MAKRUM
MAKRUM is a Bydgoszcz-based Polish industrial machinery brand with roots in a nineteenth-century agricultural-equipment workshop.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
MAKRUM is a Polish industrial-engineering brand originating in Bydgoszcz in 1868, when Hermann Löhnert established a shop and workshop for agricultural machinery. The business developed from farm-equipment repair and mechanical threshing into a large-scale manufacturer of machinery for mineral processing, cement, sugar, chemical and construction industries. Its historical product range included threshers, ball mills, crushers, cement kilns, boilers, cranes, elevators, rollers, road-building equipment and large steel structures. The enterprise became a joint-stock company in 1899 as Bromberger Maschinenfabrik H. Löhnert AG. At the turn of the twentieth century it built an expanded industrial complex with foundry, assembly facilities, a power plant and a dedicated rail connection. The company exported machinery beyond Central Europe, reaching markets including Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, China and South America. By 1913 it employed approximately 800 people. Production was redirected toward military needs during the First World War. After Bydgoszcz became part of the restored Polish state in 1920, the enterprise continued operating under Polish and German-Polish ownership, later using the name Pomorska Fabryka Maszyn. The interwar business broadened its output to include boiler equipment, rollers, lifts, cranes and construction machinery, but the Great Depression severely reduced operations. The factory entered bankruptcy proceedings in 1932 and recovered only toward the end of the decade. During the German occupation it produced industrial and military-related components for the occupying authorities. The factory was nationalized after the Second World War. In 1957 it merged with the former Hans Eberhardt factory and adopted the name Pomorskie Zakłady Budowy Maszyn Makrum. During the post-war industrialization period, the company expanded its Bydgoszcz facilities, introduced larger machining and casting capacity, and became an important European supplier of equipment for cement and building-material production. It exported to Comecon countries and to destinations in the Middle East and Asia, and participated in the construction or equipment of industrial plants in Iraq, Kuwait and Hungary. Following Poland's economic transformation, MAKRUM was converted into a joint-stock company in 1991. Under the influence of Rafał Jerzy after 2001, the business moved increasingly toward offshore, marine and heavy-engineering activities. It entered the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2007 and acquired the Szczecin-based Pomeranian Shipyard in 2008. In 2011 it became part of the broader Immobile group, whose interests also include hotels, construction, retail and property management. The MAKRUM production operation was transferred to Paterek in 2012 and the former central Bydgoszcz factory was subsequently relocated to the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park in 2015. Today the MAKRUM brand operates within the Projprzem Makrum S.A. Industrial Group. Its stated industrial scope includes crushers, feeders, screening machines, rotary drum dryers and ball mills for mining, chemical, cement and related processing industries. It also undertakes large steel structures and provides machining, plastic working, repair, welding, cleaning and painting services. The former Leśna Street industrial site is being redeveloped as Platanowy Park, an office and residential project associated with the Immobile group, while selected heavy industrial presses are intended to remain as historical memorials.
History
MAKRUM traces its origin to Hermann Löhnert's 1868 agricultural-machinery shop and workshop in Bydgoszcz, then known as Bromberg. Löhnert added a repair workshop in 1876 and developed patented agricultural equipment, including a clover thresher that reportedly sold thousands of units. In 1888 the enterprise moved into a larger factory on present-day Dworcowa Street, where it produced ball mills, fertilizer machinery, equipment for sugar factories and distilleries, and cement kilns. The cement-kiln business became particularly significant and helped the firm establish an international reputation. In 1899 the company became Bromberger Maschinenfabrik H. Löhnert AG. Around the beginning of the twentieth century it built a much larger complex on the eastern side of Bydgoszcz, including administrative buildings, assembly halls, an iron foundry, a steam-powered plant and a railway siding. The factory exported to several European countries and to overseas markets. Löhnert died in 1910, and employment reached about 800 by 1913. During the First World War the plant supplied the German military. The restoration of Polish sovereignty in 1920 caused the departure of much of the German technical staff, but production continued. Under the name Pomorska Fabryka Maszyn, the company expanded into boiler equipment, rollers, cranes, lifts