Selena Group, one of the leading producers and distributors of construction chemicals and the owner of the TYTAN brand – has been named the Hidden Champion in the report prepared for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The survey was conducted by a team of experts of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) led by SGH Professor Grażyna Leśniak-Łebkowska, PhD, as part of the project “Hidden Champions in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe (CESEE). This project was coordinated and finally developed according to EBRD requirements by IEDC-Bled School of Management and CEEMAN. 

Selena Group was recognised for its strong position in the global market of construction chemicals. This is the result of product innovation and investments in modern technologies. However, the company’s robust trading performance would not have been possible without the effective leadership and close relationships with customers.

The “Hidden Champions” report recognises successful and innovative SMEs, leaders of their respective niche markets across the world, or market leaders on their continents, with revenues not exceeding USD 1 billion. The survey was carried out in 2018 and 2019 in the following 22 countries: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine. In Poland, 11 companies were named a Hidden Champion.

“Selena Group has been in the market since 1992. Since then, we have come a long way from a small firm in Lower Silesia to a large, international corporation. One of our most important business decisions was to make inroads into foreign markets back in 2000s. In 1999, our exports were nil. Today, 70% of Selena Group’s sales are generated outside of Poland, mainly in Europe. The key to this performance is the knowledge of individual markets and the quality of the products offered under our main brand, Tytan Professional, as well as our close cooperation with end-users of our products. We are pleased that ‘Made in Poland’ products enjoy a very good reputation in the world. We are constantly working on improving our solutions and strengthening our brand awareness in the markets where we currently operate. This is possible thanks to our well-coordinated international teams working under the common banner of Selena. Hidden Champion is an accolade that evidences recognition of the ‘hidden’ potential which we have been consistently developing year over year!”, says Krzysztof Domarecki, CEO of Selena FM SA

Hidden Champions are characterised by the high quality of their products and services – quality, constant innovation and continuous improvement are key to their competitive advantage. The companies also invest a lot in research and development of their processes and business models so as to remain ahead of their competitors and to anticipate the current and future business challenges of their customers.

The majority started out as start-ups or family-owned firms that grew as a result of their entrepreneurial mindset, customer centricity and determination to innovate continuously. They have overcome challenges to do with issues such as growth and internationalisation, as well as others, related to organisational culture or structural, procedural and process overhauls.

The main ingredients of success of Hidden Champions:

• finding a niche market
• striving for continuous improvement
• diversification
• customer-centricity
• an entrepreneurial mindset
• employee retention and development, and teamwork

Selena Group has been in the market for 27 years. It has over 30 companies in 16 countries and 17 production plants. Its success is underpinned by the work of nearly 1800 people, including 1100 employed in Poland. It is the only Polish brand in the construction chemicals sector that sells products in 70 countries on four continents. Depending on the product group, Selena’s market share ranges from several percent to nearly forty percent. At present, Selena is one of the world’s four largest producers of polyurethane foam for construction.