Kalisz sheer curtain tradition

Fabryka Firanek i Koronek HAFT S.A. is an heir to nearly 140 years of tradition in the industry of embroidered, lace and tulle fabrics.

The beginnings of the knitwear tradition are related to Majzer’s, Praszker’s and Okanowski’s factories, launched in 1878-79. The great popularity of the fabrics manufactured in Kalisz in Poland, as well as the very absorptive Russian market, were the reasons why, between 1895 and 1918, every fifth resident of Kalisz was employed at one of 53 local textile factories whose 774 machines produced 95 percent of the national output of light fabrics.

Unfortunately, the time of prosperity for the city and its inhabitants was interrupted by the dramatic events of World War 1. Although several factories with 40 machines were launched between the wars, the general stagnation of the textile market proved very difficult for Kalisz. It should be noted that, despite the crisis, in 1928 the first lace curtain machines were brought to the city. Not long before this, tulle machines had also found their way there too. Just before the start of World War 2, the factories in Kalisz (of which “Pierwsza Kaliska Fabryka Tiulu, Firanek i Koronek A. Flakowicz i S-ka” was the most important) manufactured tulle on 24 machines and lace curtains on seven.

Following the liberation, two separate factories were established in Kalisz. A. Flakowicz i S-ka and Zjednoczona Fabryka Koronek Klockowych were both taken over by the state. Finally, having been restructured and renamed several times, since 1947 the two companies have become one entity and started using the name of Kaliskie Fabryki Tiulu, Firanek i Koronek. The 1960s and 1970s were years of investment. Better machines were bought from abroad, production floors and departments were extended and in 1973 the factory was renamed again, this time adopting the name of Fabryka Wyrobów Ażurowych HAFT.
Two years later the company concentrated on two main technologies, those being embroidered products and Raschel lace (dimensional and flat). The specialist Raschel lace machines reached full capacity by the end of 1978.

The 1980s was the time of perfecting the range of embroidered products for the Haft company. Before the company’s ownership transformation, a new computer modelling centre was launched. The machine park was supplied with, among other things, German lace curtain jacquard machines.

On 31st December 1991, Fabryka Wyrobów Ażurowych HAFT was transformed into a sole-shareholder company of the State Treasury, entering a new stage of development consisting a complete modernisation of the machine park. At the end of 1999, the company was privatised and is currently a member of the WISTIL Group.

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