and construction and road machinery. The Great Depression brought a drastic contraction: the company entered bankruptcy in 1932 and operated at a greatly reduced scale until recovery began late in the decade. In 1939 it was again manufacturing crushing machinery, narrow-gauge railway equipment and plant machinery for cement, sugar and brickworks. During the German occupation the factory produced industrial and military-related components for the occupying administration. The enterprise was nationalized in 1946. Its workforce and activities were distributed across several Bydgoszcz sites, and employment later increased to approximately 1,200 people. A 1957 merger with the nationalized Hans Eberhardt factory created Pomorskie Zakłady Budowy Maszyn Makrum. The post-war decades brought extensive rebuilding, new machining and casting halls, large-equipment capabilities and increasing automation. MAKRUM became an important supplier of heavy machinery for the cement and building-material sectors, with design work coordinated through its own department from the mid-1970s. Its international activity extended across Comecon, the Middle East, Asia and selected Western markets. It supplied or participated in industrial projects in Iraq, Kuwait and Hungary, while exporting complete machinery and plant equipment to several Eastern European countries. The planned construction of a much larger production complex at Paterek in the early 1980s was halted by Poland's economic crisis. After 1989, the company was reorganized as a joint-stock company in 1991. From 2001, Rafał Jerzy became the principal shareholder and redirected the business toward offshore, marine and heavy-engineering opportunities. MAKRUM entered the Warsaw Stock Exchange in 2007 and acquired Stocznia Pomerania in 2008. Immobile Capital Group was formed in 2011 to coordinate a diversified portfolio that included MAKRUM, hotel operations, retail, engineering and real estate. The production operation moved to Paterek in 2012, and the remaining Bydgoszcz activity was relocated to the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park in 2015. The former Leśna Street property was subsequently redeveloped as Platanowy Park. Demolition of the remaining industrial buildings began in 2019 and was completed in 2020, with plans to retain two large presses as reminders of the site's industrial history. The MAKRUM brand now operates within the Projprzem Makrum industrial group and remains associated with custom heavy machinery, mineral-processing equipment, steel fabrication and industrial services.
- 2019
Demolition of the former factory began
[1]The former Leśna Street production buildings were removed for the Platanowy Park redevelopment.
- 2015
Relocation to the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park
[1]The remaining factory operation moved to a section of the city's industrial and technology park.
- 2012
Production moved to Paterek
[1]The production division was transferred from the historic Bydgoszcz site to Paterek.
- 2011
Immobile Capital Group was established
[1]MAKRUM became part of a diversified corporate group spanning industrial, hotel, retail and property activities.
- 2008
Acquisition of Stocznia Pomerania
[1]The company added a Szczecin-based shipyard to its industrial portfolio.
- 2007
Warsaw Stock Exchange entry
[1]MAKRUM became publicly traded during its expansion into marine and offshore engineering.
- 1991
MAKRUM became a joint-stock company
[1]The enterprise was transformed during Poland's transition to a market economy.
- 1957
The Makrum name was adopted
[1]The merger with Hans Eberhardt's former factory created Pomorskie Zakłady Budowy Maszyn Makrum.
- 1946
The factory was nationalized
[1]Post-war state ownership reorganized the enterprise across several Bydgoszcz locations.
- 1932
The company entered bankruptcy during the Depression
[1]The Great Depression reduced operations to a small fraction of their previous level.
Products and positioning
A long-established Polish heavy-industry and machinery brand focused on custom-engineered equipment for mining, cement, chemical, mineral-processing, marine and other demanding industrial applications.
Mineral-processing machinery
Industrial crushers
MAKRUM's industrial crushers are part of its heavy equipment range for reducing hard materials in mining, cement, chemical and related processing operations. The company has historical experience producing machinery for cement works, quarries and other large industrial plants.
Material-handling machinery
Feeders
Feeders are supplied as part of MAKRUM's processing-equipment portfolio, supporting the controlled movement of bulk materials into crushing, screening or grinding systems. Specific configurations and technical specifications vary by customer project.
Mineral-processing machinery
Screening machines
MAKRUM screening machines are used to classify or separate bulk materials in industrial processing lines. They complement the company's crushers, feeders and mills and are designed for heavy-duty applications in mining, cement and associated sectors.
