According to Rzeczpospolita, technological change, rising labor costs, energy costs, components, and competition from China are the main factors prompting both domestic and foreign companies to abandon production in Poland.
The newspaper reports that since the beginning of the year, an increasing number of foreign companies have been scaling back operations in Poland, but the problem also affects domestic enterprises.
Rzeczpospolita informs that Protektor Group from Lublin, employing 377 people, may face financial difficulties according to the auditor from Moore Polska Audyt after analyzing reports for 2023. Moore noted that Protektor’s loan agreements expire on June 29, and the company did not fulfill one of their conditions. The auditor also highlighted a list of threats to the company, including the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on the company’s business.
However, Protektor’s President, Piotr Chełmiński, and Kamil Gajdziński (who is leaving in June) assure in a commentary to the report that they do not see any threats to the company’s operations, although Protektor’s profits have been low for some time due to rising costs and fewer orders from car manufacturers. The company is now seeking opportunities for development in orders from law enforcement and the military.
Decisions by giants such as CCC, which stopped production at the factory in Polkowice and closed the Half Price online store, and sold the facility after taking over Gino Rossi in Słupsk, show the difficulties of production in Poland.
“The data from the Central Statistical Office shows that footwear production in Poland is decreasing, and business organizations also report a decline in activity,” the newspaper emphasizes.
Other companies, such as Levi Strauss in Płock and Michelin in Olsztyn, have also encountered problems such as labor shortages and rising costs, prompting them to close plants.
Michelin assures that no one will be laid off, and the restructuring is due to market trends, such as the development of electric cars, which also explains the closure of FCA Powertrain plants in Bielsko-Biała, Scania bus factory in Słupsk, and Volvo in Wrocław.
