IKEA is preparing to expand part of its Polish manufacturing business, with investment aimed at increasing output and improving production efficiency. The plans come as furniture manufacturers across the country face weak demand, rising costs and further job cuts.<\/p>\n
The company has allocated approximately \u20ac100 million to an investment programme at Zb\u0105szynek, its largest furniture manufacturing complex worldwide. Planned spending covers new board production equipment, a paper-foil application line and automated packaging. Some projects will extend beyond the current financial year.<\/p>\n
The complex aims to manufacture 51 million furniture items in the financial year that began in September, compared with approximately 45 million last year. That would represent an increase of roughly 13%, although managing director Piotr Filipiak says the target remains dependent on demand and operating conditions.<\/p>\n
The largest individual investment will give the complex a new use for wood dust generated during furniture manufacturing. At Chlastawa, part of the Zb\u0105szynek operation, IKEA is building a Cyclic Thin Board Line designed to convert production residues into boards.<\/p>\n
The installation will have annual capacity of 82,000 m\u00b3 within a 6,000 m\u00b2 building. According to the local authority\u2019s description of the project, it will manufacture thin boards measuring 2\u20135 mm, with the wood component sourced entirely from recycled material. Construction was formally launched in March, and Filipiak expects production to begin towards the end of 2027.<\/p>\n
The board project carries a reported cost of PLN 278.3 million (\u20ac63.3 million). A government grant of PLN 6.9 million (\u20ac1.6 million) is scheduled for payment in 2028. IKEA will also receive corporate income tax exemptions through the Kostrzyn-S\u0142ubice Special Economic Zone. Euro equivalents are calculated using the European Central Bank\u2019s 4 November reference rate.<\/p>\n
Filipiak said the technology had already passed proof-of-concept testing. The next stage is to establish how it performs at industrial scale. Foundations for the production equipment have been completed, while delivery of the machinery is expected to require around 500 truckloads.<\/p>\n
Space remains available for additional equipment at Chlastawa and nearby Babimost. However, further expansion will depend on orders and the plants\u2019 competitiveness within IKEA\u2019s supplier network. Filipiak said IKEA Industry\u2019s factories are assessed against other suppliers, making production efficiency a condition for new investment.<\/p>\n
Zb\u0105szynek already accounts for close to half of IKEA Industry\u2019s output. That share refers to IKEA\u2019s own manufacturing division, which supplies around 10% of the products sold through IKEA stores. Independent suppliers manufacture the remainder.<\/p>\n
The Polish complex employs approximately 3,400 people and operates three shifts, five days a week. Its four production plants, logistics facilities and two solar farms occupy a site covering around 100 hectares.<\/p>\n
Established ranges such as KALLAX and EKET support production volumes. The complex manufactures 462 products across 31 product families, with approximately 97% of output exported. The European Union accounts for 86% of sales.<\/p>\n
Investment at Zb\u0105szynek comes alongside workforce reductions elsewhere in IKEA Industry\u2019s Polish operations. The company has announced plans to cut 240 positions at Wielbark, out of a workforce of around 1,500, and 160 at Goleni\u00f3w, which employs approximately 580 people.<\/p>\n
At Zb\u0105szynek, management says automation is intended to reduce repetitive and physically demanding work while improving production efficiency. More than 60 employees have recently completed training for operator roles, and recruitment continues where the operation requires additional staff.<\/p>\n
The wider Polish furniture sector is still losing jobs. Figures from the Coalition for Polish Wood put employment losses over four years at approximately 27,000, equivalent to 16% of the workforce. Nearly 36% of manufacturers are operating at a loss.<\/p>\n
IKEA is also considering a larger role for its Manufacturing Development Center in nearby Zb\u0105szy\u0144. The centre employs around 70 people and carries out more than 500 product tests annually, working with IKEA Industry factories and external partners.<\/p>\n
Its work includes lightweight furniture structures and panel technologies intended to reduce wood consumption. Filipiak indicated that the centre\u2019s expertise could be used more extensively, although no specific expansion plan has yet been disclosed.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IKEA is preparing to expand part of its Polish manufacturing business, with investment aimed at increasing output and improving production efficiency. The plans come as furniture manufacturers across the country face weak demand, rising costs and further job cuts.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5204],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n