Poland’s InPost acquires partner mail firm PGP

Polish mail and parcel delivery firm InPost has acquired one of its partners on an important public sector mail contract. InPost, part of the Integer.pl Group, is known outside Poland more for its parcel locker terminal business, but is one of the largest private sector postal operators in Poland.

It said it has acquired 100% of the Polska Grupa Pocztowa (Polish Postal Group) SA.

Since this time last year, PGP has been partnering with InPost on a two-year, EUR 120m contract to provide mail services for Poland’s courts and prosecutors offices. InPost said PGP was a “technology leader” within the Polish postal market thanks to its electronic confirmation of acceptance technology for letters.

Rafał Brzoska, the InPost president, said formally taking over PGP came after a “very fruitful” year for both companies in picking up business mail and public sector contracts.

He suggested that the developments were putting his company in a position to challenge state-owned Polish Post for the role as Poland’s universal service provider.

Liberalisation

“Thanks to the gradual liberalisation of the postal market in Poland, the activities of private operators are winning over the Polish State, which — without sacrificing quality — is saving the public sector millions, and mean that Poles do not have to worry about further letter price increases, while at the same time benefiting from the latest technology, such as electronic confirmation of acceptance,” said Brzoska.

“Ahead of us is the competition for the designated operator. Now we are analysing the conditions set by the UKE [postal regulator].”

Laying out InPost’s credentials to become Poland’s designated operator, the firm said it has a network of more than 8,300 customer service points throughout the country, 76% of them open on Saturdays and 8% open on Sundays. It also has more than 10,000 delivery staff, handling 240m items in 2013, a figure which is expected to reach 300m in 2014.

InPost is also looking into the possibility of acquiring another of its partners in the mail business, mailing house Inforsys, Brzoska revealed.

Based in Radzymin, just outside Warsaw, Inforsys was founded in 1999, providing direct mail, hybrid mail and e-commerce services.

Brzoska said an acquisition could take place in the second half of 2015 after InPost floats on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.