Let’s start from the beginning – what made you choose the furniture industry?

To answer this question, we have to go back to the 1990s. It was the time just after martial law, a period of great confusion, but also of great opportunities. When the Balcerowicz Plan came into force – even though it was controversial – people started to see that major changes were taking place. Large companies were collapsing or facing huge difficulties.

I am, after all, a child of war – I was born in 1940. I experienced both Stalinism and the Gomułka era. It was the era of the socialised economy and state-owned workplaces. Suddenly, however, something changed. We all looked shyly at these changes, having no previous experience of setting up our own businesses.

And now I come to the crux of your question – why the furniture industry? My post-graduation experience is key here. I come from a farming family, but my fate decided that I graduated from the Faculty of Wood Technology in Poznań. After graduation, I even had the opportunity to spend six months on a scholarship in Yugoslavia, it was during the time of Tito.

Since my future wife was from Zielona Góra, I looked for a job there, and the natural place for a wood technologist is in the furniture industry. That is how I started my career – at the now-defunct ZEFAM plant in Zielona Góra. When martial law came, I was already deputy director for technical matters. My work went well, and I was awarded another scholarship for good results, this time in Finland.

However, martial law caused my factory to run into problems. After the end of martial law, with the Balcerowicz plan, it was time for independence – ‘take your life in your own hands’, as they said. And so I decided to start. I found myself in an industry I knew well and in which I had spent 27 years of my life. Others had set up construction companies, plumbing companies, and roof repair companies – I knew furniture manufacturing.

What benefits did your work at ZEFAM bring you? How did it influence the start-up of Melaco?

Working at ZEFAM was a valuable experience. At that time ZEFAM was one of the top three furniture manufacturers in Poland. It operated on the export market, which allowed us to obtain foreign currency and buy materials or modern machines from abroad. As the person responsible for technical matters, I had the opportunity to take part in the purchase of these machines in the West, including Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. This experience was invaluable in the early days of Melaco.

Could we talk about the technology that Melaco decided to introduce first?

Indeed, those were undoubtedly interesting times. My business contacts and understanding of the industry were key, and I had a young engineer, Dariusz Piotrowski, my elder daughter’s husband, to help me. Things were starting to happen in the furniture industry and we always wanted to be one step ahead.

At that time, a new technology – postforming – emerged in kitchen furniture production. Previously, worktops were manufactured from laminated board and the edges were finished with an aluminium or plastic strip. The new postforming technology ensured that the entire surface of the board, including the leading edge, was aesthetically and permanently covered with resistant laminate.

There was no such technology in Poland. Some companies imported ready-made boards from abroad, but this was very expensive. However, I had contacts, and above all I knew how it worked. I knew the manufacturers of the machines that implemented such technology because I used to buy them myself.

So I decided to try to introduce this technology to Poland. A company called Barberan in Spain manufactured postforming machines. We decided to buy them and introduce this technology to the Polish market. My contacts with the manufacturers resulted in trust, which enabled us to lease these machines without having to find guarantors. This is how we started – with the production of countertops using the postforming method.

What made you and your son-in-law choose Nowa Sól as the location for your company?

Definitely, the choice of location was not accidental. Although I come from Zielona Góra and my son-in-law from Drzonkowo, we decided on Nowa Sól. At that time, there were no production halls available for rent in Zielona Góra – everything was still occupied.

My daughter found out that the State Machinery Centre in Nowa Sól had collapsed. So we decided to see if there was any hall available there. It turned out that there was – one hall was available. After explaining the concept of leasing – selling on instalments – we were given permission to use it.

So, with a leased machine from Spain and three older machines available locally, we started our business. We also used some of our savings – after all, 27 years of work had earned us some capital – and set up a company called Melaco. The company’s name, invented by Dariusz Piotrowski, comes from melanin, the resin used to make laminate. This is how we started to produce countertops, which became our first product.

How do you recall these beginnings of Melaco, looking back now from the perspective of 30 years?

The beginnings are always full of challenges, but in retrospect, I recall them with great satisfaction. The cooperation with my son-in-law, Dariusz, was invaluable. Mutual trust was the foundation of our cooperation and the key to success.

