Who we are

Refractory materials manufacturer

We are a Polish manufacturer of refractory ceramics and specialists in delivering comprehensive refractory solutions.

Our refractory manufacturing team consists of over 200 professionals in technology, engineering, and the production of aluminosilicate products.

The company's headquarters and production plant are located in Żarów, Poland, at the heart of continental Europe. We supply over 60,000 tons of refractory products yearly in over 180 unique varieties.

Our product portfolio includes refractory materials, such as refractory bricks, shapes, concrete, and insulating materials. We complement our product range with design and installation services for ceramic linings.

Our comprehensive approach allows us to deliver turnkey solutions, from the technical concept of the installation through the supply of necessary materials to execution.

O nas

PCO Group

Polska Ceramika Ogniotrwała “Żarów” sp. z o.o. makes the core of the LODE Group's refractory ceramics segment. This segment comprises three critical units: the refractory clay producer JARO S.A., the refractory materials manufacturer PCO Żarów, and the refractory service company PCO Serwis S.A. These three entities cover the consecutive stages of the supply chain - from raw material production and refractory materials manufacturing to providing maintenance and installation services.

In creating a capital group, we aimed to maximize the benefits our customers can gain from this approach.

  • Comprehensive service: We provide support from the technical project stage through product manufacturing to the installation of refractory linings.
  • Competitive pricing: The capital group's operational efficiency allows us to offer attractive product and service prices.
  • Constant service availability: Due to the synergy and interdependence of the companies within the Group, customers can expect continuous service availability, which contributes to operational stability.
  • Innovation and product development: Our clients benefit from innovations and developing new products or services within the capital group.
  • Protection against market uncertainties: The capital group allows us to better manage various risk types, helping minimize potential problems and uncertainties.
Grupa PCO: PCO + JARO

PCO Serwis S.A.

Today, PCO Serwis boasts over 100 specialists who carry out services in the fields of repairs, modernization, and installation of production and technological lines, including ceramic linings, iron and steel structures, conveying equipment (conveyors, pneumatic transport), grinding devices, dust collectors, separators, sifters, and crushers for industrial furnaces.

JARO S.A.

JARO is the only producer of chamotte refractory aggregates in Poland. It mines from its deposit of clay materials, specifically refractory, ceramic, and sealing clays, and processes mineral resources. The company's products are mainly used in the refractory and sanitary ceramics industry, as well as in the metallurgy industry and foundries.

Key facts & figures

250 Employees
55 000 Tons of refractories produced each year
35 000+ Brick shapes available to produce for our customers
60+ Million Euro annual turnover
3 Tunnel kilns
13 Industries served
180 Product brands in our portfolio
16 Automated and friction presses
17 000 m2 of warehouse space
14 000 000+ EUR invested in acquisitions and modernization of our production park
1 Production plant
  • 250 Employees
  • 55 000 Tons of refractories produced each year
  • 35 000+ Brick shapes available to produce for our customers
  • 60+ Million Euro annual turnover
  • 1 Production plant
  • 3 Tunnel kilns
  • 13 Industries served
  • 180 Product brands in our portfolio
  • 17 000 m2 of warehouse space
  • 16 Automated and friction presses
  • 14 000 000+ EUR invested in acquisitions and modernization of our production park

Our history

Click the year to show more details
1 2
Historia 1850 1850

The establishment of the first Chamotte brick factory - "Chamottefabrik Saarau, C. Kulmiz".

German entrepreneur Carl Friedrich von Kulmiz expands the sales network in many industrially significant cities at the time. The plant becomes crucial for the local labor market.

Historia 1899 1899

Change organizational form and name to Vereinigte Chamottefabrik, formerly C. Kulmiz GmbH.

The factory began cooperating with Didier, the oldest German factory group in Stettin. This partnership signifies the enterprise's business success.

Historia 1932 1932

The plant is incorporated into the Didier consortium. Name changed to Didier Werke A.G. Saarau.

The new owners establish in Saarau (today's Żarów) the central laboratory of the Eastern Directorate of the entire consortium. This research facility achieves many technological successes for the Didier group, developing new refractory products.

Historia 1945 1945

The territory of Saarau changes from German to Polish administration, and the city's name is changed to Żarów.

The refractory materials factory continues operations under Polish management and a new name: Żarowskie Zakłady Materiałów Ogniotrwałych. The manufacturing plant survived World War II as one of the two enterprises that remained intact in the city.

Historia 1989 1989

The change of the political system in Poland was a time of economic reforms.

The 1990s brought the Żarów factory back into private hands and marked a new chapter in its history. It also began a period of more dynamic development.

Historia 2002 2002

The factory was taken over by private entrepreneurs – Katarzyna and Janusz Klimowicz.

The name was changed to Polska Ceramika Ogniotrwała "Żarów" S.A. The new owners integrated many new production lines on the premises and hired specialists, acquiring know-how and offering high-quality refractory materials. The company began operating in export markets.

Historia 2019 2018

The acquisition of PCO Żarów by the LODE Group and new development perspectives.

The company gained financial backing from Polish owners, increased expenditures on the Group's development, and established and implemented an investment plan in the machinery park.

  • Historia 1850 1850

    The establishment of the first Chamotte brick factory - "Chamottefabrik Saarau, C. Kulmiz".

    German entrepreneur Carl Friedrich von Kulmiz expands the sales network in many industrially significant cities at the time. The plant becomes crucial for the local labor market.

