THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410120146
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JANELLE LA BOUVE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
WHEN TERESA PLUCINSKI fled political unrest in her native Poland 10 years ago, she didn't realize she'd be back looking for business for her own import-export company.
Now Plucinski makes frequent trips between Chesapeake and Poland, supplying U.S. goods to Polish shoppers and buying Polish merchandise to sell in the United States. Her company is called Polmark.
``I always liked to buy nice things for myself,'' said Plucinski, 47. ``But I never could afford it because I have five kids. Now, I am buying for somebody else.''
Plucinski got the idea for the business in 1992, when her husband, Mark, a math and physics teacher at Great Bridge High School, was invited to spend a year in Poland as an exchange teacher. During their stay, she found that Polish stores were stocked with merchandise from around the world.
``Nearly everything was foreign-made in either Germany, China, Thailand or Korea - even food and clothing,'' said Plucinski. ``Almost nothing was Polish-made, and the quality of the merchandise was not very good.''
During her stay in Poland, she was impressed by low-cost, high-quality items made by Polish artisans she saw at craft shows and art galleries. She realized that there would be a market for the items in American stores.
Soon after returning to Chesapeake, she arranged another trip to Poland with a shipment of U.S. merchandise.
``I wanted to see if people in Poland would be interested and to check out market possibilities,'' she said.
Since then, such trips have become routine.
She prepares for the trips by shopping, primarily in Tidewater, but sometimes in New York.
``I buy nice, expensive women's clothes,'' she said, especially suits and evening dresses with designer names.
``Clothes that are made in the United States sell best, things that people in Poland don't see every day,'' she said. ``Women like that.''
Last fall, she delivered 17 U.S. evening gowns to Polish shops. All 17 sold.
``New Year's Eve is a big celebration in Poland,'' she said. ``You need a special evening gown.''
The Polish government does not permit money to leave the country, so Plucinski operates on a kind of barter system. The businesses that buy her American merchandise pay for it with Polish goods of equal value. The imported merchandise is then sold in the United States.
``In Poland, I can exchange up to $50,000 in merchandise,'' she said. ``If it goes over that, I have to go through a bank. I try not to deal with Polish banks, so that I can keep the prices as low as possible.''
The Polish items available through Polmark include hand-blown glass, oil lamps, vases, cocktail glasses, candy dishes, ceramic dolls dressed in gowns and hats, leather moccasins, jewelry boxes, linens and sterling silver and amber jewelry.
Her Polish-made products can be found at Blue and Gold and Ali Baba Jewelry in Norfolk's Waterside, International Antiques on 21st St. in Norfolk, Kamala Jewelry and Gifts and Silver Stream on Atlantic Avenue in Virginia Beach and at Marlow and Co. on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach. MEMO: More information about Polmark is available by calling 482-7395. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by STEVE EARLEY
Teresa Plucinski's import-export company, Polmark, operates on a
kind of barter system.
by CNB