They closed a big factory and the whole city suffered. “Lord, if you could see this.”

A Pomeranian furniture factory in Noe once employed hundreds of workers. The company’s restructuring led to the suspension of production in 2023. Payment problems and the company’s bankruptcy led to the layoff of large numbers of workers.
The closure of the factory had a negative impact on the local community. — The employees took shifts at five or six in the morning and would always come to me to shop. When they closed the factory, my sales dropped by 30%.
Job losses led to an outflow of employees, exacerbating the municipality’s demographic and economic problems. “Some people have had to leave now to find work,” residents admitted in an interview with Onet.
More information can be found on the Onet home page

– Don’t give me my name. “I don’t want to get in trouble,” says Mr. Marek, who has worked at a Pomeranian furniture factory in Noe for nearly 40 years. It is a small city with a population of several thousand. It is located in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian province, but is only a few kilometers from the “Pomeranian border”.

No salary, bankruptcy and trustee

– Sir, more than a thousand people were working here. Of course, it’s a shame it’s over. It was sad to see the plant fall into ruin. We were still able to deal with the pandemic. But then the war broke out and we took some raw materials from Ukraine. It was also important – I hear from my now retired interlocutor. — In the end, we had about 200 people working here. There were problems with paying salaries on time. Young people are now suffering the worst because it is difficult to find a job. He adds that some people have now had to leave to find work.

Pomorska Fabryka Mebli in Nowe was part of the Klose group. It also included the furniture factory in Gosenin and the furniture factory in Chersk.

Industry portal Drew.pl reports that at the end of 2022, the company began restructuring, and in mid-2023, production was suspended at all three plants. This was confirmed by my interlocutors who worked at Nowe. They say the payment problems started last June. – We have information that the late payments will be settled in the coming months – I heard.

“The current official layoffs at Pomorska Fabryka Mebli are linked to the declared bankruptcy of the company. The bankruptcy trustee is in charge of terminating contracts and issuing outstanding employment certificates. Severance benefits for employees will be paid from the Secured Employee Benefits Fund,” it read.

Ship communication system

Several thousand people live in Nowe. I hear from residents that the furniture factory was one of the largest employers in the area.

– Your Honor, if you saw this and came here two years ago and came to me in the morning, you would have been standing in a long line. Almost all of these people worked at the furniture factory, says Ms. Bogomila, who runs a grocery store located near the now-closed factory. — The employees took shifts at five or six in the morning and would always come to me to shop. When they closed the factory, my sales dropped by 30%. – Judges.

This is what a ship delivery system looks like. You close a large factory in a small town, and it affects practically everyone around you.

Deputy Mayor of Nowe, Zbigniew Lorkowski, tells Onet: – In the municipality alone, there were about 150 jobs, and the factory was one of the largest employers. The collapse of the factory, although it was a long-term process, was a traumatic event for everyone. Socially, any job loss is difficult. Only certain employees can apply for a pension. The recession in the furniture industry has made it difficult for the unemployed to find work in this sector. Many employees look for work outside of Nowe and move away permanently.

I ask the official how much money did the municipality lose, for example, in taxes, after closing such a large factory?

— Regarding taxes, the situation for the municipality is still not entirely clear, and bankruptcy proceedings are ongoing. Only after its completion will it be possible to estimate whether there is a loss in estate tax and of what size. However, the biggest problem is the outflow of employees, which in the short and long term will deepen the town’s demographic and economic problems, he answers.

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Whatever is missing is excellent

The former factory area has already been developed. It is used, among other things, in component functions. The new manager lets me in and take some pictures. I am guided by Tomáš Rodewald, who shows us all the nooks and crannies of the factory, and there are quite a few of them, because the area is several hectares.

First impression? The former factory part resembles the atmosphere of pictures from Pripyat after people left the city. Large deserted halls, dusty machinery, old ovens, damaged furniture, documents thrown everywhere – one feels as if life ended here not months ago, but decades ago.