Azoty is in the process of being sold Orlen Polimerów Police — a huge investment that has weighed on the company's financial results for years. However, this is only one of the steps to stabilize the situation. The group's president, Marcin Celejewski, outlined directions to quickly improve them.
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Polymers still weigh heavily
Azoty is still negotiating with banks regarding its debt, largely derived from its investment in Polymery. The sale of the complex to Orlen only partially solves this problem, so the company is looking for new market opportunities.
Azoty will create a marketplace for farmers
Azoty wants to get out of trouble by developing its main activity in the field of fertilizers. However, they plan to introduce new elements. — We will not make any more Polymers. We are focusing on what we already have and how to leverage scale and synergies that have been untapped so far – assures Marcin Celejewski.
An innovative element of the presented vision is the construction of an integrated marketplace for agriculture – a kind of equivalent of platforms such as Allegro or Amazon. The project involves the creation of a platform – both digital and physical – that brings together the entire agricultural value chain around Grupa Azoty.
— Today we mainly sell fertilizer, which is susceptible to fluctuations in gas prices. Meanwhile, from the farmer's perspective, it is only one element of the entire basket. Grupa Azoty has the potential to consolidate into one products and services for agricultural entrepreneurs – emphasizes the president of Grupa Azoty.
The marketplace would be open for external, verified partners — from producers of plant protection products to suppliers of seeds and financial services. Azoty's key asset is to be the existing distribution network and a trusted brand. — I don't have to invest billions. I already have physical distribution throughout the country. We have relationships with farmers and credibility. These are things that cannot be quickly copied, emphasizes Celejewski.
At the same time, the president tried to neutralize concerns about conflicts with existing distributors. He said that the project is not “against anyone” because Grupa Azoty has sufficient position to “gather everyone” and give them the opportunity to operate on the platform. — The key thing, however, is that the Group must start monetizing the advantages it has today – he adds.
Azoty Integration. “Millions are leaking”
And one of them is to be the benefits of closer business integration. However, the consolidation of the 54 companies included in the group is a much more difficult idea than the marketplace itself. Although almost every former CEO of Azoty announced changes that were supposed to generate greater added value, these plans were not fully implemented.
The goal is to simplify the corporate structure and effectively manage the group as one organism. — It is absurd that establishments from the same group compete with each other. This has to end – says Marcin Celejewski.
— Today, companies can compete with each other on margin. This is pure inefficiency. Millions are leaking, he adds.
The new model assumes both vertical (value chain) and horizontal consolidation – in the areas of production, logistics, sales and energy. For this purpose, teams composed of the best managers of individual companies were established. — At the end of May, we want to have the first joint production, logistics and sales plan. This will be the first real move, announces the head of Azoty.
Orders are improving
Azoty's president argues that the company is coping today in difficult geopolitical conditions and does not complain about the lack of orders. — This crisis forced coordinated production and price management across the entire group. The economic effects were very good – says the president.
He also emphasizes that the company will profit from foreign exports. Ukraine became a huge market for products from Poland, which before the war obtained products mainly from Russia and Belarus. The closure of these directions and, at the same time, problems with maintaining the continuity of operation of own plants have resulted in Ukraine now becoming one of the main recipients of Polish fertilizers.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, in the period January-November 2025, Poland sold 722,000 to its eastern neighbor. tons of fertilizers, which is 25 percent Polish exports.
The president of Azoty also confirms the high demand. — Exports to Ukraine are growing without any special effort on our part. Everything we produce finds buyers – emphasizes Celejewski.
Grzegorz Kowalczyk, journalist of Business Insider Polska
