Over three decades of experience at the heart of Polish logistics.
POL-AGENT Sp. z o.o. is one of the first private freight forwarding and agency companies in Poland. For over three decades, we have actively participated in the development of the Polish maritime and logistics services market.
Our company has been operating continuously since 1990, combining extensive experience from Polish shipping with international cargo handling standards.
Historical Outline
1990 – Company Establishment
POL-AGENT was established during the period of systemic and economic transformation, when political and economic changes enabled the creation of the first private entities in the maritime industry, previously dominated by state monopolists. The company was founded on July 17, 1990, and commenced its operational activities on September 1, 1990.
The company was established on the initiative of the Szczecin branch of Polish Ocean Lines. The first owners were Polish Ocean Lines and eight PLO employees. One of the key figures in the company’s establishment was Włodzimierz Matuszewski, the originator of the company’s name.
The original company name was:
POL-AGENT MARITIME BROKERS AGENTS FORWARDERS Sp. z o.o.
Janusz Kwiatkowski became the first Chairman of the Board.
From the outset, the company was intended to serve not only as a classic maritime agency. Concurrently, a customs agency was established as a separate entity, POL-Agent Customs Agency, along with a freight forwarding department, which allowed for comprehensive handling of vessels and cargo.
The dynamic growth of the company in its early years resulted in the opening of additional offices:
- Świnoujście – serving the ferry market and West Pomeranian ports,
- Kołbaskowo, Lubieszyn, Rosówek – border offices handling customs clearance (operational until Poland’s accession to the EU),
- Gdynia – an office conducting agency, freight forwarding, and customs activities similar to the Szczecin headquarters.
During this period, the company was owned by ESL (Euroafryka / Euroafrica Services Ltd.), originating from Polish Ocean Lines.
1990s – Development of Structures and Office Network
2000 – Management Change and Company Revitalization
Around 2000, following the departure of the previous chairman due to health reasons, management of the company was entrusted to Jerzy Barski, a long-time employee of Polish Ocean Lines with over 25 years of experience in shipping.
Thanks to his extensive international contacts – particularly in Western Europe – and excellent knowledge of the shipping market, Jerzy Barski led to even greater activation and systematic development of the company.
In the mid-2000s, due to ESL’s plans to sell the company, Jerzy Barski contacted C. Steinweg Group Rotterdam. Discussions concluded with the acquisition of the company by the Dutch logistics group. The owners of POL-AGENT became C. Steinweg Group Rotterdam and Jerzy Barski. The company continued to act as an agent for ESL, servicing their vessels.
Concurrently, business activities were consolidated, and the name was unified:
- the companies POL-AGENT MARITIME BROKERS AGENTS FORWARDERS Sp. z o.o. ceased operations
and POL-Agent Customs Agency - the company began operating under the name:
POL-AGENT Sp. z o.o.
From this point, the company entered a phase of intensive investment-driven development.
2006 – Ownership Change and Name Consolidation
2009 – AEO Certificate
In 2009, POL-AGENT obtained AEO – Authorised Economic Operator status. The process of preparing and processing the application took almost a year. The company was among the first freight forwarding companies in Poland to hold this certificate, which significantly strengthened its position in the international supply chain.
In 2016, following the death of Chairman Jerzy Barski, the C. Steinweg Group entrusted the position of Chairman of the Board to his daughter, Anna Barska, who was previously the director of the Gdynia office, ensuring continuity of strategy and management stability.
2016 – Management Continuity
POL-AGENT Today
Today POL-AGENT Sp. z o.o. is:
- one of the largest and longest-operating private freight forwarders in Poland,
- part of the C. Steinweg Group Rotterdam, which provides access to a global logistics network and partners for 135 offices in over 55 countries,
- a key operator in the ferry market in Świnoujście,
- a partner to all port terminals in Szczecin, Świnoujście, Gdynia, and Gdańsk.
