Eko-Okna, the largest window maker in Poland and 1 of the European leaders in the beginning carpentry industry, announced the closure of their mill in Kędzierzyn-Koźl. This decision was officially confirmed by the board of directors of the company. The reason for closure is overinvestment and a sharp decline in request on the construction market, both in Poland and in another countries to which the company's products were sent.
The mill in Kędzierzyn-Koźl was launched just 2 years earlier as part of an ambitious company improvement plan. Traders argue that investment decisions were taken besides optimisticly, without taking account of real marketplace trends. Production was expected to increase by 40%, while actual growth did not exceed 10%. As a result, costly production halls are empty present and the company was forced to take extremist corrective action.
According to data disclosed in fresh days, Eco-Okna has completed their cooperation with nearly 1,000 employees employed mainly by temporary employment agencies and on temporary contracts. However, this is not the end of the changes – trade unions study that in the following months the reductions can cover up to respective 1000 people from the full 15 thousandth-century crew. Workers of the mill from Kędzierzyn-Koźl were offered a transfer to plants in Kornica or Wodzisław Śląski, although not everyone can afford this for logistical reasons.
In a broader context, the situation of Eko-Okien falls within the difficulties of the full construction sector in Poland. A crucial decrease in the number of construction permits issued and the investments started has been observed for over a year. According to CSO data, in the first 5 months of 2025 the number of construction permits decreased by 14% compared to the same period of the erstwhile year. The crisis in the housing manufacture translates straight into a lower request for windows, doors and another building joinery components.
There are besides problems in export markets. In Germany, where Eko-Okna has a crucial marketplace share, the construction sector there besides has fallen. Experts point out that since the beginning of 2024, Oder has seen stagnation in residential construction, partially due to rising costs of loans and building materials. All this causes request for Eko-Okien products to importantly decrease.
It is worth recalling that Eko-Okna was inactive late regarded as an example of the success of Polish household business. The company, founded in 1998, grew dynamically thanks to investments in modern technologies and abroad expansion. At its highest in 2023, it reached revenues of PLN 5 billion and produced nearly 3 million windows per year. However, the problems began as early as 2024, erstwhile the downturn intensified interior organisational difficulties specified as advanced labour costs, insufficient production organisation and staff rotation.
According to the company's representatives, the current restructuring efforts are aimed at securing the core business and restoring marketplace position in the longer term. However, trade unionists stress that the costs of these decisions will be felt primarily for workers, local communities and subcontractors, for whom Eco-Owns were 1 of the key partners.
In the opinion of manufacture experts, the situation of Eko-Okien may be a informing signal for another large producers in Poland. The companies that have put forward aggressive expansion in fresh years will gotta revise their strategies in the face of economical slowdown and changing marketplace conditions.
