Founded in 1958 by the Association of Volunteer Fire Departments, which launched the Provincial Department of Manufacturing and Service, the company was finally established as ‘Supon’ in the mid 70’s. It wasn’t until 2008 however, that they were transformed as a result of commercialisation and became ‘Supon Ltd’, eventually being privatised in 2010 after the sale of 85% shares to a private investor.
Handling the whole production cycle
The company, on the whole, design, manufacture and implement a full range of fire-fighting equipment and services, handling every aspect of the production cycle, including the design of products, castings, molds and toolings; execution and gravity die casting of aluminium and machining, surface treatment and assembly of products. Supon specializes in the production of highly processed equipment for fire brigades; nozzles, dividers, suction strainers, medium foam nozzles, elements of firefighting foam systems etc. Supon’s firefighting product catalogue contains over 600 different items.
Within the wholesale and retail side of the company they also provide; devices, equipment and extinguishing agents; fitting and replacement parts for fire protection systems; safety footwear; safety and evacuation signs as well as protective clothing and equipment, such as gas-tight suits and breathing apparatus. But, their wide range of skills, services and products does not end with fire protection; they also provide fittings for the petrochemical industry, automotive and machinery products and components for heating systems.
Supon currently export their goods all over the world, to countries such as Germany, Austria, France, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia and South Africa, with exports directly and indirectly creating more than 39% of the value of the company production. With over 1100 products in the companies programme and with nearly half their production value being in exports all around the globe, it’s not surprising that their level of certification is high: certificates and approvals issued by the Centre of Scientific Research of Fire Protection, that’s not to mention the high quality of their products meeting international standards in Poland, Germany, Norway and Russia, as well as the European Union’s own.
Success and services
The company’s Department of Trade and Services also carries out a number of services related to fire protection including periodic reviews of breathing apparatus, overalls and fire extinguishers, as well as providing safety training and job evaluation to other businesses. These particular services currently make up 3% of Supon’s revenue which has increased considerably in recent years. The company has seen an increase in overall revenue of 5.4 million PLN (approx €886,000) since 2002, when figures sat at 16.5 million PLN (approx €4,176,000), to 2016, when they reported 21.9 million PLN (approx €5,062,000) revenue from sales. Take into account that during the recent economic crisis (2009/2010) sales fell by around 15% compared to previous years, and this figure is a remarkable success for Supon Bialystok. The company states that introduction of austere measures during this period, technological developments and changes in organisational structures, allowed them to minimise the impact of the financial crisis.
Actively participating
Since 1985, Supon has been actively participating as an exhibitor in national fire protection industry fairs and attend the national and international industry trade fairs in fire, casting and technological innovation. They recently took part in Inters Edura 2017, a specialist exhibition of installations, equipment and technologies for rescue services and fire protection facilities that has been an annual event in Poland since 2001, even exhibiting at Interschutz, and other fairs, such as IFSEC International. Still with all their success, the company have no intention of slowing down. In 2008 they built a new plant and every year their production team introduces several new or improved products. They state that they are constantly expanding their range of service and goods and with new innovations, new manufacturing techniques and new products in the pipeline; it seems the future of the company burns just as bright as ever.
For more information, go to www.supon.bialystok.pl
