Germans have been investing in our economy for years. Now the trend is starting to reverse. More and more Polish companies are taking over shares in German medium-sized enterprises – writes “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (FAZ) on Friday.
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An example is a manufacturer of rail vehicles Pesawhich recently took over a bankrupt tram factory Heiterblick from Leipzig. The new owner plans to increase production, which was positively received by German trade unions. According to “FAZ”, Pesa's involvement in Odra is not an isolated case.
We wrote in Business Insider Polska that Poles are buying companies in Germany. However, we pointed out that however, the most famous transactions failed. We also emphasized that the German press is unlikely to notice the new trend. Perhaps this is starting to change.
Among other examples, the daily mentions a furniture manufacturer MDDwho took over the company in November last year Ceka from Hesse. Group Recyclelisted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, bought the company for EUR 10 million Harzer Reifenhandela Collian merged with a German confectionery manufacturer Gubor. Similar transactions are also increasing in the glass and home accessories industries.
The Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Warsaw notes that for years German companies have been investing in Poland, but now this trend is starting to reverse. Polish family businesses are increasingly bold in taking over recognized brands in Western Europe.
Foreign direct investment statistics in Germany do not always reflect these changes. This may be due to delays in data collection or relatively small investment amounts, the daily notes.
In turn, the number of Polish companies registered in Germany – currently 3,200, employing almost 25,000. people – may suggest greater involvement than in reality, because many of them are sole proprietorships, mainly in Berlin and Brandenburg. Where are the German companies taken over by Poles located? Check on our map.
Economist Jürgen Matthes from the German Economic Institute estimates that Polish entrepreneurs still play a small role on this market. Poland ranks 31st among countries investing in Germany.
However, as “FAZ” writes, although final data are not yet available, it can be assumed that in 2025, Polish companies took over more German companies than ever before.
Łukasz Chrabański, president of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, emphasizes that Germany is an attractive market for Polish companies. “Polish companies do not appear as vultures, but often as rescue,” says “FAZ”
He also draws attention to the problem of succession in Germany – as many as 230,000. companies face challenges related to the transfer of business. Polish companies, according to Chrabański, offer fresh capital and are close both geographically and culturally.
FAZ includes the activities of Orlen, which has 600 gas stations and generates revenues of EUR 4.5 billion annually, among the most famous successes of Polish companies on the German market. Comarch also stands out, as it has been developing IT operations in Germany since 1999 and recently took over the management of the German railways' loyalty program.
Donald Tusk commented on the article by “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” on Friday. “The Poles are coming” – see how this opinion has changed over the last 30 years – wrote the Prime Minister with an X. “Poland is coming to its own” – he added.
