The business centre Kauno dokas, owned by the investment management company Capitalica Asset Management, which is part of the SBA Group, has welcomed a rapidly growing transportation services company Vykom, which set up its offices here. The company’s administration will be based in an office with the total area of almost 500m² inside the business centre developed near the Neris. The setup of offices by this tenant marks the entire area of the business centre Kauno dokas, which has recently completed its 2nd phase of development, being let out.
“The success in the business of the recent years has led to an increase of the company’s workforce by a quarter, which prompted the search for a new office. Our selection was based on a number of criteria that we had established. We wanted a modern and sustainable business centre in a strategically convenient location. We are a car transportation company offering our services across Europe. Kauno dokas, which is close to the city centre, also offers excellent transportation links with the largest transport arteries in Lithuania. The business centre ticked all the boxes of our criteria,” says the head of Vykom, Virginijus Vytartas.
According to him, the new office of Vykom at the Kauno dokas will be able to house a few dozen employees providing professional services to the world’s largest car manufacturers.
Following the completion of the 2nd development phase of the modern class A business centre Kauno dokas, which is unique in its design, in 2019, its area available for rent has increased by 4,600m² from 10,400 to 15,000m². The investments made in the business centre and landscaping reach nearly EUR 23 million.
The demand for Kauno dokas exceeded our expectations. Even though the area available for rent had been increased by 44% during the second phase of development, it was snatched by the existing customers looking to expand and a few new ones too. Among them is the Vykom company, which demonstrates how a competitive Lithuanian business outgrows its humble spaces in inefficient buildings and offers its staff a chance of pursuing excellent performance in comfortable new offices,” says the head of the SBA investment management company Capitalica Asset Management, Andrius Barštys.
According to him, the Kauno dokas business centre, cooled using the river water and being the only one of its kind in Lithuania and in Kaunas, appeals to its customers not only because of its modern specification, its spaces available for free planning and a strategically convenient location, being close the city centre and having good transport links with the Vilnius-Klaipėda highway. The surroundings also matter a lot to the tenants. The project has seen the banks of the Neris fundamentally landscaped as well as recreation areas, bicycle routes and a sports and leisure site built. In high season, people can have a snack or a break or carry their jobs outdoors thanks to high-speed Wi-Fi.
Kaunas dokas is home to Danske Bank, Bentley, Dematic Limited, Visma, Nordzucker, Tele2 and offices of other international companies along with the Lithuanian companies such as Kelprojektas, Vadasiga, Oda.lt, CD8 klinika and others. Their offices measure between 100m² and 1,900m². The companies based in the business centre employ around 1,300 people.
About Vykom
Vykom, a company which provides car and other freight transportation services across Europe, was established in 2005. Its fleet of car transporters and lorries comprises over 100 vehicles, while the company employs over 210 professionals of their field. The list of its customers boasts major European and global car manufacturers such as: Audi, BMW, Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Opel, Škoda, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.
About Capitalica Asset Management
Capitalica Asset Management is engaged in the management of investment funds aimed at informed investors. Capitalica Baltic Real Estate Fund I that it owns is developing a facility of sustainable business centres Verde in Skanste district close to the city centre in Riga. It also manages the Kauno dokas business centre near the Neris river in Kaunas, the 135 business centre located in Vilnius and the Luizė shopping centre based in Klaipėda. Along with other investors, the pension funds managed by the investment company INVL Asset Management and the insurance company Bonum Publicum have already invested in Capitalica Baltic Real Estate Fund I.
The investment management company Capitalica Asset Management was incorporated in 2016. Its controlling stake (80%) is owned by one of the largest Lithuanian capital business groups, SBA, with the remaining 20% of the shares owned by Mr Barštys’ enterprise Fox Holdings.