The largest companies and enterprises in the Kętrzyn district

The roots of the ,,Kętrzyn Mayonnaise’’ factory date back to pre-war times – in 1945, the Polish authorities took over the post-German coffee roasting plant, where a 10-person ,,Społem’’ plant was established. Until the 1960s, lesser amounts of natural coffee and over 1200 tons of popular cereal were produced here. Until the memorable year 1962 – the construction of the mayonnaise plant and the birth of ,,Kętrzyn Mayonnaise’’. The construction of the mayonnaise plant resulted from the search for new production profiles. These, in turn, depended on the available raw materials. Therefore, over the course of several decades, the plant produced various products: powdered cakes, jellies, puddings, potato pancakes, as well as ice cream, which turned out to be a sales hit. In season, jellies, lollipops, cherry and raspberry syrups appeared, mushrooms were pickled and dried. The plant was also famous for the production of cake flavors, and in Kętrzyn it was commonly called “Oils”.

In the mid-1980s, due to the dynamic development of production, the plant employed nearly 100 employees, and the key investment was the construction of a warehouse with an area of 1000 square meters. From part of the hall, the cake concentrate production department was separated – this is where our famous gingerbread moved. In turn, the political transformation brought further changes – in 1990 a cooperative was established and the plant has been operating in this form to this day. It was then that the repertoire of additions to dishes was expanded to include mustards, and among powdered cakes, Kętrzyn Gingerbread (produced since 1973) – the king of Christmas tables – stood out.

THE NEW MILLENNIUM

Market changes and the desire to improve the production process required investment – a new production hall, which was built at the beginning of the new millennium. Modern production facilities have made it possible to expand the range of manufactured products. Thanks to modern technological solutions, in the next decade they met the strict requirements of consumers and international quality standards – they received BRC and IFS certificates.

In 2017, the image was refreshed – all packaging and labels of products were changed. As a result of the rebranding, they operate under the umbrella brand KĘTRZYŃSKI 1945 with a new logo that combines all products from their offer. Since 2018, all products have been linked by one brand – “Kętrzyński 1945”. The undisputed stars of store shelves are Mayonnaise and Gingerbread Kętrzyński. They are called cult products that consumers look for in stores all over Polish.

Agro-Fundusz Mazury Sp. z o.o. manages agricultural land in Warmia and Masuria. It is one of the
best large-scale farms in the region. Their cultivation is located in the Kętrzyn, Bartoszyce and Olsztyn
counties.Crop production focuses mainly on consumer cereals, such as wheat and spring barley, as well as
on rapeseed and seed legumes, i.e. field beans and peas. They also grow seed potatoes.
The company’s production is based on good, modern agricultural practices. They constantly care about
improving the quality of the raw material obtained, which is why they focus on modern varieties with
the best functional characteristics.
The departments supporting the production area are the mechanization department and the drying and
storage department. The company has high-class agricultural equipment and modern IT tools to
support production and management.
In 2014, the company entered the production of seed potatoes on a grand scale. Using the latest
technology of potato cultivation and storage, in a very short time they have become a trading partner
of the largest companies in the potato processing sector in Poland. The new department is managed by
people with many years of experience in the production of seed potatoes.
Currently, the cultivation area is at the level of 190 ha per year. Taking into account the location in the
north-eastern part of the country, they have the most favorable climatic conditions for the cultivation
of seed potatoes. Taking into account the factors affecting the development of seed potato cultivation,
at the moment they are the leader in their production in Poland.
The mechanization department of Agro-Fundusz Mazury deals with the comprehensive supply of
necessary agricultural services to other production departments of the company. Their primary task is
to keep their machinery and equipment running.
To perform all tasks, the mechanization department has qualified operators and mechanics, as well as
mechanical workshops with the necessary equipment to carry out most of the repairs.