with electric cars and “cable loading”? Will there be hybrid solutions or will there still be a big sector using combustion engines and for how long will it exist? Is it LPG / CNG or even the fuel cell technology with Hydrogen that will become the fuel of the future?

What is the phenomenon of the AVIA brand name? In your opinion… Why does it occupy such a high position on the European market of petrol stations?

AVIA is a brand that has existed since 1927 – the first brand was registered in Switzerland in 1931. It is the brand of free entrepreneurs who wish to maintain a certain freedom but understand pretty well that being a part of a bigger family – the AVIA family – and representing a well-known brand offers clear advantages.

What are the most convincing factors that can encourage new members to join the AVIA family?

The brand has a very good reputation and is has been a trusted brand for over 90 years!

Entrepreneurial freedom within a given “brand frame” is an interesting approach for family owned companies
Usually the freedom and the free choice of participating in common purchases or umbrella contracts with better “purchase prices” (for fuels, hardware etc.) are convincing
Realising that “together” is more than “running on its own” and gives “WIN/WIN”

Why did the association see a potential in the development of AVIA in Poland? What did convince you to develop your business in our country?

For years Poland was in our mind for further expansion also on the retail station market, but for some years we did not see the market to be ready for us nor did we see a potential member company in Poland that could join AVIA. Fortunately, the first contacts with UNIMOT SA in the 2^nd quarter of 2016 and the following discussions revealed a “great fit” and a “Win/WIN” for both sides and UNMOT SA became a member of AVIA INTERNATIONAL and AVIA Polska in November 2016. Following their AVIA membership, UNIMOT SA started their operations within rather a short period of time and opened their first AVIA petrol station in May 2017 ( NAME !!) . Since then the AVIA retail station network has been developing pretty fast and we today we possess 34 AVIA petrol station in Poland

What about fulfilling the commitments of UNIMOT as a member of AVIA International? Is it demanding and hard to cooperate with UNIMOT?…Or maybe it is a much more innovatory cooperation?

UNIMOT SA adds a great value to the AVIA family and we are pleased and happy having Adam Sikorski representing AVIA Polska on the board of AVIA INTERNATIONAL. His entrepreneurial competencies, his drive for innovation and his and his team’s engagement for the greater AVIA family on an international level is of great value and respected by the fellow member countries and members of the Association.

What is your vision and idea of further Association expanding?

AVIA INTERNATIONAL is open for further expansion in other countries, whenever it offers the opportunity of a market or interested potential members fulfilling our criteria. For this reason in 2016/2017 we also re-started our expansion of AVIA in the Czech Republic, started it in Bulgaria and are on the way to enter Ukraine.

Is it true, that AVIA is going to make an offer for customers outside of the European market?

AVIA resp. its member companies already offer lubricants outside Europe through chosen distribution partnerships in more than 50 countries outside Europe. But yes, we are considering our first move outside Europe with the AVIA brand in the retail station network. Our longstanding AVIA member Esergui SA in Spain had been studying the Mexican retail market for some time and finally expressed its desire to enter the Mexican market and establish a subsidiary in Mexico with the aim to develop the AVIA brand on the retail market.