Some business stories start small, but over time become symbols of an era. The story of SECO/WARWICK is one of them.
The story begins during the turbulent years between 1989 and 1991, when Polish entrepreneurship required courage and the engineering ambition to run ahead of the economic reality. It was then – drawing on experience gained at the Polish company Elterma, the determination of engineering minds, and cooperation with the American side – that a brand began to take shape – one that, 35 years later, ranks among global leaders in heat treatment and vacuum metallurgy.
From Polish determination to a global Group
At the root of this story is Poland in a time of great change. The late 1980s and early 1990s were a moment when almost everything had to be built from scratch: companies, trade relationships, trust in private initiative, and a new model of thinking about growth. It was in that environment that engineers previously associated with the Lubuskie Termotechnical Works Elterma created TransâVac. The first vacuum furnace was built in an adapted stable in Wilkowo. A photo of the unit made it into a trade fair catalog,and then to American representatives of US based SECO/WARWICK, who were looking for a partner in Eastern Europe. After months of talks, letters, and telegrams, a breakthrough followed. On June 1, 1991, SECO/WARWICK Ltd. was established in Åwiebodzin. That day remains the symbolic beginning of the Groupâs shared story.
âThis isnât a legend added years later, but the real starting point of the SECO/WARWICK Groupâtoday, one of the most remarkable stories in Polish industry. In the beginning, we primarily had expertise, courage, and tremendous determination. We operated in a Poland that was beginning to learn a new economic system, and yet we managed to build technology that attracted a partner from the United States. That was a turning point, but what happened later is even more remarkable. This story didnât end with cooperation with America. We reached a point where it was the Poles who bought the American company. It sounds symbolic, but it best reflects the scale of the journey weâve made,â says Andrzej Zawistowski, founder of SECO/WARWICK.
Roots in Meadville, strength in Åwiebodzin
What set SECO/WARWICK apart from the very beginning was the combination of two worlds. On the one hand, an American industrial tradition and a brand from Meadville, rooted in the Sunbeam Equipment Corporation and Warwick Furnace Company. On the other hand, a Polish engineering culture built on Eltermaâs competencies and the experience of people who could create modern solutions despite limited resources. From that synthesis emerged an organization that, over time, built its own independent, global position.
The Polish part of this story has a very specific place and name: Elterma, founded in 1950, from which the coâfounders of what later became SECO/WARWICK originated. When Elterma formally joined the Group in 2003, it was not only an organizational step, but also a symbolic one. SECO/WARWICK thus gained an important technological legacyâcompetencies in atmospheric and aluminum furnaces as well as a technical DNA that, to this day, remains one of the pillars of the companyâs competitive advantage.
Growth that wasnât a matter of chance
Over 35 years, SECO/WARWICK has consistently built scale through organic growth and acquisitions. The Group expanded in Poland, the United States, Germany, China, and Indiaâdeveloping its business by building new structures and acquiring companies, along with their knowâhow and competencies. Key milestones included acquiring CAMLAW Ltd.âs intellectual property in 2002, including CAB technology, as well as the full acquisition of the American manufacturer Retech, which brought the Group into the top tier of titanium melting technology and superalloys. The acquisition of Retech became one of the strongest points of technological synergy in global vacuum metallurgy and significantly influenced the Groupâs current shape.
35 years later: records, scale, and steady growth
After 35 years, SECO/WARWICK is no longer telling a story about aspirations. It is a story about a position. The Group closed 2025 with its highest-ever sales, reaching PLN 334.3 million in revenue and PLN 24.5 million in net profit. This means sales revenue increased by 16.9% year over year. Operating profit (EBIT) rose by 139%, and the EBIT margin reached 8.1%.
These results show not only the scale of operations, but also the rising quality of the business and the effectiveness of the strategy being executed. Today, SECO/WARWICK employs more than 900 people, whereas at the beginning it was a small group with a vision, knowledge, and a willingness to take risks. Since its operations began, SECO/WARWICK has delivered more than 5,000 systems to Partners.
âSECO/WARWICK is a strong international Group, but with a very clear Polish center of expertise and decisionâmaking. Record sales, more than 5,000 systems delivered, and 900 employees prove that over the years, we have built an organization that is resilient, competitive, and ready for further growth. Our ambition is not only to grow the company, but to genuinely set the direction for the entire industry,â says SÅawomir Woźniak, CEO of the SECO/WARWICK Group.
It is also worth emphasizing the market dimension of this position. The SECO/WARWICK Group has been listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2007.
A global brand, five technology lines, one consistent message
SECO/WARWICKâs scale today is not only about production and financial performance, but also a mature international B2B brand. The Group operates globally, communicates across multiple markets, and builds recognition around its expert position in metal heat treatment. Its offering includes five key technology areas: vacuum heat treatment, aluminum heat treatment, atmosphere technologies, heat exchanger brazing, and vacuum metallurgy.
âWhen we talk about 35 years of SECO/WARWICK, we are no longer talking about aspirationsâwe are talking about position. Our ambition is to be number one in heat treatment and metallurgy: delivering endâtoâend solutions across five key technology areas in a consistent, predictable wayâregardless of country, time zone, or business culture. Thatâs why we communicate globally: not only showcasing contracts, but above all the expertise, standards, and reliability behind the SECO/WARWICK brand. That scale and consistency define our vision of being the company of first choice in heat treatment and metallurgy,â says Katarzyna Sawka, VP Marketing of the SECO/WARWICK Group.
A bold past, an ambitious future
SECO/WARWICKâs story shows that the biggest companies do not always emerge in obvious places or comfortable conditions. Sometimes their beginning is a garage, a trade fair catalog, a letter sent across the ocean, and a group of people who believe in technology more than in limitations. After 35 years, this story is global in scale, yet it has not lost its core values: courage, entrepreneurship, and engineering quality.
SECO/WARWICK enters its 35th anniversary as a financially strong Groupâgrowing globally and preparing for the next stages of expansion. The company is strengthening synergies between its entities, developing new segments, investing in automation, robotics, and new market directions. This is no longer a story about catching up with the world. It is the story of a company co-creating the industrial future.
