Gone are the days of long window delivery time

The biggest PVC window producer in Europe celebrates its thirtieth birthday this year. As the market leader, apart from innovative products, it guarantees woodwork delivery all over Europe in just seven days. Flexibility and efficiency are important factors in success of a window producer. The company founder and president, Leszek Gierszewski, always underlines that business cannot wait and he has implemented this rule in his company.

DRUTEX appeared in the market in 1985. In just three decades the company has become a leader in window industry in Europe, and one of the most recognizable Polish brands. Both Poles, Italians as well as the German know the company advertising campaign with the three football stars: Andrea Pirlo, Philipp Lahm and Jakub Błaszczykowski. The three players have been DRUTEX brand ambassadors for a year, and they have supported the brand in building its position in Europe. 

This year the company celebrates its 30th anniversary. The company founder and president, Leszek Gierszewski, has a very interesting history of the company development. For over 20 years it has been making windows that now constitute the most important product in the company offer. Gierszewski built the company from scratch, starting modestly – with just a few workers.  Today, the company hires more than 2000 people and it is one of the biggest employers in the region. Before he started his own business, Leszek Gierszewski was a lecturer of civil defense at a Słupsk academy for seven years. However, he was always attracted to business. He had technical inclinations, he was interested in new technologies, modern solutions and unconventional ideas. Therefore, he decided to quit the military career and to start his own business. He took his first steps in flowerpots production. In 1985 he set up DRUTEX that, initially, produced wire fence, later wire and wire products. Hence, the company name (drut = wire). As all commonsense entrepreneurs, Leszek Gierszewski was still looking for new opportunities.

The construction of his own house was the reason for going to construction trade fair in Gdańsk, where he saw machines for window production. This is when he seriously thought of his own woodwork production.  He had been interested in window production before. However, the time did not seem right to embark on this kind of business. Only during the Gdańsk trade fair did he make the decision to invest in the new business model. A bit like when one buys a brewery to drink a beer.

As a window producer, DRUTEX quickly gained a national recognition and appreciation wwhich, with time, it stated exporting abroad, to be named an international company 20 years later. ‘We are proud to have managed to build a brand that stands for high quality, reliability and credibility. We produce windows following global standards, we set trends in the woodwork market, and, as a result of quality control on all production stages and our own research and development department, we determine each stage of window production. Our laboratory is supplied with machines and test equipment that any certifying institution would be proud to have. What is more, we have the biggest test machine, similar to the one that is used by the German IFT Rosenheim institute. We ensure top quality of our products. ”- sums up Gierszewski

DRUTEX has been producing PVC windows and doors since 1994. Today, this woodwork segment has the biggest share in all company offer and it gives it the market leader position in Europe. DRUTEX windows, that remains a family company although it has the size of a corporation, stand out for great parameters regarding energy efficiency, and high quality. Owing to the professional equipment for testing the products, DRUTEX checks its woodwork regularly for tightness, air permeability and resistance to wind load. The laboratory operates 24/7. The choice and production of DRUTEX windows

is a tailor-made process. It reminds fitting a suit. Each window is produced to make it suit perfectly the client’s expectations. It starts with taking measurements, fitting, selecting the material and choice among the 31 colors, choosing details, and the final production and delivery – it is all perfectly organized.

Apart from perfect quality and dynamic development, Gierszewski’s strategy focuses on competitive delivery time:  „Today the average window delivery time on the market is six to eight weeks. I will not accept that. We are perfectly organized, flexible and efficient. We have optimized processes inside the company so that we can guarantee delivery in seven days.  All over Europe. Clients need security and precision in planning a construction.” explains Gierszewski. The fleet of more than 200 trucks contributes to the delivery speed.

From the order acceptance, production, until dispatching the goods – we mean full optimization. DRUTEX maintains flat organization structure, which allows making decisions quickly and with flexibility. The new machinery and investment in modernity help the company to strengthen its position on window market. Gierszewski has always put emphasis on self-reliance. He has never and still does not believe in the widely promoted theories of outsourcing, leasing etc. „We have been producing ourselves the composite glass and window profiles that we need, while the latter ones are produced exclusively of primary material. Recycled material is out of the question. We also have our own glass hardening plant. We are among the few producers who do so much themselves under one roof. The first window we produced was equipped with our own composite glass. As a result, we have more influence on the quality of our products, since we supervise each production stage – starting with the powder, through profiles, glass, till the ready window and delivery.”- explains the president Gierszewski.

DRUTEX has a perfectly organized sales network all over the world. It sells its products outside Europe also in the USA, Mexico, Australia and the Near East. The growing demand for the company products gave rise to the creation of the European Fenestration Centre. Having completed the first stage of the investment (30.000 m2), now 7000 windows are produced daily. When at the end of this year the second stage of the investment is completed (25.000 m2), every day to 7000 windows will be dispatched from the factory. It is a huge advantage over the strongest competitors in Europe. An example of the great export success are extraordinary projects all over the world, such as equipping with windows the Hilton hotel in New York, as well as the Hyatt or the Holiday Inn in the USA, or the gold mine and biggest block producer in Mexico.

The outstanding strategy and long-term vision of the president turn DRUTEX into the leading window producer in Europe, with an insatiable appetite.  The company has registered dynamic increase in sales for many years, and it stands out for the pro-investment approach. There is no moderation in investment, and the president keeps saying that this is just the beginning of the development path.

Mister President, sincere congratulation on the anniversary. What in your opinion stands behind the great DRUTEX success?

There is no recipe for success. Anyway, there is no elevator to success, there is no shortcut – you need to take the stairs.  This is what we have done. A number of factors have contributed to our success, such as e.g. coherent and clear game plan, short decision-making processes and pro-investment approach. However, people are the key. We owe our current market position to the strong team consisting today of more than 2000 employees. As a result, we are setting trends and implementing innovations, e.g. the innovative energy efficiency systems, low-emission glazing, new Renolit films. What is more, we tailor-make our windows according to clients’ expectations thanks to the great individualization options. Apart from that, our windows are recommended by the world-class

sportsmen: Andrea Pirlo, Philipp Lahm and Jakub Błaszczykowski who, just like us, focus on precision and top quality. One must remember that the football trio works only with the best ones. Therefore, I am happy that they support us in building our position and brand recognition in Europe.

What might clients expect from DRUTEX windows?

DRUTEX windows constitute top quality, modern solutions, full personalization. We leave nothing to chance. All our products undergo stringent quality control. In window production we use exclusively class A profiles, 100% from primary materials. We do not use recycled materials. We set trends, we guarantee perfect parameters in energy efficiency, air permeability, water tightness and resistance to wind load. We care for innovative solutions in window safety. Our products are modern and technologically advanced thanks to cooperation with global, renowned suppliers. We stand out for speed of action. We guarantee window delivery within just 7 days all over Europe, no matter if we deliver to Sweden or Sicily.

You have achieved a lot and a lot is still in front of you. What are you proud of?

I am glad that DRUTEX is a brand recognized in Europe and that it represents reliability and credibility in business. It sounds proud to be number one in Europe, but it is also a huge obligation. I am happy that each year the number of satisfied clients all over the world is growing.  The quality of our products is extremely important for us. We want to take responsibility for them in 100%. We have influence on our woodwork quality in 100% because we produce windows from A to Z, we produce composite glass and PVC profiles ourselves. The European Woodwork Center, whose second stage is being built right now, offers us new opportunities. Not only regarding the increase in production capacity, but also implementing innovations.   The European Woodwork Center comprises production halls covering the surface of eight football pitches. Thanks to the new investment we will be able to optimize most production processes and manufacture the products even more efficiently.