First she mortgaged the house. Today its revenue amounts to PLN 500 million

The rest of the article is below the video

Today, Marma Polskie Folie employs more than 1,000 people and generates approximately PLN 500 million in revenue annually. The company is one of the largest plastics manufacturers in Europe.

Marta Butorac also runs Develop Investment and is the owner of the Millenium Hall cultural and business center in Rzeszow. He also runs the company Hotele Grupa Marma, which in 2012 opened the first Hilton Garden Inn in Podkarpacie in Rzeszów. And It all started with a home equity loan.

– If you have a house mortgaged in order to get a loan to buy a technology line, you can’t be offended, take your bag and say “Well, I haven’t worked since 3 pm” – says Marta Butorac.

In “Business Class”, Marma’s boss reveals that she probably won’t do it today, because there were moments when she and her husband felt worried about their financial future.

There was more than one moment like that, believe me, it really motivates you to work. It’s really great if you have everything to lose. If the company is growing, has capital, and has assets, a wrong decision will cause the company to develop a little slower. He adds that at first, the wrong decision meant nothing.

Marma is focusing on production in Poland, although there have been attempts with the Chinese market. However, it has proven to be a quick lesson a job.

– We had a partner there. I say we got it and we did it because they learn very quickly. So they bought it first and then tried to make something similar. And of course, the Chinese have slightly different economic regulations. And since the Chinese government supports Chinese companies, this creates an inequality in competition. Moreover, as a rule, companies are founded there with a majority of Chinese capital. Everything would be great if the business grows, right? Once it matures, the Chinese company will accept it, so we don’t want to learn from our mistakes, we prefer to learn from the mistakes of others. And he says that the European market is also a good market.

Marta Butorak does not hide the fact that Polish businessmen cannot count on such support from the government, or even much less. Our politicians are reluctant to speak well of their country’s businessmen because they may be suspected of corruption.Because putting pressure is a bad word in Polish, he says.

According to Eurostat in 2020 Each EU resident produced an average of 34.6 kg of plastic waste. Only 13kg of it was recycled. – Environmental protection is crucial. Our company is fully committed to protecting the natural environment. We live here too, so it’s very important for us, says Marta Butorac.

What would happen if there were no plastic in the world today?

– We will go back to the Stone Age. To produce paper we would first have to cut down a tree and, second, use hectoliters of water, and water would be a problem? In some places, you see, there is a shortage of water, so here sometimes we reach a dead end, we give in to fashion, we don’t listen to science, we don’t listen to anything, we just justify our conscience. I won’t use plastic as of tomorrow. Well, that’s not true. We can’t do that, but we definitely have to change our approach to certain things – says Marta Butorac.

The 2024 EFL report “Women in SMEs in Focus” shows that 8 percent of women in Poland run their own businesses. However, up to 55 percent and the companies they manage are small enterprises. Every sixth Polish woman runs a business employing between 50 and 249 employees.

– I will say something that is not political at all. I do not support artificial equivalence. However, I think women have more difficulty at the professional level because women have to show greater skills and determination than men. Throughout my career, I have never encountered a situation where I was discriminated against because of my gender. What was most important was my knowledge, consistency and way of negotiating. It was just work. If we ask a woman if she wants to be promoted and take on more responsible responsibilities, she says: I don’t know. And a man? Of course! When should I start? – says Marta Butorac.

In previous episodes of Business Class, Lukasz Kjejic spoke to:

• By Adam Rangerformer president of Green Caffe Nero;
• Maciej PanicHead builder.
• Vladislav Grochowski From the Archie Collection;
• Professor Andre Blekleconfectioner and businessman;
• Michel Sabotaowner of HREIT;
• Daria Abramovicha business psychologist who collaborates with, among others, Iga Švetek;
• Henrika BochniarsFounder of Lewyattan.
• Davut ZelenskyPresident of Columbus Energy;
• Jacek SantorskiBusiness psychologist and entrepreneur.
• Thomas Karolakactor and founder of IMKA Theater;
• Piotr Voelklfounder of VOX Meble and SWPS University;
• Jacob Teppera restaurant owner from Poznan;
• Wojciech JanickiDirector of the Institute of Socio-Economic Geography and Spatial Management at Maria Curie Sklodowska University In Lublin;
• Marian Owerkoco-founder of Buckland;
• Marcin BentkowskiProfessor at Kozminsky University, author of the best-selling book “The Golden Age”;
• My message to youChief Operating Officer of Flair Airlines;
• Robert Michalskifounder of Stradale Classics;
• Maciej OleksovichPresident of Inter Cars;
• Jacob Dornickifounder of cyber_folks and vercom;
• Robert DobrzyckiFounder and President of Panattoni Europe and India;
• Professor Grzegorz MazurekDean of the Leon Kozminsky Academy;
• David JakubovichChairman of Kulczyk Investments;
• Marcin OchnikChief of Oceanic;
• Marcin Ziobaga,Precision Zeo Max;
• Alina SztoshChairman of Kubota;
• Carol Okrasachef at Platter by Carol Okrasa;
• Krzysztof DomareckiFounder of Selena Group.
• Jaroslav SzanajkaChairman of Dome Development Company;
• Piotr Vossco-founder of Auto Fus Group,
• Cesare KozaneckiChairman and Founder of Synektik,
• Bartlomiej WalaszczykFounder of the Automotive Group,
• Paul Garskyhead of the racist group,
• Thomas Salesky, co-founder of the Klepsydra Group.

All episodes of “Business Class” are available. Under this link.