In the beginning we acted rather cautiously, and then things started to develop. There were a lot of things to deal with – machines, laminates from Italy, German adhesives…. It all needed to be coordinated. The technology was fresh for Poland, although it was already in use in the West.

Everything started to pick up after our appearance at the first furniture fair in Poznań. Our modest stand attracted the attention of a representative of the Krono Group, an Austrian company which was our main competitor on the market at the time. We were invited to a meeting during which a cooperation offer was made. Although the proposal was tempting, I decided not to enter into a partnership with such a big player. Based on the advice of my friend from Italy, I decided that I wanted to run my own company and keep control of its development.

These were all very valuable lessons that taught me a lot about running a business. Today, looking back, I am proud of what we have achieved and how far we have come.

Do you remember your first clients and what kind of companies they were? Many of them are no longer on the market.

Yes, indeed many of our first clients are no longer on the market, but their memory is still alive. The first companies which cooperated with Melaco were mainly large furniture factories such as Wolsztyn Furniture Factory, ZEFAM or Bydgoskie Fabryki Mebli. We also had customers in Poznan, Wyszków, Białystok and Silesia.

Interestingly, not all our customers were large factories. We noticed the development of small craft factories that were also interested in our products. In Silesia, for example, we had one customer who started by carrying our products on the roof of his car. He adapted our products to the dimensions required by the customers and refreshed old furniture, giving it a new life.

In addition, wholesalers became an important link in our distribution chain. They bought products from us and sold them on, along with other materials needed for furniture production.

What has ensured that Melaco has not shared the fate of other companies and is still in business? What do you think is the key to success that has allowed us not only to stay but also to grow?

It seems to me that the key to our long-term presence in the industry is that we have never stood still. We didn’t let our initial products – worktops and furniture fronts – limit our ambitions. We were always looking for new opportunities and this has allowed us to survive and grow, despite the changing industry and competition.

For example, we started foil wrapping, introducing furniture fronts with different finishes – matt and gloss. This was a completely new technology for us, but it enabled us to meet the growing demand for such products. In fact, we haven’t stopped at one technology, but we always try to be in constant contact with manufacturers, follow trends and adapt our offer to them.

Certainly, the people who now run the company – my daughter, Beata Piotrowska, and son-in-law, Dariusz Piotrowski – also play a big role. I have already retired and although I still keep an eye on what is going on in the company, it is already to their credit that Melaco continues to prosper. They are full of energy and ideas, so I am sure that the company is in good hands and will continue to grow.

You have already partially handed over the reins, but you certainly have a view of the company’s future. Is there any direction in which you would wish yourself or the company to develop? What would you wish Melaco for its 30th birthday?

For sure, you have to consistently follow the changing trends in the furniture industry, because this is our main field of action and this is where we have the most knowledge and experience. Above all, you have to understand and adapt to changing consumer preferences and needs.

Nowadays, you can see a trend towards building flats for sale, which are a kind of investment of money. Such flats do not come with exclusive furnishings – instead, they need fast, relatively inexpensive, but durable and impressive furnishings. This is an area where we could grow by offering products that meet these specific requirements.

In addition, there is a demand for small furnishings that complement the interior design. This could be another direction for our company – the production of such small but essential elements that can significantly improve the aesthetics and functionality of the home.

In any case, the key is to keep looking for innovation and new possibilities and to keep in close contact with our customers to understand what they need.

Who would you like to thank for this next milestone?

This is a really important question, the answer to which is not as simple as it might seem. Yes, I am proud of what I have achieved, but I certainly did not do it alone.

In the first place, I would like to thank my team. These are the people who have worked with me all these years, putting their heart, skills and time into developing the company. Without them, we could not have achieved what we have achieved.

I would also like to thank our customers, both the first ones and the current ones. It is thanks to their trust and support that we have managed to stay in business all these years.

Of course, my family has had a huge impact on where I am now. In particular, my daughter and son-in-law, who now run the company, are incredibly important to its future.

I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and I’m glad we were able to do it with so many great people.

This story is proof that determination and a constant desire to grow can turn a small business into a thriving company, known and respected throughout the sector. We congratulate you on this success and keep our fingers crossed for many more years of equally successful operations.