History of VIN-KON S.A.
Over 100 years of industrial tradition in the heart of Konin.
Our history
The history of VIN-KON S.A. is closely linked to a place of exceptional importance in Konin’s industrial history. At today’s 35 Dąbrowskiego Street, where the production plant operates, a brewery was already operating in the 19th century. It was one of those enterprises that for decades helped shape the city’s economic landscape, combining craftsmanship, food production, trade and local entrepreneurship.
The oldest confirmed reference to brewing beer at this location dates back to 1878, although much indicates that brewing activity may have begun several or even more than a dozen years earlier. The names of the former brewery’s owners appear in sources from the second half of the 19th century. Among the brewery’s owners were, among others: August Jahns, E. Kummans, Abraham Jakob Korek, Icek Stain and Wilhelm Paczowski or Paszkowski.
August Jahns holds a special place in this history, as the owner of the brewery and, at the same time, an important figure in Konin’s social life. He was the first commander of Konin’s volunteer fire brigade, which began operating in 1870 and was officially recognized by the authorities in 1874. This shows that from the very beginning, the history of the plant was connected not only with production, but also with the development of the city and its local institutions.
From a Craft Brewery to a Modern Plant
The year 1907 was a turning point for the former brewery. It was then acquired by Józef Korab-Kowalski from the heirs of Wilhelm Paczowski or Paszkowski. Just one year later, in 1908, the new owner began an extensive reconstruction and modernization of the enterprise.
It was a time of intensive development. A malt house was opened on the brewery premises, and new buildings necessary for increasingly advanced production were also erected. An office and residential building was constructed, along with a facility intended for rooms for breeding brewer’s yeast, a hop-drying room and an ice warehouse. These investments demonstrated the owner’s ambitions and desire to transform the local brewery into a modern production plant.
The results came very quickly. Within just a few years, the Józef Kowalski Steam Brewery increased its beer sales almost fivefold. In 1907, sales amounted to approximately 26 thousand buckets, or roughly 3.2 thousand hectoliters. In 1914, the figure had already reached 125 thousand buckets, or approximately 15.4 thousand hectoliters. Such dynamic growth shows that the Konin brewery was able to respond effectively to market needs and expand its production scale.
This successful period was interrupted, however, by World War I. Warfare, economic collapse and legal restrictions introduced first by the occupying authorities and then by the administration of the reborn Republic of Poland significantly hindered the operation of the entire brewing industry. Despite these obstacles, the plant survived, and after several difficult years, modernization efforts were resumed.
Modernization during the interwar period
In 1926, the brewery underwent a thorough modernization, adapting it for the production of new types of beer. The product range was expanded to include porter and the so-called nourishing beer — a low-alcohol beverage that at the time was recommended for nursing mothers and even children.
The facility was also modernized technologically. Traditional oak vats were replaced with hermetically sealed metal tanks. Fermenting the wort in closed tanks made it possible to obtain carbonic acid, which allowed the brewery to expand its operations to include the production of carbonated beverages. This was an example of the practical application of technological processes and the skillful expansion of the facility’s product range.
At that time, an artesian well was also dug, providing very high-quality water. This was of enormous importance in the production of beer and beverages, since water quality is one of the most important factors affecting the qualities of the finished product.
The brewery also conducted intensive malting operations. It processed large quantities of barley into malt, which was used for its own production and sold to other breweries in Poland and abroad. This aspect of its history is particularly significant because it shows that traditions associated with malt and the processing of grain raw materials have been present here for many decades.
Crisis, war and the end of brewing operations
The 1930s were very difficult for the brewing industry. Falling consumption, the economic crisis and the need to cut costs forced many facilities to look for savings. The Konin brewery also had to adapt to the new conditions. One of the decisions was to abandon the practice of bottling beer in proprietary bottles and introduce plain bottles marked with labels.
Despite the difficulties, the facility survived the crisis. The occupation period posed another challenge. From 1939 to 1945, the brewery was under German administration and operated as Brauerei Konin Warthegau. Due to supply problems, shortages of raw materials and wartime conditions, mainly light beer was produced at that time.
After the end of the war, in 1945, compulsory state administration was imposed over the brewery. Initially, beer production continued, but over time operations were limited to bottling beer produced by nearby breweries and manufacturing carbonated beverages. Ultimately, the brewery was liquidated in 1948. However, this did not mark the end of the industrial history of this place. Instead, a new stage began.
From a Brewery to a Fruit Wine Plant
After the brewery was closed, the former buildings at 35 Dąbrowskiego Street were given a new purpose. In the following years, fruit wine production was launched there. This was a natural direction of development in post-war Poland, where fruit and vegetable processing played an increasingly important role in supplying the market.
The Wine Plant in Konin gradually became an important production facility in the region. From 1955 to 1972, it operated as part of a state-owned enterprise under the name Konińskie Zakłady Przemysłu Terenowego. Then, from 1973 to 1983, it operated within the structures of Wielkopolskie Zakłady Przemysłu Owocowo-Warzywnego (WZPOW) in Poznań. Following the reorganization and division of WZPOW, the plant was transformed into Konińskie Zakłady Przetwórstwa Owocowo-Warzywnego. This company is the direct predecessor of today’s company.
The Establishment of VIN-KON S.A.
In 1991, during the great economic transformation in Poland, VIN-KON S.A. was established as the legal successor to Konińskie Zakłady Przetwórstwa Owocowo-Warzywnego. It was a turning point. The plant entered a new market reality in which quality, flexibility, specialization, technological investment and the ability to compete in the domestic and international markets mattered.
The heritage of the former brewery, brewing and malting traditions, experience in fruit wine production and many years of fruit and vegetable processing practice became the foundation for the company’s further development. VIN-KON S.A. combined the site’s historical experience with a modern approach to food production.
Today, the company continues this long-standing tradition, developing it in new areas. VIN-KON S.A. is one of Poland’s leading producers of fruit and vegetable juice concentrates, beverages, ciders, fruit wines and malt extracts. The company combines industrial experience, knowledge of raw materials, high quality standards and modern technology.
A Legacy That Carries Responsibility
The history of VIN-KON S.A. is not only the story of a single production facility. It is also the story of Konin’s economic transformation, the development of local industry, changing technologies, and the people who created and developed this place over successive generations.
From a 19th-century brewery, through a malt house, the production of beer, carbonated drinks and fruit wines, to modern fruit and vegetable processing and the production of malt extracts — the facility at 35 Dąbrowskiego Street has continuously remained a place associated with production, quality and entrepreneurship.
It is precisely this continuity that is one of the company’s greatest assets. VIN-KON S.A. did not start from scratch. Its present position is rooted in more than a century of industrial tradition, local experience and the ability to adapt to changing times.
The former brewery became a modern processing facility. The brewing and malting tradition found its continuation in the production of malt extracts. Experience in fruit wines developed into a wide range of beverages, ciders and fruit and vegetable products. And the site that served local production for decades remains an important point on Konin’s industrial map to this day.
VIN-KON S.A. is a company that combines history with modernity. It draws on tradition, but does not remain stuck in the past. It develops technologies, expands its product range and responds to the needs of the contemporary market, while maintaining respect for the place from which it grew.
VIN-KON S.A. Factory Today
