by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 18, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
The first morning in Kyiv, we met up with Andrii Krutyi*, our operational team leader.
*Little fun fact: Krutyi means something like “Cool” in English, so obviously, Derek and I now just call him “Cool.” (Which he definitely is 😉)
We got to meet the gang in our beautiful office. Had a wonderful Georgian lunch (for all you Americans who don’t know, not the state of Georgia. Georgia is a country in that part of the world that has AMAZING food 🤪).
Derek and I had a chance to spend some time and to tell them how proud we are of the work they do. In the middle of this war, making sure our customers still get served. Having to deal not only with the threat of bombs and missiles every day, but having rolling blackouts, having to find ingenious ways to stay in communication with the rest of the LP team, with the job sites and the customers, even when the power is down for 6-10-14 hours a day. Not easy.
Luckily for us and for the world, Ukrainians are not only smart and tough and resilient, but they are also very CREATIVE and tend to overcome any obstacles this Russian aggression puts in their way. Like we always say–they find a way or make one.
We used this opportunity to let them know that our entire LP family is behind them, that they have great leadership and a great team, and we hope to bring more and more products into their country, not only to support Ukraine’s resistance and reconstruction but so that they get to work with more and more of our offices, as they have done so well with the Vorex pipe we have been delivering. Connecting dots and knitting the company even closer together.
I think they were happy to see us and to feel the love. It’s funny, we did not talk any specific “business.” Just to get to know each other, that we care, that we have their backs and that we will continue to do everything we can to support their fight. To let them know that their fight is our fight.
To me (and Derek, I’m sure), it was truly humbling and an honor to meet them, shake their hands, and say thank you.
Tomorrow, we drive down to Odesa to visit our team there and to see the latest load of pipe that is being unloaded at the Port of Chonomorsk.
Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, is a beautiful, historic city
Not many signs that there is a war going on elsewhere in the country. Other than the lack of consistent electricity, (which sucks/no doubt) people lead a pretty normal life.
Was great meeting the terrific Kyiv team. Staying strong. Getting the job done. Heroes!
Onward!
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 17, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Getting to Ukraine is not easy anymore.
Even though Kyiv would be a short flight to/from many major European cities, there is no flying into Ukraine because of the war. Simply not safe.
So, Derek and I met up in Rzeszow, Poland (probably one of the safest airports in the world due to all the Patriot missile batteries around it) and hooked up with our driver to take us to the rail station at the border town of Przemysl*.
*Side note–now Polish is a different kind of language. I will give $5 to anyone who is not Polish or Eastern European who can correctly pronounce the name of this town–but NO ONE will win it. It is pronounced what sounds to my ear like Shehmesh. But just to keep it simple (and not make fools of ourselves, we call it P Town (even though there is ZERO P sound in the actual pronunciation, though the name starts with a P). For those of you old enough to remember the old TV show Barney Miller, it reminds me of Detective Stan Wojciehowicz, who everyone just called Wojo, and who, when asked how his name was spelled, would reply, “Exactly like it sounds.”
So…P Town it is 🤪
We got to P Town a bit before the train, so we were able to walk around, grab a nice cup of coffee, and look around. It’s a lovely town. Then, we met up with our colleagues from TFA at the station and boarded our train.
The train ride in is about 10-12 hours, depending. You have to cross the border into Ukraine and go through customs on the Polish side and then customs on the Ukraine side—so two separate stops. And since there is a different rail gauge (the width of the tracks) in Ukraine (I think Stalin did that back in the day to keep German trains from easily being able to move east), you have to switch locomotives as well.
We left P Town in the evening for the overnight trip. This was good planning since this way, you can get a good night’s sleep and be up and at ’em for the first day of our visit to Kyiv. Usually, the rocking of the train (think Darius Rucker’s Southbound Train song) gets you into a nice rhythm that puts you to sleep.
However…Maybe it is just me (getting soft in my old age because usually I can sleep anywhere–and have 😉) the train kind of BOUNCED more than rocked (one of our colleagues actually got tossed out of his bunk) and sleep was harder to come by than I expected. Not the end of the world, but I probably got 3-4 hours of sleep.
