From: mk_thisisit
Iglotex, one of Poland’s largest frozen food producers and distributors, faced a catastrophic fire in May 2019 that completely destroyed its main factory and largest distribution center in Slush [00:00:26]. This incident had a profound impact on the local community, given that the factory in Slush, a town of about 3,000 residents, employed around 650 people [00:03:26]. “Basically every family from this small town had someone who was associated, worked or was very associated with this company” [00:03:30].
The Catastrophe and Its Immediate Aftermath
On May 27, 2019, at 1:30 a.m., a fire broke out in the Iglotex factory, consuming the facility and the main distribution department, which was vital to the town’s employment [00:00:14]. The sheer scale of the fire was immense, requiring fire extinguishing operations for three days [00:05:20].
The company’s CEO, Maciej, recounted the initial shock and the immediate question from an employee: “President, and what will happen now, what will we do next?” [00:06:22].
Unwavering Commitment to Employees
Despite the immense challenge and the complete loss of the factory, Iglotex made a remarkable decision: not to fire a single employee due to the fire [00:00:11]. Maciej expressed immense pride in this achievement [00:04:13].
Only a dozen or so employees out of 650 left voluntarily, either at their own request, due to retirement, or to change jobs for common-sense reasons, such as working with a spouse in the same location [00:04:23]. Notably, some of these employees returned after the factory was rebuilt [00:04:45].
To ensure no job loss, employees from the burnt factory were temporarily delegated to another Iglotex plant where the frozen vegetable production season was starting, creating a natural need for additional staff [00:08:41]. The company organized transportation for these employees, driving them “several dozen kilometers to the next plant” [00:08:54].
Rebuilding and Resilience
The company’s mindset was to “look for half a full glass to cope and and face the challenges” [00:06:37]. Within hours of the fire, a crisis team was appointed to maintain production volume, relocate production, and reconstruct the distribution branch [00:07:10].
The rebuilding process was rapid:
- In February 2020, a building permit was received [00:10:03].
- Construction of the new factory began at the end of February 2020, just two weeks before the hard COVID-19 lockdown [00:10:04].
- By mid-September of the same year (6.5 months later), the new factory was operational, with first production and sales from the new facility [00:10:27].
This rapid recovery was attributed to four pillars:
- Efficient Damage Settlement: Insurers and brokers worked well, with an agreement signed at the third meeting after the incident [00:18:03].
- Dedicated Employees: Involved employees “helped the developer” [00:18:24].
- Supportive Developer: The developer showed “incredible flexibility” and completed the project on time [00:18:28].
- Local and Regional Community Support: Local and decision-making offices provided swift permits, sometimes within a day or two, rather than the standard 30 days [00:18:51].
The crisis, though devastating, led to a modern factory with new technology that improved product quality, increased sales, and significantly improved results, leading Maciej to state: “there is no evil that would not turn out for the best” [00:09:12]. The new factory uses 1/4 less energy while producing 1/4 more volume, maintaining a similar level of employment due to increased automation [00:12:06].
Business Environment in Poland
Maciej described running a business in Poland as an “endless series of crises” [00:14:59]. He cited a series of challenging events experienced by the company:
- 2019: The fire [00:15:08].
- 2020: COVID-19 lockdown [00:15:11].
- Late 2021: First major inflation signals, with energy increases by a factor of 20 [00:15:14].
- Early 2022: The war in Ukraine, breaking supply chains and causing further global impacts [00:15:29].
Despite these challenges, Maciej maintained a positive outlook, stating that the company, much like Iga Świątek, was “6:0 for us” [00:15:55]. He emphasized being grateful and appreciating what they have, recognizing that “it’s significantly worse somewhere else” [00:16:15]. The company operates on the principle of “rolling up my sleeves and taking care of the yard and doing what you have such a real everyday influence on” [00:16:51].
Commitment to the Environment
Iglotex also demonstrated a commitment to the environment by planning to build a sewage treatment plant at their second factory in Tarnów [00:17:10]. Although they hoped for government support from KPO programs but did not receive it, they decided to finance it themselves with bank participation, demonstrating a dedication to their values “for ourselves, for the environment, for various other reasons” [00:17:39].
The Human Factor in Technology
The discussion also touched upon the impact of technology on human society, particularly in IT. Bartek Trojnar from Sergin, an IT services outsourcing company, noted that technology implementations are often complicated and lengthy because they involve “combining many dimensions,” including human and political challenges [00:26:51]. He highlighted that IT projects are now seen as “organization transformation projects” rather than mere support functions [00:27:25].
Regarding artificial intelligence (AI), Bartek addressed concerns about AI replacing programmers. While AI helps write code, he argued that the human role shifts to understanding “the context,” the vision, and expectations [00:32:22]. He emphasized that AI should be viewed as a tool, not a threat, promoting a “shift in this paradigm of thinking” [00:33:16]. The development of AI demands more from teams, emphasizing the creation of “bridges between technology and business” [00:33:42].
Bartek suggested that success in the technology field now requires a “civilization technologist”—a person with a humanistic view who understands business, social needs, and trends [00:35:10]. He stressed the importance of combining emotional intelligence with artificial intelligence, noting that a person who can understand technology deeply and build strong relationships with business, users, and their own team is a true leader [00:35:37].
His advice to young programmers and students was to embrace the unknown. He referred to Wisława Szymborska’s Nobel lecture titled “I Don’t Know,” explaining that admitting “I don’t know” is a crucial step towards discovery and preparation [00:38:09]. He encouraged individuals to identify what they don’t know and actively seek that knowledge to be prepared for future challenges [00:39:06].