We would like to present a few interesting facts about the city of Łódź, where SUM Poland has been operating for over 15 years. Here, in the centre of the country, we have our headquarters and production facility. The convenient location enables us to reach our clients quickly, even in the most remote parts of Poland.
EX NAVICULA NAVIS – from a little boat, Łódź
But let us return to information about this industrial city. The motto of Łódź reads:
EX NAVICULA NAVIS – from a little boat, Łódź – aptly expresses the phenomenon of the city’s development.
In 1821, the factory settlement of Łódź, then known as Łódka, had 767 inhabitants. Less than 100 years later, on the eve of the First World War, the city had reached a population of half a million. Łódź, known as the “Polish Manchester,” became the largest textile industry centre in the Kingdom of Poland and the second-largest textile hub in the Russian Empire after Moscow.
Andrzej Wajda, a graduate of the Łódź Film School, when adapting The Promised Land for the screen in 1974, did not need to build sets. The 19th-century city and its factories simply existed, were still functioning, and served as a ready-made film set.
It is therefore no surprise that the owner of SUM Poland established a production facility in a city with such a history and, above all, with access to a skilled workforce. Since 2019, the company’s headquarters and production site have been located in the historic factory complex of Maks Wilczyński and Jakub Hirszberg at 23/25 Kościuszki Avenue.
The buildings have always had an industrial character and were originally intended to house a knitting goods factory. After the Second World War, the premises were occupied by the Dresso clothing factories, which at the height of their success even supplied uniforms for the national Olympic team.
Today, the restored factory complex—built in the shape of a large horseshoe—hosts multiple businesses, including sewing workshops that continue the tradition of this site. The buildings are listed in the register of historical monuments. From a distance, the illuminated date of the complex’s construction can be seen on the top of the central building at night: 1892, meaning the walls are over 130 years old.
Finally, we can proudly note that Łódź is the only Polish city featured in the prestigious National Geographic Traveler ranking. One of the world’s most important travel magazines recognised the city’s transformation and recommended it as one of 25 places worldwide to visit in 2022.