Bartex Polska has been operating since 1994 getting to know the industry and preparing for any challenges. They cut, sew, quilt and fill – using manual and automated modern production lines. The company’s success lies in combining innovation with tradition to provide partners with solutions of the highest standards.
Interview with Marcin Skibiński, Product & Sales Manager at Bartex Polska Sp. z o.o.
Easy Engineering: A brief description of the company and its activities.
Marcin Skibiński: We are constantly investing in our company, production processes, and professional staff. Thanks to this, we can offer our partners a wide range of solutions and technologies.
Our company is located in our hometown, in western Poland. Thanks to a developed logistics network, we ensure timely deliveries of products throughout the European Union and around the world.
E.E What are the main areas of activity of the company?
M.S: Our company is divided into two main divisions. One of them deals with quilting and sewing services. Here we can sew anything! On the other hand, we specialize for years in quilted pillows, mattress covers and toppers, bedding or tablecloths. This is what we produce the most in our company.
The second division is mainly sewing pet beds and toys. We produce pet accessories under the private label of customers from all over Europe, and we have our own brand – Wikopet.
E.E What’s the news about new products?
M.S: The type and design of the manufactured products depend on customer guidelines. Of course, with our great experience, we offer assistance in product development. We deliver solutions that can optimize production and reduce costs.
What we have the most influence on during production is high quality, which we have successfully offered for many years, as confirmed by our satisfied customers. The culmination of the entire production and quality process will be STeP by OEKO-TEX certification. We have already completed all the project’s objectives and are on the last straight in anticipation of the audit and certification In September.
We want to grow all the time, so we are looking for innovations available on the market to prepare for new, more complex production. For several years, we have been continuously investing in optimizing our production processes to keep up with market trends. We want to meet our customers’ expectations in order to be competitive in the European market. During this time, we have invested in new quilting lines for toppers, mattresses and pillows. Our sewing room has been equipped with machines and tables for standing sewing. The corners of mattresses are now stitched using an automatic machine.
Another challenge we’re trying to overcome is logistics and warehousing, so we’ve invested in a machine press and expansion of our IT system.
E.E What are the ranges of products?
M.S: Our main activity in the service department is quilting and sewing mattresses and toppers and quilted pillows according to the requirements and expectations of our customers.
Although by regulation we are a medium-sized company (with up to 250 employees), our production is impressively large!
Annually from our production lines come off:
- 3,500,000 quilted pillows
- 2,000,000 meters of quilted fabric
- 400,000 pet beds
- 250,000 mattress covers plus, a whole lot of other products!
E.E At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
M.S: It is affected by many direct and indirect factors, including inflation, the post-Covid-19 situation, the cost of energy and gas, changing commodity prices, the war in Ukraine, Chinese container import prices, overproduction in Europe and full warehouses
On the other hand, thanks to this, we believe we have become more creative, looking for new ideas, solutions and expanding our customer network. We are optimistic about the future, we are constantly growing, keeping in mind that many companies with similar business profiles have not survived the current crisis.
E.E What can you tell us about market trends?
M.S: When it comes to the products we make for our customers, an increasingly noticeable trend is the use of recycled raw materials or with a high admixture of natural ingredients and vege materials. Increasingly, customers are asking and then commissioning the production of such items. The Eco trend has been going on for several years now.
We also see the trend in the form of colored items in our production. The mattress is no longer all white. Colorful trimmings and ribbons add character to each product and catch the buyer’s eye. Our customers are increasingly focusing on the functionality and practicality of their product through the use of accessories, materials, etc.
E.E What are the most innovative products marketed?
M.S: Pillows that currently appear on the market, although stuffed directly – have a zipper that allows the user to adjust the softness. This is also an ECO solution, because with use, the filling itself can be replaced instead of replacing the entire pillow.
Mattresses, often have different functions on both sides. They are usually divided into warm/cold or hard/soft. For our company, this trend translates into both sides having a different design or being made of different materials.
E.E What estimations do you have for 2023?
M.S: We look ahead to the second half of 2023 with optimism. We remain committed and open to finding creative solutions to deliver tailored services to our customers. We believe that investments in automation and optimization of production processes will allow us to maintain our leadership in the production of quilted mattress covers in Europe!
