Case study
Case study
A good business plan – the history of Aerogrease
Aerogrease is a company that introduces to the market lubricating oils produced on the basis of a unique formula, having unprecedented properties on the market. The dynamic development of the company, which has taken place over the last few months, shows that a good business plan is the basis for running a company.
The idea to create the Aerogrease company came from the business experience of the founder of the company, Maciej Baraniecki. For many years he worked with companies from various industries, which allowed him to learn about their needs, problems and challenges. One of them is the issue of maintenance on production lines, so that their operation is optimal and as failure-free as possible and, most importantly, they bring the highest possible profits.
– I combined my business experience and the concept of creating a new, innovative product with the necessary know-how that I gained by working with a chemistry engineer, specialising in polymer technology, who is currently R&D manager in our company – says Maciej Baraniecki.
The first phase of the company’s development was focused on developing a product concept – an innovative lubricating oil, used in those industrial sectors where a large number of machines and steel are used, where there are high loads and friction, high temperatures, or high levels of salinity or dustiness. These are sectors such as automotive, construction, mining and quarrying. Its development has enabled the necessary funding to be obtained.
The company received a grant from the National Centre for Research and Development. The BRIdge Alfa GT Technologies investment fund also invested in its development.
– The investment agreement was signed in August 2019 and the R&D work started a month later. We needed the right space for their implementation. Our choice fell on the Wrocław Technology Park with the appropriate infrastructure. The good location of the Park and its reputation were also important to us. After all, as neighbours we have here companies that started out just like us, and today they are listed on the Stock Exchange – comments Maciej Baraniecki.
The laboratory work carried out since October 2019 has focused on creating an optimal composition of the chemical mixture, finding the right balance between the semi-finished products that make it up. Aerogrease also established cooperation with the Mechanical Department of the Wrocław University of Technology, which gave the company the opportunity to benefit from expert know-how and to perform advanced tests and expert opinions.
– This gave us the opportunity to achieve further milestones in the development of the company. Of course, the first one was to create a product concept, and the second one was to raise funds for its development. Now that we have a ready-made, optimum chemical mixture and a prototype of the lubricating oil, we are focusing on marketing it under the AGS brand – says Aerogrease CEO.
The company is currently focusing on establishing relations with potential customers. It has opted for direct distribution to entities which may be interested in using the product. The company is currently conducting a campaign in which, using its orders and its own business contacts, it visits various types of entities and provides them with its product for testing.
– We want to reach our customers directly. We show them the possibilities of our product, present the research and expertise they are interested in and variants of AGS lubricating oil – it will be available in liquid and aerosol form. All those who would like to test it are welcome to contact us – adds Mr Maciej.
The company now wants to focus not only on building its market position, but also on developing its product range, creating even more specialised variants of AGS lubricating oils.
– We want to win another investor in the coming months. This will allow us to carry out further research and development works and commercialise the results. Our business plans are ambitious – by the end of 2021 we want to sell 10,000 litres of our product. Along with the increase in sales, we will also increase our team, both commercial and R&D. Our development is based on a concrete action plan. Combined with a good idea, it is a factor which makes it worth taking the risk of starting our own company– concludes Maciej Baraniecki.
