It happens that the word privatization causes accelerated heartbeats. This is because it entails a complicated process of changes that significantly affect the situation of many employees of the company covered by it. A number of questions and doubts arise, which are not easy to resolve. The problem is all the more significant as it affects an increasing number of Polish enterprises, including Helios, which stands out in the Polish production market.
Let's move back to 1933 for a moment. At that time, Roman and Hermina Frischer, together with Maurycy Weissberg, founded the "Helios" Incandescent Lamp Factory in Silesia. The rapid development of the company meant that at the outbreak of the war in 1939, the factory had a modern machine park (equipped, among others, with machines from Brückner, Pfeifer, and Gladitz), two glassworks (in Siemianowice Śląskie and the vicinity of Tarnów), a cardboard packaging factory in Sosnowiec, and a commercial network developed in Poland and abroad. In 1945, the plant was nationalized, and five years later, a process of modernization and expansion began. A new hall was opened, where modern production lines from Philips and Tungsram were used. In 1970, Helios was incorporated into the state lamp combine. Despite several changes of name, the character of the enterprise and its development policy were maintained.
The next five-year period resulted in the appearance of new buildings and inter-plant roads. In the 1990s, the process of adapting Helios to new economic realities began. Their effect was the award of the ISO 9001:2000 certificate in 2003. Seven years later, the Ministry of State Treasury issued an invitation to negotiate the acquisition of shares in the Katowice company, thus initiating the privatization process. On November 17, 2011, the majority of shares in Fabryka Żarówek HELIOS Sp. z o.o. were acquired by ISKRA P.S.A.
Iskra Public Joint Stock Company, located in Lviv, is the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of light sources, existing since 1972. For over thirty years, the company has consistently focused on the development of the company, technology, and offered products. A clearly defined commercial policy implemented by nearly 2000 committed employees has led Iskra to achieve success both in the domestic and international markets. Every day, approximately one million light sources leave the factory's production lines: general-purpose incandescent bulbs, specialized incandescent bulbs, high-pressure discharge lamps, linear and compact fluorescent lamps, and various types of halogen lamps.
The extensive, international structure of the Iskra group consists of separate factories, including: the main light source factory Iskra S.A. (Ukraine), medical technology manufacturer NDI Rema (Ukraine), lighting fixture manufacturer Sygnal S.A. (Ukraine), automotive bulb manufacturer Tes-Lamp s r.o. (Czech Republic), and the trading and service company IskraRus Ltd. (Russia). In 2011, Iskra also acquired shares in Fabryka Żarówek HELIOS Sp. z o.o., thereby expanding its operations into the Polish market.
"The Polish market is a very important area of activity for us. The constantly growing needs and demands of 38 million consumers are a challenge for us. We are ready to meet it," declares Serhiy Shabanov, Vice President of the Management Board. Confirmation of these words is the development by Iskra and Helios of technological development plans focused primarily on new types of high-pressure discharge lamps and modern LED light sources. An increase in Helios' production capacity is also planned through the employment of new teams producing specialized light sources. This does not, of course, exclude the continuation of the production of traditional sources, which continue to enjoy great customer interest. These actions are aimed at increasing domestic sales and exports, and - consequently - strengthening the company's position on the international market.
Helios' mission is to provide high-quality specialized products. In striving to fulfill this mission even better, the company plans to develop research and development activities. As part of this, a modern photometric laboratory will be established, allowing for more precise, advanced work aimed at a thorough understanding of light sources. The knowledge gained in this way will enable a consistent increase in the quality of the products offered.
The first steps towards developing the Helios brand as a dynamic, trustworthy manufacturer of light sources have already been taken. The past year of cooperation with Iskra was marked by the mutual getting to know of new partners and the specific cultural conditions of their operations. The exchange of experience gained in such different markets created an opportunity for a broader, prospective view of the company's development.
Concerns related to changes resulting from the privatization process turned out to be unfounded. So far, there has been no need to use the provisions of the social package related to potential employee layoffs. The assurances of the company's Management Board regarding the company's development plans, supported by past actions, allow us to look optimistically at Helios' future.
