Polish food industry supplier Roleski, a family-owned producer of sauces and dressings, has obtained its first dedicated jet, a Citation XLS, which it purchased from a German owner via Atlas Air Service. Roleski had previously operated a number of turboprops, most recently a Pilatus PC-12, but will now be able to serve a broader and more distant market. Management team member Jakub Kolodziej says: “We were looking for an upgrade from our PC-12, to have something which would allow us to conduct business in countries such as Spain, Portugal or even Turkey. We were also looking for a faster aircraft. Cessna was the first choice that came to mind, due to the popularity of its aircraft.”

Kolodziej praises Atlas’ sales team, especially sales director Hans Doll: “I have to say that the sales and after-sales support we got from Atlas Air was really good. In a nutshell, we were looking for a faster aircraft and we found that the XLS fulfils all our requirements. The seating capacity, the range and especially the speed were of primary importance. What also helps is that the XLS is a very popular aircraft and there are many aircraft of this type in operation. This by itself proves the reliability. It is a fast, spacious and reliable aircraft that seems to match our needs one 100 per cent.”

The aircraft is a 2005 model and having taken delivery of it in August, Roleski reports that its total hours now stand at around the 2,600 mark. Kolodziej is pleased with the way it is performing so far: “The flights that we have had in it have been really great. When you compare it to a turboprop, it is better in every respect. Nothing beats flying from the south of Poland, where we are based, to the seaside in 40 minutes.

“We had a couple of aircraft before, starting with some small ultralights. We then had a Piper Malibu, then we switched to the Pilatus, so the XLS is really the first jet we’ve been using. Marek Roleski, the owner of the company, is not a stranger to such flying because he has been flying with NetJets and other companies for quite some time now. The XLS is quiet, it is smooth, more spacious, really fast and once again I have to say it is reliable. It’s a pure pleasure to fly in.”

Kolodziej goes on to explain the function of the aircraft: “We use the aircraft for business travelling. We are a big company – we produce mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, sauces and dressings. We have our own brand, Roleski, which is very strong in Poland, but we also collaborate with the biggest corporations in the world, so we have quite a lot of flights all across Europe. We visit and audit our suppliers, we have meetings with our key clients, and apart from the business meetings we also take part in numerous conferences and symposiums all over the world, to promote the concept of family business. We fly quite often and to quite varied destinations. Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy are our most frequent ones.”

Not only will the XLS allow Roleski to reach a wider array of locations, it will allow the company to do so in a shorter space of time: “With the PC-12, when you hit an unfortunate headwind of between 50 and 100 knots, a flight to France can take between three and three and a half hours, whereas right now we will be able to get there in less than two hours. The PC-12 is an excellent aircraft and we would never change it for anything else in the turpoprop range, but our needs have simply grown to a level where a jet is a must, because time has become the most valuable asset.

“We believe the XLS will significantly improve our chances in the markets of western Europe, because we will be able to meet with our clients on a more frequent basis, and we will also be able to make some better deals with potential suppliers by being able to visit more of them in a working week. We see it as a huge time saver,” Kolodziej continues.

Expansion into new territories is another benefit he foresees: “We believe that having this aircraft will allow us to expand our business to countries where perhaps we are not that present, and it will also allow us to be a bit more competitive – we will be able to visit the markets a bit more often, to do some market research, and simply to be there.

“We see it as a really good opportunity and the aircraft itself is seen as just one of the tools that we use in order to grow the business, which is always our primary goal,” concludes Kolodziej.