STAG

Market leader

AC SA is a Polish leader and also an important world’s manufacturer of automotive LPG/CNG systems under STAG brand. AC SA has been operating on the Polish automotive market for more than 25 years and currently it has been the largest company in the segment of gas installations in Poland. According to its own estimates, AC SA has approximately a 45% share in the Polish market.
 

The products offered by AC SA are delivered to more than 30 countries all over the world. In 2010, the sale for foreign contractors represented 56% of the total income of AC SA. The key foreign clients of AC SA include Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Thailand.
 

The Company offers safe, cost effective, and environment friendly solutions. The policy followed by the Company focuses on the principal objective, which is: customer satisfaction by supplying top quality innovative products.
 

AC SA has a network of Partner Service Points (PSP) all over Poland. Currently, the network of PSP includes 42 professional autogas workshops, for whom the Company provides marketing and technical support and a system of professional training. Clients using the services of PSP receive a guarantee for the quality of installation and a free of charge guarantee service available within the network of workshops across Poland.
 

Scope of business

AC SA offers more than 200 autogas products, including controllers for LPG/CNG systems which account for the largest part of the offering. The flagship element of the sales offer of the company is a series of products under the STAG brand, being perhaps the most recognisable and most frequently purchased brand of electronic components for gas automotive systems in the market. Many of the solutions applied in this brand have marked pioneering ones on the global scale.The key business segment of AC SA is gas systems, but the offer of the company includes also parts and components used in the automotive industry. The sales structure of individual components in the Company’s offer is as follows:

• AutoGaz - products intended for automotive gas systems.
• Wire harnesses for the needs of the automotive industry – applied mainly in kits for towing hooks;
• Auto parts  - AC SA also offers its clients a wide range of its own automotive components
     and accessories and by renowned manufacturers, too.
   

Research and development department

Thanks to advanced research and development work and application of the latest technologies, AC SA can continuously improve its products and market the offer that is internationally innovative. There are more than 40 staff in our Research and Development Department who work on the product offer (approx. 10% of the total employment at AC). The existing R&D Department has considerably contributed to the Company’s leading position among manufactures of LPG systems in Poland. Making a step forward in the area of research, in 2011 the Company opened its own Research and Development Centre and started construction of a new building to meet its requirements. In the space of more than 2,000 sq. m., a team of designers will be able to continue its research and development focused on preparation of new technologies for products applied in supply of alternative fuels to the engines of motor vehicles.
The Company is currently at an advanced stage of construction work to build its own Research and Development Centre. Opening of the facility is planned towards the end of 2011 and beginning of 2012.
 

Modern stock of machines

The Company has a very modern stock of machinery. The majority of components are manufactured with the use of completely automated, precise, and highly efficient production lines. In order to ensure its leading position in the industry, AC SA continuously upgrades its plant and machinery. Upgrades of the machinery are financed with the Company’s own funds and also using EU funding. Manufacturing in AC SA takes place in the four major production departments: Electronics, SMD, Wire Harness, and Mechanical.

Development strategy

The strategy of AC SA includes intensive development of the Company within the scope of its current business and optimum utilisation of the LPG/CNG market potential, which primarily involves:

• fast growth in the number of cars using LPG and CNG as fuel in the world (in the years 2000-2009
     average increase was 8.7%);
• relatively higher reserves of natural gas than crude oil;
• economic efficiency resulting from a considerable difference between the prices of traditional fuels
     and gas for automotive purposes;
• smaller harm to the environment caused LPG and CNG powered vehicles than gasoline or diesel engines
   

Inwestycje

In the period 2008-2010, AC SA completed investment projects for the total amount of close to PLN 29 million, out of which PLN 11.7 million was spent for purchase of the plant and machinery from renowned world manufacturers.
A priority investment project currently carried by AC SA is the construction of the modern research and development centre for new technologies of powering engines of motor vehicles. The Company started to prepare its investment project plans back in December 2009 and its completion is planned by the end of 2011. The total cost of construction is estimated at approximately PLN 18 million net. The Company secured funds for this investment project from the EU Operational Programme Innovative Economy Measure 4.5.2. (read more in the EU SUBSIDIES section).

Investment projects of AC SA also include purchasing of additional plant and machinery for production of electronics, wire harnesses, and mechanical elements and construction of a new production facility, which will ensure increase of the Company’s production capacity and high quality production proceses. The investment – which will be carried in the years 2011-2012 – will allow production of technologically advanced components, especially electronic products.

Awards and prizes

Awards and prizes that have been granted to the Company confirm the high quality of the offered products, its excellent financial standing and dynamic growth and development.
More...