Over the years Poland has reinforced its position at an international level, becoming the world’s eighth largest furniture manufacturer – it ranked 11th in 2007 – and the fourth largest furniture exporter. Exports are the main industry driver in Poland, and upholstered furniture is the largest manufacturing segment, representing about 34% of total furniture production, reports CSIL’s Sara Colautti …
The segment is strongly export-oriented. Around 67% of Polish upholstered production is exported, primarily towards European countries. This remarkable export capacity is partly due to some of the features of the Polish furniture industry: low labour costs, which make Polish producers particularly competitive in Western European markets; integration with the German industry; and the massive flow of foreign investments that this industry proved capable of attracting.
Kler, HF Helvetia Furniture and Mebelplast are among the major players in the upholstered furniture segment.
Meble Kler
Meble Kler sa, based in Dobrodzien, was established in 1973. In 2010, Kler’s turnover amounted to US$39.8m, of which 40% was generated by exports. Major outlet markets include Germany, France, the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Czech Republic.
Meble Kler runs five production plants across Poland and employs around 800 people. The company manufactures a wide range of furniture including upholstered, living room, dining room, bedroom and accessories.
“Around 67% of Polish upholstered production is exported, primarily towards European countries”
Kler is a leading Polish manufacturer of upholstered furniture. Half of the furniture is modern in style, and half is traditional. Ten percent of the company’s products are covered with fabric (sourced from Belgium), the remainder is covered with leather (sourced from Italy). The company operates 36 of its own showrooms and 10 franchising showrooms in Poland.
Kler is present in many foreign markets, with showrooms in Brussels, Prague, Brno, Hradec Kralove and in Budejovice, and a network of co-operating showrooms is located in the Ukraine, Lithuania, Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Croatia and Romania. Kler’s products are known in the US, Canada, Moldavia, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Japan.
HF Helvetia Furniture
HF Helvetia Furniture Sp zoo, based in Bydgoszcz and established in 1990, manufactures leather and fabric upholstery. Helvetia is part of the IMS Group, and in 2010 it recorded a total turnover of US$46.7m. The company employed around 690 workers in 2010, and is ISO 9001 certified.
HF Helvetia Furniture is one of the largest furniture suppliers to the domestic market, but it also exports to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia and Slovakia. The company operates two factories, one in Bydgoszcz and one in Chelmno, with a total production area of 40,000 sqm.
Output amounts to 500 suites per day. HF Helvetia distributes its furniture through around 200 independent furniture retailers.
Mebelplast
Mebelplast was established in 1988 in Olsztyn, and in 2010 it reached a turnover of US$26.5m. The company has two production facilities, in Olsztyn and Reszel, and a chain of Livingroom stores which comprises 16 of its own outlets and seven managed in partnership.
Mebelplast employs over 400 people. Its products are exported to EU markets and to the US, Canada and Saudi Arabia. Since 2005 the company has been diversifying sales and expanding to the local market. Nearly 30% of the furniture manufactured by Mebelplast is sold in Poland through the chain of proprietary and partner Livingroom stores.
In February 2011 Mebelplast bought 100% shares in Weco Polstermöbelmanufaktur Leimbach GmbH (Germany) from the investor Square Four (SQ4). Weco operates in the production of leather furniture, and through this acquisition Mebelplast will expand its offering and sales channels to Germany.
Sara Colautti is the director of the Industry Studies Unit at the Centre for Industrial Studies (CSIL), an independent research institute specialising in applied economics. Article courtesy of CSIL’s World Furniture Review magazine, September 2012.
