Brewery in Połczyn-Zdrój

Browar Połczyn-Zdrój is a Polish industrial brewery based in the spa town of Połczyn-Zdrój, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. Founded in 1825 by Herman Fuhrmann, it was one of the largest brewing establishments in Western Pomerania and operated under the Fuhrmann family name until 1945. After World War II it was nationalized as Państwowy Browar Połczyn, later absorbed into the Koszalin brewing works and, in the 1990s, produced beer under the Brok brand. Between 2002 and 2005 it belonged to the Browary Polskie Brok-Strzelec group; financial difficulties halted beer production in 2003, and from 2003 to 2007 the site made soft drinks and mineral water as Wytwórnia Wody Źródlanej Połczyn-Zdrój. In 2007 the plant was leased by Brewer Polska Sp. z o.o., a subsidiary of the Czech company Brewer s.r.o., and beer production resumed under the name Browar Połczyn-Zdrój. In 2008 Brewer Polska acquired a majority stake in the mineral water company and renamed itself Fuhrmann Sp. z o.o. The brewery invested in a bottling line and expanded its range with wheat beer and energy drinks, but the global financial crisis and unresolved debts led to insolvency proceedings in August 2010. In December 2010 the brewery was taken over by an investment fund that had been its main lender. A restructuring focused on brands linked to the Połczyn-Zdrój spa resort helped production grow by around 25% annually between 2011 and 2014, benefiting from the rising popularity of regional beers in Poland. In 2015 the company reported net turnover of PLN 67 million, largely from economy beers sold to large retail chains. Continuing debt and the need to modernize infrastructure prompted a search for an investor from 2016. Negotiations dragged on and production stopped again in early 2017; between January 2017 and April 2018 the plant failed to meet obligations to employees and state bodies. In April 2018, after signing an agreement with a new investor, production resumed and ownership passed to Semper Brewery A.S., backed by Slovak capital. The brewery's current production capacity is about 350,000 hectoliters of beer per year, though excise regulations keep actual output below 200,000 hl. Its product portfolio includes the Brewer, Fuhrmann Pilsener, Jasne Pełne, Połczyńskie, Starovar, True Bunny and Uzdrowiskowe brands, including gluten-free and flavored lagers.

The brewery in Połczyn-Zdrój was founded in 1825 by Herman Fuhrmann. From 1865 to 1945 it operated as Brauerei C. Fuhrmann Inh. Karl Fuhrmann and was one of the largest brewing plants in Western Pomerania. After World War II the plant was nationalized and renamed Państwowy Browar Połczyn. In 1989 it was incorporated into the Koszalin Brewing Works (Koszalińskie Zakłady Piwowarskie) and became a branch of the Koszalin brewery. In the 1990s the Połczyn plant produced beers under the Brok brand. Between 2002 and 2005 the brewery belonged to the brewing group Browary Polskie Brok-Strzelec S.A. In 2003, due to the company's financial troubles, beer production ceased. From 2003 to 2007 the enterprise Sagittarius-Strzelec S.A. ran production of soft drinks and mineral water there, and the site was renamed Wytwórnia Wody Źródlanej Połczyn-Zdrój (Połczyn-Zdrój Spring Water Plant). In 2007 the plant was leased by Brewer Polska Sp. z o.o., a company belonging to the Czech firm Brewer s.r.o. Beer production resumed in 2007 under the name Browar Połczyn-Zdrój. In 2008 Brewer Polska Sp. z o.o. bought a majority stake in Wytwórnia Wody Źródlanej Połczyn Zdrój S.A. and changed its name to Fuhrmann Sp. z o.o. At that time a significant part of production consisted of beers for retail chains, other contractors and export. In 2008–2009 substantial investments were made, including the opening of a bottling line. The company also sought to expand its product range by introducing wheat beer and energy drinks. However, the investments made during the global financial crisis did not bring the expected results, and the brewery again became insolvent. From the beginning of 2010 there were difficulties in paying current tax and employee obligations. In August 2010 Fuhrmann Sp. z o.o. declared bankruptcy with a restructuring arrangement, but production did not stop. In December 2010 the brewery was taken over by an investment fund that had until then been the company's main lender. A decision was made to restructure production and focus on brands associating the brewery with the Połczyn-Zdrój spa. These actions partly achieved their intended effect, and in 2011–2014 beer production at the brewery grew by about 25% annually. The brewery's success in those years can be linked to the growing popularity of regional beers in the country. In 2015 the company achieved net turnover of PLN 67 million, mainly thanks to the sale of economy beers to large retail chains. This strategy did not guarantee high margins, so efforts continued to promote regional products, mainly under the banner of several Połczyn beer varieties. From 2016 the company sought an investor; the reasons for its financial problems, despite high turnover, were still-unpaid debts from the bankruptcy years and the need to adapt the plant's infrastructure to modern standards. Protracted negotiations with potential investors led to another halt in production at the beginning of 2017. Then, between January 2017 and April 2018, the plant stopped meeting obligations to employees and state bodies. In April 2018, after signing an agreement with a new investor, the resumption of production was announced, and the owner of the plant became Semper Brewery A.S., which has Slovak capital. Currently the plant's production capacity is about 350,000 hectoliters of beer per year, but due to excise regulations production does not exceed 200,000 hl.

• 2018

  Production resumes in April; ownership passes to Semper Brewery A.S.

• 2017

  Production halted again amid prolonged investor negotiations.

• 2015

  Company reports net turnover of PLN 67 million.

• 2011

  Restructuring begins; production grows about 25% annually through 2014.

• 2010

  Fuhrmann Sp. z o.o. declares bankruptcy with arrangement; brewery taken over by investment fund in December.

• 2008

  Brewer Polska acquires majority stake in the water company and renames itself Fuhrmann Sp. z o.o.

• 2007

  Leased by Brewer Polska Sp. z o.o.; beer production resumes as Browar Połczyn-Zdrój.

• 2003

  Beer production ceases due to financial troubles; site shifts to soft drinks and mineral water.

• 2002

  Becomes part of the Browary Polskie Brok-Strzelec S.A. brewing group.

• 1989

  Incorporated into Koszalińskie Zakłady Piwowarskie as a branch of the Koszalin brewery.

• 1945

  End of Fuhrmann family ownership; plant nationalized after World War II as Państwowy Browar Połczyn.

• 1865

  Operations begin under Brauerei C. Fuhrmann Inh. Karl Fuhrmann.

• 1825

  Brewery founded in Połczyn-Zdrój by Herman Fuhrmann.

Regional brewery emphasizing its spa-town heritage and local brands, while also producing economy beers for retail chains and export.

• Brewer

• Fuhrmann Pilsener

• Jasne Pełne z Połczyna Zdroju

• Połczyńskie

• Starovar

• True Bunny

• Uzdrowiskowe

1. 1START - Browar Połczyn Zdrójbrowarpolczyn.pl
2. 2Browar Połczyn-Zdrój – Wikipediapl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Brewery in Połczyn-Zdrój – Wikidatawikidata.org