  • Historia 1899 1899

    Change organizational form and name to Vereinigte Chamottefabrik, formerly C. Kulmiz GmbH.

    The factory began cooperating with Didier, the oldest German factory group in Stettin. This partnership signifies the enterprise's business success.

  • Historia 1932 1932

    The plant is incorporated into the Didier consortium. Name changed to Didier Werke A.G. Saarau.

    The new owners establish in Saarau (today's Żarów) the central laboratory of the Eastern Directorate of the entire consortium. This research facility achieves many technological successes for the Didier group, developing new refractory products.

  • Historia 1945 1945

    The territory of Saarau changes from German to Polish administration, and the city's name is changed to Żarów.

    The refractory materials factory continues operations under Polish management and a new name: Żarowskie Zakłady Materiałów Ogniotrwałych. The manufacturing plant survived World War II as one of the two enterprises that remained intact in the city.

  • Historia 1989 1989

    The change of the political system in Poland was a time of economic reforms.

    The 1990s brought the Żarów factory back into private hands and marked a new chapter in its history. It also began a period of more dynamic development.

  • Historia 2002 2002

    The factory was taken over by private entrepreneurs – Katarzyna and Janusz Klimowicz.

    The name was changed to Polska Ceramika Ogniotrwała "Żarów" S.A. The new owners integrated many new production lines on the premises and hired specialists, acquiring know-how and offering high-quality refractory materials. The company began operating in export markets.

  • Historia 2019 2018

    The acquisition of PCO Żarów by the LODE Group and new development perspectives.

    The company gained financial backing from Polish owners, increased expenditures on the Group's development, and established and implemented an investment plan in the machinery park.

Production facility and resources

  • Moulding department

    We produce bricks and shapes using the dry press method. Our facility is equipped with 20 hydraulic (Laeis) and friction presses.

    Thanks to the diversity of machines, we efficiently execute long and short production runs, ensuring consistent quality.

  • Firing department

    The firing of products takes place in three tunnel kilns, tens of meters in length. The firing temperature range reaches 1650 °C, and the firing lasts up to 5 days.

    Temperature and cycle conditions are electronically controlled and adjusted to the product batch.

  • Warehouses

    Our spacious external and internal warehouses enable us to store products on demand and manage contractual consignment and emergency stocks for clients.

    Handling large projects is not a logistical challenge, and loading is done quickly and smoothly.

  • Castables production line

    Our monolithic product production line has high-performance Eirich mixers and an automatic weighing and packaging line for concrete, masses, and refractory mortars.

    This allows us to offer short lead times and quickly and safely switch between different types and fractions of monolithic products.

  • Prefabrication department

    In the prefabrication department, we produce complex and large-sized shapes cast from our refractory castables.

    Precise molds and a dedicated chamber kiln (dryer) enable us to deliver high-quality concrete prefabricates ready to install in the kiln and operate* under the most challenging conditions.

  • Laboratory, R&D department

    The R&D department develops our product portfolio, which is then tested in our internal laboratory equipped with modern machines to test each product's critical parameters.

    The laboratory also serves as the final step in quality control with destructive testing, allowing us to immediately confirm the compliance of refractory material batches with international standards.

  • Mold production workshop

    Our workshop produces 100% of the molds and presses elements necessary to form various refractory products. The department also repairs and regenerates molds after their work cycles.

    During mold production, we pay special attention to adjusting their dimensions for the technological shrinkage of the material and its behavior during subsequent firing (expansion). This ensures that our refractory materials maintain dimensions as close to nominal as possible.

  • Cutting and grinding department and pre-assembly hall

    For projects requiring pre-assembly or quality acceptance before shipment, we have a hall with an area of over 200 m², equipped with good lighting and a leveled floor.

    Products designed for pre-assembly are cut and ground using industrial saws, achieving dimensions with an accuracy of up to 0.5 mm.

  • Design department

    Our engineering offer includes shaped refractories, creating designs, assembly, detailed drawings, material data sheets, material lists, thermal calculations with expansions, structural calculations, assembly instructions, drying curves, and startup instructions.

    We utilize various technologies, including 2D and 3D design, using software such as AUTOCAD, INVENTOR, CREO, and thermal calculations using tools like Simu-Therm.

Our offer

Designing

Creating designs for the linings of industrial furnaces.

Advising

Offering specialized consultations, opinions, and analyses.

Producing

Manufacturing and assembling the necessary lining components.

Delivering

Organizing product deliveries to every corner of the world.

Installing

Dismantling old linings and executing new installations.

Supporting

We provide supervision during cooling down, heating, installation, or repair.
  • Designing

    Creating designs for the linings of industrial furnaces.

    Delivering

    Organizing product deliveries to every corner of the world.
  • Advising

    Offering specialized consultations, opinions, and analyses.

    Installing

    Dismantling old linings and executing new installations.
  • Producing

    Manufacturing and assembling the necessary lining components.

    Supporting

    We provide supervision during cooling down, heating, installation, or repair.

Where are we located

Point to highlight
Mapa
Airports
Wrocław, PL – 50 km (40 mins by car)
Drezno, DE – 230 km (2,5 hours by car)
Katowice, PL – 240 km (2,5 hours by car)
Kraków, PL – 300 km (3 hours by car)
Berlin, DE – 300 km (3 hours by car)
Warszawa, PL – 406 km (4 hours by car)
Seaports
Gdynia/Gdańsk, PL – 540 km
Hamburg, DE – 600 km
Rotterdam, NL – 975 km

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