It was dark so you could not see much outside, but we got to Kyiv on a beautiful spring morning and were picked up by our colleague’s driver (his name is Michael, but they call him Sting because he is Sting’s driver–showed us some very cool videos of him) who took us to our hotel to begin our visit to Ukraine.
So far, so good 👍
The train had a beautiful dining car. And the conductors and staff were very pleasant. The food was pretty good too 🙂
I was so pleasantly surprised to see this photo on the wall in the dining car. It is by Howard Buffett, who is a BIG supporter of the struggle and, if you remember, was in Erie just a week or two before on the German Marshall Fund’s Whistlestop tour of America that we sponsored.
Also in the dining car was this beautiful book. Having only recently met Howard, he has become a big inspiration to me. Someone who has everything life could offer, who could very easily sit back and enjoy his blessings. But, instead, he is committing his time and energy and money to support what he (and I) see as the battle of our lifetimes, that will determine the direction of our nation and the world. A quiet hero, who seeks no headlines or publicity. Just quietly making a difference.
A true inspiration!
Onward!
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by Hannah McCall | Jun 14, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Leaving today. Heading back to the USA. Derek is off to Ukraine again for a port security conference in Odesa. Enjoyable and successful trip (the BEST combination).
Now to the work to bring actual fruit from the seeds planted here. As we know, everyone is busy. These CEOs all have their “day jobs” running big companies and they get pulled in 100 different directions. Will be key to keep the energy and momentum from the conference going.
While here, we had dinner with one of our guys from Ukraine, Valerii, and his lovely wife, Natalya. They and their children live in Germany but are from western Ukraine and are deeply involved in the struggle. It was nice to get some quiet time with them away from the chaos of the convention and all the related meetings.
I had brought an LP Ukraine t-shirt and an LP golf shirt as gifts for Valerii, but did not know his wife would be there and had nothing to give to her. But I have learned (please take note, guys!) that flowers always work. So I asked Burak, the doorman at our Marriott hotel, where I could buy some flowers and he directed me to the lower level of the mall just across the street. Easy.
However…I had no Euros, but most places take credit cards, and this flower shop did too.
But…for whatever reason, they don’t take Visa credit cards, and that is what I had.
So…no go on the flowers.
I walked back to the hotel and told Burak what had happened. And it was too late for any plan B since it was 5:30 and dinner was at 6:30. So I went upstairs to my room to get ready for Valerii and Natalya.
15 minutes later there’s a knock at my door, and there was Burak with a lovely bouquet of flowers for me to give her at dinner that night. Talk about above and beyond service!!!
As I always say, we/LP are also in the service business. And going above and beyond, as Burak did, is in our culture as well. Our trademark “Passion for Excellence” is what makes us stand out and continue to grow worldwide. From Day 1, nearly 28 years ago, it has been who we are.
So…whenever you think about your customer, think about it the way Burak did last night. You see a problem—you find a solution.
The LP way.
Onward!
JB
We met great folks like Jan Larson, representing Sweden, the newest NATO country.
US Secretary Penny Pritzker speaking with leaders of the Ukrainian government.
A packed event. Sometimes seating was hard to find. So…find a way or make one.
Remnants of the Berlin Wall. A vivid reminder of how things once were here.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy spoke at the conference. Strong guy. Also visited a local Patriot missile installation.
Had a lovely dinner with Valerii and Natalya. What lovely people.
Goodbye Berlin.
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 13, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
The Business Advisory Council meeting went well. All the CEOs from the various countries gave their frank ideas about what needs to be done to enable Western businesses to invest in Ukraine.
Surprisingly, many companies have stayed in Ukraine (McDonald’s, for instance, has more stores there now than they did before the war started and is still opening new ones up). In fact, that’s one of the things we learned. Despite the war, Ukraine’s economy is actually growing.
Me in Kyiv last week, trying to grab a quick Big Mac. However, because of the increased Russian attacks on infrastructure there, they have to withstand frequent periods without electricity. Tough living with no power. And, with winter coming, energy was one of the top issues of the G7 Recovery and Reconstruction Conference.
The first person to address the BAC was Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy. She outlined the tough situation they face daily, but even more so, the strength, resilience, and ingenuity that Ukraine has displayed since the start of the war. It is clear to see from her and the other government officials here that Ukrainians are doing the fighting and dying to stop this aggression here and now (rather than have it continue westward) and just need the support of the democratic nations of the world.
