President names winners of Economic Awards
President Andrzej Duda has granted seven companies the Presidential Economic Award. The companies received their awards during a Thursday gala at the 590 Congress in Jasionka near Rzeszów, south-east Poland.
The awards were granted in five main categories and two special ones. Similar to last year, President Duda also handed out an individual award.
Ultratech was named the Leader of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Ceramika Paradyż won the National Success award, while Vigo System SA received the International Success title. PKO BP won the Responsible Business award and MB-Pneumatyka was awarded the title of best Family Company.
Photon Entertainment was named the best Polish startup, while the Research and Development award went to Astronika.
President Andrzej Duda also granted the Individual Award to Zbigniew Grycan, founder of the ice cream business.
This year, on the occasion of the centenary of Poland regaining its independence, the President also presented a special prize for a Polish company that has been operating on the market for at least 100 years. The winner of the Special Award is the Warsaw HEFRA Platinum Factory.
The President stressed in his speech that the selection of the winners was "extremely difficult" and guided by many criteria, including the average salary in a given company.
Speaking about the winners, Andrzej Duda noted that they are examples of companies that derive "from this great, rich tradition of the best understood Polish business."
"I am happy to be able to point out those who are the best (...) and most advanced in terms of development, but also in everyday activity and business propriety," he added.
The Polish president emphasised that the awarded companies could be models for others, especially for young people who plan to start their own business as well as for other enterprises.
Duda also declared that talks with entrepreneurs, including those that he had led at the 590 Congress, had finally convinced him to appoint an Entrepreneurship Council at the President's Office - a team of experienced businessmen who can advise on further measures to facilitate the functioning of business in Poland.
The Economic Awards are granted yearly by the President of Poland. They distinguish companies that offer a significant contribution to the development of the Polish economy, build a positive image of the Polish economy around the world, and provide an example to others. (PAP)
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