Stoelzle brings Furnace 1 back into operation after hot repair

Stoelzle has successfully completed the glass-to-glass hot repair of one of its two flint glass furnaces at the Czestochowa site and has restarted the modernised production lines. The repair, which started on 9 March 2026, was delivered in 17 days, with a total timeline of 19 days including hot sealing. Customer orders and deliveries remained fully supported throughout.

Stoelzle marked the restart with an on-site inauguration on 24 March, attended by Stoelzle management and employees as well as representatives from public institutions, the scientific community and business partners. Archbishop Waclaw Depo joined the ceremony and blessed the modernised line, followed by a symbolic start-up of the new installations.

Reflecting the strategic rationale behind the investment, “Cost, cash discipline and flexibility have become decisive factors for our customers,” says Dr. August Grupp, CEO of Stoelzle. “With ongoing upgrades across our sites, we raise efficiency and reliability, safeguard stable specifications and ensure an agile supply setup. This strengthens our customers’ competitiveness.”

Furnace 1 combines high-capacity, modern production with the ability to run both flint and coloured glass, supporting flexible supply for premium spirits and food packaging. The shutdown also allowed Stoelzle to complete a new external cullet dosing system which will increase recycled-glass input and contribute to lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

“This repair is designed to deliver long-term value,” says Piotr Jakubaszko, Technical Managing Director at Stoelzle Czestochowa. “We executed the shutdown with uncompromising standards for safety and quality. Delivering within such a short timeframe required a major team effort and supports our future performance.”

The Czestochowa plant is one of Stoelzle’s most advanced and efficient sites in Europe, pairing highly automated manufacturing with an integrated decoration facility and in-house development capabilities.