Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego "Frotex"

Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego "Frotex" S.A.
Industry Textile industry
Fate Dissolved
Founded 1845
Founder Samuel Fränkel
Defunct 5 July 2014 (2014-07-05)
Headquarters Prudnik, Poland
Products Terrycloth

Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego "Frotex" S.A., based in Prudnik has received awards and honours, including the title "The Best in Poland", which is granted via a consumer competition organised by the Hipolit Cegielski Society for producers of quality goods.[1]

Towels produced by "Frotex" were exported to a number of countries including Italy, Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Slovenia, Croatia, United Kingdom, USA, and Australia.

History

Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego "Frotex" S.A. traces its roots to the middle of the 19th century, when Samuel Fränkel opened a linen fabric factory in the area of modern Prudnik in 1845. Soon after, the factory took over a local competitor, which went bankrupt, and gained a monopoly in the region. The production of towels and terrycloth began in 1903. World War I stopped the dynamic growth of the factory, whose products were by then known in the German, English, French and American markets. By virtue of the Nuremberg agreement, the company was taken over by inheritors of Samuel Fränkel in 1938, while they were forced to emigrate.[2] The company was renamed to Schlesische Feinweberei AG.[3]

In late September 1944, a sub-camp of Auschwitz was established in "Frotex". The women, mostly Jews from Hungary, worked on the spinning machines. The sub-camp was shut down on 19 January 1945 and the women there were evacuated on foot to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp[4] from where they were then taken to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.[5] After World War II, the factory underwent reconstruction in 1949.[6]

After 1949, a long period of recovery began for the company, which was then located in Poland. The company was named "Frotex" in 1965. In 1992, "Frotex" modernized the spinning mill and dyeing plant and opened a purification plant. "Frotex" was transformed into a State Treasury Company during that same year. In 1995, "Frotex" was added to the General Privatization Program and included in the Second National Investment Fund. In 2002, board members of the Second National Investment Fund decided to sell the majority (72% of shares) of their shares in the company.[7]

"Frotex" ceased operations on 5 July 2014.[8] In 2016, the American company Henniges Automotive opened its manufacturing unit in the building previously occupied by "Frotex".[9]

CEOs and presidents

  • Samuel Fränkel (1845 – 1881)
  • Joseph Pinkus (1881 – 1909)
  • Max Pinkus (1909 – 1925)
  • Hans Pinkus (1925 – 1938)[10]
  • Bolesław Pohl (? – 1990)
  • Josel Czerniak (1990 – 2001)[11]
  • Bogdan Stanach (2001 – 2002)[12]
  • Stanisław Wedler (2002 – 2006)
  • Jarosław Staniec (2006 – 2007)[13]
  • Piotr Połulich (2007 – 2010)[14]

Employment by year

  • 1863 – 1 900[15]
  • 1890 – 1 029[5]
  • 1906 – 3 700
  • 1913 – 4 000[16]
  • 1920 – 4 000[5]
  • 1938 – 2 000
  • 1939 – 1 500[5]
  • 1944 – 1 900
  • 1945 – 1 861
  • 1958 – 2 500[17]
  • 1962 – 3 850
  • 1965 – 4 000
  • 1990 – 1 500[11]
  • 2002 – 800
  • 2004 – 700[18]
  • 2005 – 650[19]
  • 2007 – 580
  • 2008 – 550
  • 2009 – 285[20]
  • 2010 – 200
  • 2011 – 165[21]

References

  1. ↑ "o firmie". Frotex SA.
  2. ↑ "Willa fabrykanta, obecnie dom kultury, Prudnik - Zabytek.pl". zabytek.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  3. ↑ Lis, M. Odbudowa gospodarki po II wojnie światowej (1945–1949).
  4. ↑ www.auschwitz.org. "Neustadt / Auschwitz sub-camps / History / Auschwitz-Birkenau". auschwitz.org. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kasza, Ryszard (2018). Historia Prudnika fotografią pisana. Prudnik: Prudnik County.
  6. ↑ "Historia firmly Frotex. Regiopedia, Opolskie, encyclopedia regionów". opolskie.regiopedia.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  7. ↑ "Zakłady Przemysłu Bawełnianego Frotex S.A., ul. Nyska, Prudnik - dolny-slask.org.pl". dolny-slask.org.pl. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  8. ↑ Strauchmann, Krzysztof. "Kończy się proces likwidacji Froteksu. Miasto przejmuje część hal". nto.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  9. ↑ "Amerykanie w Prudniku: Henninges rusza we wrześniu - Prudnik24". Prudnik24 (in Polish). 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  10. ↑ Hanszke, Edyta. "Dzieje królewskiego Żyda". nto.pl.
  11. 1 2 Wicher, Damian. "Josel Czerniak: Dbali o własne firmy, nie o "Frotex"". tygodnikprudnicki.pl.
  12. ↑ "MOSTOSTAL ZABRZE HOLDING SA POWOŁANIE OSOBY ZARZĄDZAJĄCEJ". money.pl.
  13. ↑ Strauchmann, Krzysztof. "Nowy prezes Frotexu od połowy września". nto.pl.
  14. ↑ Wicher, Damian. "Światło się świeci, więc nie jest źle". tygodnikprudnicki.pl.
  15. ↑ Klimek, Renata. "Identification of barriers to brownfield redevelopment in Prudnik. Example of cotton plant industry "Frotex"".
  16. ↑ "Historia firmy Frotex". opolskie.regiopedia.pl.
  17. ↑ Słopecki, N. (1966). Gospodarka powiatów i miast wydzielonych województwa opolskiego.
  18. ↑ "Biuletyn Informacji Publicznej - Urząd Miejski w Prudniku".
  19. ↑ Strauchmann, Krzysztof. ""Frotex" grozi przeprowadzką". nto.pl.
  20. ↑ Strauchmann, Krzysztof. "Prudnik> Frotex na zakręcie".
  21. ↑ "To już jest koniec Frotexu". prudnik24.pl.
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