Zakłady Ceramiczne „Bolesławiec” ended 2024 with a symbolic net profit of just PLN 67,000. This is a dramatic decrease compared with the previous year (PLN 1.34 million). Net sales profitability fell to 0.15%, while net turnover profitability fell to 0.14%. For comparison, a year earlier these indicators were almost twenty times higher.
The biggest problems concern declining exports and production. In 2024, the value of production amounted to PLN 38.16 million, only 89.2% of the 2023 level. Production in quantitative terms fell by nearly 9%. In addition, the planned quality indicators were not achieved – the number of defects and complaints increased (mechanical damage and manufacturing defects) – totalling 1,317 reports.
| Item | 2023 | 2024 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross turnover profitability | 3.56% | 1.45% | -2.11% |
| Net turnover profitability | 2.88% | 0.14% | -2.74% |
| Gross sales profitability | 3.82% | 1.54% | -2.28% |
| Net sales profitability | 3.08% | 0.15% | -2.93% |
| Return on total assets (ROA) | 3.39% | 0.18% | -3.21% |
| Return on equity (ROE) | 5.45% | 0.27% | -5.18% |
| Financial leverage | 1.78% | -0.25% | -2.03% |
The staffing situation also deteriorated. In 2024, 85 employees were laid off. Labour productivity fell, while the number of new hires decreased (56 people were hired). At the end of 2024, the Zakłady employed 396 people.
The company's difficult situation was affected by external factors – persistently high energy and raw-material prices, as well as economic uncertainty related to the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions.
Let us recall that since autumn 2024, the company has been headed by a new president, Civic Coalition nominee Arkadiusz Grzesikowski. Previously, the company was headed by Law and Justice nominee Sebastian Fijałkowski.