First Deputy Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, sitting next to BAC Chairman, Christian Bruch, giving her open remarks to the Business Advisory Council.
The group at work
Proud to represent. One of the other reps from the US is Steve O’Bryan, of Northrup Grumman, the Technology/Defense company.
Secretary Penny Pritzker, US Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery was the lead US rep for this conference, and her was discussing the efforts with leading Ukraine government officials
The BAC’s work was completed and we will follow up with further communications and meetings. We have our work cut out for us and will endeavor to make the case that it is important to invest NOW, and not wait if possible.
One thing Secretary Pritzker is working on is getting more air defense committed so that other parts of the country can be better protected. And, the 3 US CEOs will be sending a letter to the administration asking them to better identify the actual major danger zones (by region) so that company reps can travel more easily to Ukraine and see for themselves that in a large part of the country, life goes on as usual, and though “at war,” the whole country is not a war zone. Would be good for other business leaders to be able to see that for themselves. I think there is a misconception about how things are there.
I know when people heard Derek and I were going to Ukraine, they all asked, “Aren’t you scared?” But, honestly, in a week, we did not see many signs of war. It’s like if there was fighting in New Jersey, how endangered would folks in Chicago or LA feel?
Ukraine is a big country, and businesses CAN be there now (and many are). As I said, their economy is growing. They are looking forward to a “Western” future and doing the fighting and dying-just asking for our support.
More of the conference tomorrow.
Night night 🙂
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 12, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Well, I was going to try and do this in “time delay”, but figured I’d cover the Berlin conference as it happens, and then go back to our visit to Ukraine afterwards.
I was one of three CEOs nominated by U.S. Secretary United States Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, Penny Pritzker, to represent our country on the newly created Business Advisory Council (BAC) for the G7’s Ukraine Reconstruction effort.
The conference in Berlin brings together the donor nations and other critical partners to determine how to best support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
The BAC includes CEO and senior leaders from the UK, the EU, Netherlands, Japan, S. Korea, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Germany, France, 3 from Ukraine, and 3 from the USA–McDonald’s, Northrop Grumman, and Logistics Plus.
Our aim is twofold, I believe. 1. To help Ukraine better improve/westernize “business conditions” so that more Western companies will invest, and 2. To help let Western businesses know that conditions in most of Ukraine (even with the war going on) are relatively safe and that you can do business there now. You don’t have to wait until this war ends to invest.
The council is run by Dr. Christian Bruch, Chairman and CEO of Siemens, the giant energy firm (and energy is one of the key needs in Ukraine that needs to be addressed.) More on that later. Smart. Well-spoken. Thoughtful. He runs a tight ship and is much younger than I pictured him (he’s in the first picture below).
Seems to me that Dr. Bruch is the right guy to lead this effort from the beginning.
Excited to be working with him and with the team.
More to come.
Onward!!
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by Ryan Markiewicz | Jun 11, 2024 | Berlin's Wall
Saturday, June 1st took off from JFK to Munich for the transfer to the flight to Rzeszow, Poland.
Long flight, but got about 5 hours sleep, so not all that tired when I got there. At the Munich airport lounge, I discovered the long-missing Tony Soprano enjoying his breakfast. Shhhhh. Please don’t tell anybody…
And, for you soccer fans, I walked by this store in the Munich airport:
From there, I flew to Rzeszow, Poland, where LP has been present for over 25 years. There, I had a wonderful dinner with Pawel Wronski, who has been with LP from the beginning. It was great to see him. He is a special guy and always fun to be with.
Pawel took me to a great local restaurant in the city center for a DELICIOUS bowl of Polish borscht and then pig knuckles that were also delicious.
A quick but worthwhile stop. I actually flew out a day early, so I would have a few hours in Rzeszow to see Pawel. I would have hated to rush from the plane to the train without getting to see him. If I had left on Sunday, that’s what would have happened. But this way, I got a good night’s sleep Sunday night in the airport hotel, had this great dinner with him, shared some stories and good laughs, then got picked up to head to the train station for our ride into Kyiv.
In normal times, that would be a short flight. But as we too well know, these are not normal times there, so air travel is non-existent. Instead, it’s an 8-10 hour trip by train.
No problem there. I like trains.
On to Kyiv.
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