Leader in farm machinery Metal-Fach

LEADER IN FARM MACHINERY

Metal-Fach Ltd, with its headquarters in Sokółka in north-eastern Poland, is one the leading manufacturers of farming machinery in the country as well as across Europe and beyond. The company’s dynamic growth, particularly since 2002, has been remarkable, and has secured Metal-Fach one of the strongest positions in the market. Piotr Sadowski reports for ‘Industry Europe’.

Celebrating 25 years of operations in 2014, Metal-Fach began its activities as a manufacturer of central heating boilers. Then, in 2002, it expanded its production scope and launched the first models of agricultural machinery and equipment. “Our growth since then is really the key highlight of our history of development,” says Janusz Kaźmierowski, chief executive and president of the company, who has been with Metal-Fach for the past 11 years. “While in 2003 we were employing 150 people, our staff headcount today surpasses 800. We have also been making 100 per cent increases in our turnover, year-on-year, with the most recent results showing sales at the level of PLN 240 million.”

Market leader

Agricultural machinery is the company’s key product area, accounting for around 80–90 per cent of the overall manufacturing output. But Metal-Fach is also the market leader in Poland, or comes in a close second place. In the area of central heating boilers; the market is dispersed and there are many competitors, but this particular product line continues to be an important area of manufacturing for the company. “Since 2010 we have also been producing trailers, Our range of Nova truck semi-trailers are items which we manufacturer solely in accordance with customised orders, with specific client needs in mind,” says Mr Kaźmierowski. “It is also worth noting that

the manufacturing areas on which we focus are in fact quite closely-related and we are able to transfer design methodologies and solutions directly to the vast range of agricultural machinery which we produce.”

Metal-Fach is a company renowned throughout Poland and Europe, with exports accounting for around 50 per cent of the overall sales. It distributes its products across the whole of the European Union and is a particularly strong player in the Baltic States, as well as further east, in Russia and former Soviet Republics. It even has its own company in Kazakhstan to service the regional market there. “We also sell beyond Europe, which means we are effectively a global player, whose competitive edge is owing to our ability to process and complete orders rapidly and create customised products, including custombased paint options,” Mr Kaźmierowski points out. “We have excellent technological back-up, all of which means that we are valued by our business partners, including leading names such as Bonel, John Deere, Praboli or Zetor. We also work closely with a wide range of established and highly reliable suppliers, both in Poland, but also in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy and China.”

Robust manufacturing capabilities

The company facilities currently cover 16.5 hectares of land, including 4.3 hectares of roofed and sheltered production floors. In 2010 Metal-Fach completed the project of building one of Poland’s largest paint workshops, with more than a hectare of roofed space. This has given the company a huge amount of flexibility, both in terms of the painting techniques that can be used (powder coating; wet coating; cataphoresis, i.e. the application of protective layers using the best available methods, in a fully automated painting process; and other techniques), as well as the wide range of colours which can be used according to customers’ requirements. The paint workshop has painting lines which reach an impressive 2.5 kilometre in length. This investment was vital, as prior to its completion painting was the only problematic bottleneck at the company.

With a total of 3200 metres of conveyor lines, Metal-Fach also has 3D laser machining centres for the processing of sections and pipes. It also has a team of several dozens of design engineers, who work on designs of new products and solutions. In addition, in its R&D activities, the company also cooperates directly with leading engineering and design institutes and educational centres. Apart from excellent quality products and after-sales service, the customers also receive technical support, spare parts services, as well as warranty and post-warranty services. Metal-Fach’s team of experienced and skilled professionals guarantees the high quality of its products, meets the demands of Polish and foreign markets and drives the continuous growth of the company. Over the years, Metal-Fach has received numerous awards not only for its equipment but also for its social and staff policy. Positive outlook on the future

Metal-Fach will continue strengthening its activities in the current production segments, particularly, of course, in the area of agricultural machinery manufacturing, especially in crop-processing machinery. “We will continue to get better, stronger and modernise our operations,” concludes Mr Kaźmierowski. “We will develop our activities in the markets where we are already present, as well as reach and establish ourselves in new ones. We will also continue operating as a socially-responsible corporate organisation, which actively supports the local community and sports.” n

Wide range of agricultural machinery

During the last decade of operation in the agricultural machinery sector, Metal-Fach has marketed a wide range of products, from silage presses, through single- and double-axle trailers, to platforms for bales and digging reels. There are two types of baling presses available: the Z589 variable chamber displacement press and the Z562, available with the rotor or the rotor and blades, depending on the optional configuration. The offer includes bale wrappers, i.e. machines which are intended for wrapping individual bales of semi-dry grass and legumes hay. The wrappers are stationary models: the Z552 and Z560 hydraulic-driven models and the Z561 electric-driven model. The Z237, Z577 and Z593 are self-loading wrappers. Front loaders and equipment for front loaders are a huge success among customers. There is also a wide selection of feeder wagons and manure spreaders. Manufacturing and sale of mono-axial trailers with the capacity range from 1.5 to 4 tons, double-axial trailers from 6 to 12 tons, and tandem trailers from 8 to 10 and 12 tons of capacity ensures the superiority of Metal-Fach and makes the company one of the largest manufacturers in Poland.

AGRO-RAMI

AGRO-RAMI is known primarily from its sale of agricultural machinery and spare parts for them, as well as from the sale of high-end tires for industries and agriculture. The company is a wholesaler and direct representative of many global brands in Poland. Both, continuous development and valuable 20 years of experience make AGRO-RAMI an expert in the agricultural market. The company’s regular sales are estimated as 35,000 articles from more than 100 product groups. The company is a dealer of Case Steyr agricultural tractors for the entire Greater Poland region and the sole representative of the BKT tires brand.

BKT is a manufacturer of high quality tires for automotive, agriculture, forestry, the construction industry, materials handling and forklift trucks. The BKT production base includes more than 12,000 items ranging from small KART tires up to TUBES made in butyl technology.

BKT has offices in countries around the world. In Poland, it is AGRO-RAMI Raniś i wspólnicy s.c, located in Kościelna Wieś near Kalisz, where its central warehouse of tires is situated.