Industrial drying equipment
Rotary drum dryers
Rotary drum dryers form part of the brand's equipment for processing bulk and mineral materials. Their industrial role is to reduce moisture before subsequent handling or processing, with applications connected to mining, chemical and building-material production.
Grinding machinery
Ball mills
Ball mills have been associated with MAKRUM since the late nineteenth century, when the predecessor factory produced mills for crushing and grinding lime and ore. They remain part of the brand's stated portfolio for cement, mineral and other heavy-processing applications.
Road-construction machinery
Reclaimed Asphalt Granulator
The Reclaimed Asphalt Granulator is an MAKRUM-developed machine for road construction. It is intended to process reclaimed asphalt material, representing an application beyond the company's traditional cement, mining and mineral-processing equipment.
Heavy steel fabrication
Large steel constructions
MAKRUM undertakes customer-specific large steel structures for mining, shipbuilding, machine production and other industrial sectors. The offering is supported by fabrication, welding, mechanical processing, surface cleaning and painting services.
Brand decisions
2015
Relocation to the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological ParkStrategyBackground
The former Leśna Street factory site was being repositioned for non-industrial urban development.
Action taken
The remaining production operation was moved to a two-hectare section of the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park.
Aftermath
The old ten-hectare site became part of the Platanowy Park office and residential redevelopment.
2012
Transfer of production to PaterekStrategyBackground
The historic Bydgoszcz premises had become constrained and the company sought a more suitable production location.
Action taken
The production division was moved to a leased site in Paterek near Nakło nad Notecią.
Aftermath
The relocation separated active production from the former central Bydgoszcz factory property, which later entered urban redevelopment.
2008
Acquisition of Stocznia PomeraniaM&ABackground
MAKRUM was broadening its industrial scope toward offshore and marine engineering.
Action taken
It took over the Szczecin-based Pomeranian Shipyard, known in Polish as Stocznia Pomerania.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened the company's connection with shipbuilding and marine-industrial work.
2001
Strategic move toward offshore and marine industriesStrategyBackground
After Rafał Jerzy became the company's main shareholder, MAKRUM began shifting beyond its historic machinery base toward offshore, marine and heavy-engineering activities.
Action taken
The company developed its marine-oriented business and later expanded through the acquisition of Stocznia Pomerania.
Aftermath
The strategic direction culminated in a Warsaw Stock Exchange listing in 2007 and a shipyard acquisition in 2008.
Recent events
- 2019
Demolition began at the former MAKRUM industrial site[1]
Other
Demolition of the remaining production buildings at the former Leśna Street site started as part of the Platanowy Park redevelopment.
- 2015
MAKRUM's remaining Leśna Street production was relocated[1]
Other
The historic factory operation was moved to a smaller site in the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park.
- 2014
Former MAKRUM factory site began conversion into Platanowy Park[1]
Other
The former Leśna Street industrial property entered redevelopment planning as a mixed office and residential estate associated with Immobile's CDI subsidiary.
- 2012
MAKRUM production moved to Paterek[1]
Other
The production division, employing approximately 400 people according to the reference material, was transferred to a leased site in Paterek near Nakło nad Notecią.
- 2008
MAKRUM acquired Stocznia Pomerania[1]
M&A
The company expanded its industrial and marine portfolio by taking over the Szczecin-based Pomeranian Shipyard.
- 2007
MAKRUM entered the Warsaw Stock Exchange[1]
Other
The company became publicly traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange during its strategic shift toward offshore and marine industries.
- 1991
MAKRUM was transformed into a joint-stock company[1]
Other
Following Poland's post-communist economic transformation, the formerly state-owned enterprise was reorganized as a joint-stock company.
- 1957
Pomorskie Zakłady Budowy Maszyn adopted the Makrum name[1]
Other
A merger with the nationalized Hans Eberhardt factory led to the name Pomorskie Zakłady Budowy Maszyn Makrum.
- 1899
MAKRUM predecessor became a joint-stock company[1]
Other
The firm was reorganized as Bromberger Maschinenfabrik H. Löhnert AG with participation from Ostbank für Handel und Gewerbe.
- 1868
MAKRUM was established as an agricultural-machinery workshop in Bydgoszcz[1]
Other
Hermann Löhnert founded the business that later developed into the MAKRUM industrial machinery enterprise.
Sources2 sources
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