Originally from Bolesławiec, Henryk Kazimierczak is a Chicago developer and the owner of a furniture factory. For over a year, he has also served as President of the Polish-American Chamber of Commerce. “I have been in America for exactly 21 years,” the entrepreneur told us. He left for the United States immediately after graduating from university to gather materials for his doctoral dissertation. When his supervisor suddenly died, Kazimierczak was left without support. He had to find a job. Asked whether he believed the American dream had come true in his case, he replied that success requires hard work; it does not come “overnight.” He said that the famous American dream can also come true in Poland. Many of his colleagues who chose to stay in their homeland have achieved success in life that is comparable, or perhaps even greater.
The Polish-American Chamber of Commerce is more than just a business association. Its members also support artists and promote Polish culture in America. The president himself organized, among other events in Chicago, a concert by the “Bolesławiec trio”: Tomek Wachnowski, Bogdan Nowak and Dariusz Miliński. A concert by jazz vocalist Grażyna Auguścik, also organized by Kazimierczak, was very well received.
He visits his hometown an average of four times a year. He emphasized that over these 21 years, Poland and Bolesławiec have undergone incredible changes. The economy is very dynamic and developing extremely well. He is pleased that we became the hosts of the 2012 European Championship, because this may finally lead to the construction of motorways, which until now have been a “nightmare.”
From June 7 to 17, Henryk Kazimierczak will once again come to Poland. This time as a member of a Polish-American delegation. The delegates will include representatives of 10 major companies from the state of Illinois. The delegation’s goal will be to revitalize both cultural and economic cooperation between partner cities: Kraków and Rockford, and Warsaw and Chicago. The most prominent company to have declared its participation so far is Boeing. The delegates plan to hold many meetings with politicians. They will also try to attract the attention of the largest media outlets.
As Henryk Kazimierczak admitted, after the delegation ends he wants to come to Bolesławiec again. He also referred to the large-scale departures of young people abroad. He said he was convinced that most of them would return to Poland. He himself plans to spend half the year in Poland and half in the United States.
(GA report, photos by MZ)