SOLARIS BUS & COACH - OUR ISSUE IS THE FOCUS N THE CUSTOMER POSITIVE RESULTS OF THE FIRST QUARTER 2004.

The Solaris Bus & Coach sales curve goes straight up. Due to alignment with the client, customers soon become patrons of the Polish bus and coach manufacturer. Customer satisfaction gains new clients. The strategy of the

The strategy of the manufacturer of buses and coaches, based in Bolechowo near Poznan, is plain and simple: Focus on the customer and his needs. The quantity of orders on hand proves this a most rewarding attitude. With their progress in establishing themselves on the European market and with their customers’ positive references, the manufacturer of buses and coaches is constantly gaining new customers.

The outcome of this philosophy is illustrated by the sales statistics: Customers who have once decided to buy any of the buses manufactured by Solaris Bus & Coach are placing new orders. During the first quarter of this year, 263 orders from foreign customers for city and trolley buses have been signed. Total number of orders for the year 2004 is 415 (206 of buses will go to patrons). This value is already 80% of planned production in this year.

The finished buses will go to Germany (Berlin, Bochum, Munich, Reutlingen, Troisdorf), Italy (Como, Naples), Latvia (Riga), Estonia (Tallin), France (Narbonne), Slovakia (Kosice), Czech (Olomunc, Ostrava) and Switzerland (Winterthur, Chur, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Kreuzlingen, Swiss Post). In Poland buses and trolley buses will go to Kraków, Tychy, Jaworzno, Gdynia, Agustów, Poznań and Bielsko-Biała.


Results of good cooperation with customers can also be found in other fields. In order to get the population of the operational area of BOGESTRA (the Bochum-Gelsenkirchen Streetcar Corporation) better acquainted with Solaris’ lesser-known brand name, BOGESTRA, in cooperation with Solaris in mid-March, has performed a contest to find a suitable name for Solaris’ mascot, the green badger-hound. As a result, in Bochum, the low floor “badger-hound” bus will from now on be known as Â“Poldi”.

In Poland, the Krakow Transportation Company relates how Solaris Bus & Coach shows consideration for the needs of the customer. In early 2004, production of 50 city buses for the City of Krakow, according to the CKD-system (completely knocked down), has begun. The final assembly will take place at the customer’s premises in Krakow. The CKD-system, already widely in use with other European bus manufacturers, and introduced for the first time by Solaris Bus & Coach, is aimed at preserving jobs at the Krakow Transportation Company facilities. In order to maintain the usual high level of quality, the complete assembly will be supervised by employees of Solaris Bus & Coach.

For us, the customer matters most. He is the one who tells us about possible improvements on our buses. It is most important for us to meet our customer in person. Experience shows how much more efficient a direct, open discussion is, as solutions to possible problems are found much easier and faster. It also helps to develop a much better feeling for one another. All this pays off in good deals – says Krzysztof Olszewski, President of Solaris Bus & Coach about the current strategy.

In March, Mr. Olszewski has received the second prize for the best Polish exporter. This prize, named “Hussar of Europe” is awarded by the Polish media.