Ursus Tractor Factory
Encyclopedia
The Ursus Factory is a Polish
producer of agricultural machinery located in Warsaw
.
The Ursus Factory was founded in Poland
in 1893 on 15 Siennej Street, Warsaw, by three engineers and four businessmen. It began producing exhaust engines and then later trucks and metal fittings intended for the Russia
n Tsar
.
In 1930, the Ursus factory fell on hard times due to the world financial crisis and was nationalised under the Państwowe Zakłady Inżynieryjne (National Engineering Works, PZInż), the Polish manufacturer of arms and vehicles. It then began producing military tractors, tanks and other heavy machinery for troops. During World War II
, PZInz was relocated to Germany
by the Germans and the remains were destroyed. After the war, the Ursus Factory was rebuilt and started producing the Ursus C-45
, a copy of German pre-war Lanz Bulldog
tractor. During the 1950s, the Ursus factory began producing tractors using a Zetor
-based design.
By 1961, there was a growing need for tractors in Poland, but the tractors produced by the Ursus factory did not meet the needs of Polish agriculture. A bilateral agreement was created between Poland and Czechoslovakia, where Czechoslovakia
would provide the Ursus factory with the parts necessary to enlarge and modernise the factory and in exchange, Poland would supply Czechoslovak factories with raw materials. The goal was to construct a joint tractor industry where Poland and Czechoslovakia would combine to produce 120,000 tractors per year, as in 1963 Poland was only producing 15,000.
In 1980, workers of the Ursus factory went on strike and spent the night at the factory to protest the detention of Jan Narozniak, a volunteer printing worker at the Warsaw chapter of Solidarity. Also in 1980, 16,000 workers threatened to stop coming to work on Saturdays to self enforce the 5 day work week proclaimed by the Solidarity movement. In 1988, 200 workers in the Ursus factory occupied the plant canteen and demanded that the management petition for increased wages, the release of imprisoned workers, and the legalisation of Solidarity and the Independent Students’ Association.
. Under this programme, large loans were taken from western banks for the purpose of importing modern equipment and methods that would cause expansion of Polish industry and growth of the Polish economy. In 1977, a 7.9 million dollar export-import bank loan and a 7 million dollar loan from private American
banks were granted to the Ursus tractor factory for the purpose of purchasing machine tools from the Ingersoll Milling Machine Company of Rockford, Illinois
, and Gleason Works
in Rochester, New York
. However, such investment programmes became inefficient and failed, leaving Poland with an immense debt.
By 1980, 25 billion dollars were locked into inefficient, unfinished projects in Polish industry that were speculated to require an additional 50 billion dollars to complete. The Ursus Tractor Factory was one of the largest victims of this problem. By 1981, equipment that had been purchased in the West at the Ursus Factory amounted to 3,600 million złoty. Warehouse space at Ursus was filled with unused, unnecessary supplies, such as a stock of 1.6 million rarely used screws, for example, and since production of new warehouse space had stopped, other supplies were left to deteriorate outside. Gierek had invested nearly 1 billion dollars into a project of developing a modern Massey Ferguson
model of tractor at Ursus, however due to licensing problems, these tractors could not be sold in the West, and could not be sold in the East because they were too expensive. Instead of the targeted production of 75,000 tractors per year, only 500 were produced.
Ursus’ tractor production declined though the 1990s, falling from 60,000 tractors per year in 1980 to about 16,000 tractors in 1995. The decline in production was due to the enormous debt that Ursus contracted as a result of its expansion programme in the 1980s. The need to repay the debt blocked access to funds needed for the daily operations of the factory. In 1996, 550 million złoty, 80% of Ursus’ debt, owed to nearly 700 creditors was written off. Tractor sales continued to decline to an all time low of 1,578 units in 2006.
URSUS Company was established in the years 1998–2003 as a consequence of restructuring and cooperation of PHZ "Bumar" Ltd., ZPC URSUS SA and Ursus Tractor Factory Ltd.
The company is still producing Ursus tractor
s. Bumar Ltd became the main shareholder of Ursus Company. That is why Ursus joined Bumar Industrial Group dealing with Ursus products both on foreign and domestic markets.
In 2007, Uzel Holding
of Turkey
announced they were buying 51% of Ursus. Both Uzel and Ursus are, or were, licensees of AGCO
's Massey Ferguson
. In 2008 it was announced that Uzel hadn't kept up to its commitments, and TAFE
and Pol-Mot
were interested.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
producer of agricultural machinery located in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
Early History
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1893 on 15 Siennej Street, Warsaw, by three engineers and four businessmen. It began producing exhaust engines and then later trucks and metal fittings intended for the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
.
In 1930, the Ursus factory fell on hard times due to the world financial crisis and was nationalised under the Państwowe Zakłady Inżynieryjne (National Engineering Works, PZInż), the Polish manufacturer of arms and vehicles. It then began producing military tractors, tanks and other heavy machinery for troops. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, PZInz was relocated to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by the Germans and the remains were destroyed. After the war, the Ursus Factory was rebuilt and started producing the Ursus C-45
Ursus C-45
The Ursus C-45 and C-451 was a popular Polish model of tractor. It was manufactured from 1947 to 1959 by the Ursus Factory in Warsaw, and from 1960 to 1965 by Zakłady Mechaniczne in Gorzów Wielkopolski.-History:...
, a copy of German pre-war Lanz Bulldog
Lanz Bulldog
The Lanz Bulldog was a tractor manufactured by Heinrich Lanz AG in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Production started in 1921 and various versions of the Bulldog were produced up to 1960. John Deere purchased Lanz in 1956 and started using the name "John Deere-Lanz" for the Lanz product line....
tractor. During the 1950s, the Ursus factory began producing tractors using a Zetor
Zetor
Zetor is a tractor manufacturing industry from the Czech Republic, until 1990 a subsidiary of Zbrojovka in Brno. The name itself arose from merging "Zet" from the logo of Zbrojovka and the last two letters of the word tractor. Zetor has pioneered various innovations throughout its history. It...
-based design.
By 1961, there was a growing need for tractors in Poland, but the tractors produced by the Ursus factory did not meet the needs of Polish agriculture. A bilateral agreement was created between Poland and Czechoslovakia, where Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
would provide the Ursus factory with the parts necessary to enlarge and modernise the factory and in exchange, Poland would supply Czechoslovak factories with raw materials. The goal was to construct a joint tractor industry where Poland and Czechoslovakia would combine to produce 120,000 tractors per year, as in 1963 Poland was only producing 15,000.
Solidarity
Workers of the Ursus tractor factory played a large role in the solidarity movement in the 1970s and 1980s. On 25 June 1976 in response to a rise in food prices, the workers of Ursus, acting in solidarity with workers in Radom and many other areas, went on strike and blocked and destroyed parts of the main east-west and north-south rail lines leaving Warsaw. This was one of the largest and most disruptive of the many strikes that occurred that day, and resulted in the prime minister announcing on television the withdrawal of the food price increase.In 1980, workers of the Ursus factory went on strike and spent the night at the factory to protest the detention of Jan Narozniak, a volunteer printing worker at the Warsaw chapter of Solidarity. Also in 1980, 16,000 workers threatened to stop coming to work on Saturdays to self enforce the 5 day work week proclaimed by the Solidarity movement. In 1988, 200 workers in the Ursus factory occupied the plant canteen and demanded that the management petition for increased wages, the release of imprisoned workers, and the legalisation of Solidarity and the Independent Students’ Association.
Investment under Gierek
The Ursus factory was the focus of an extensive investment initiative in the 1970s under Edward GierekEdward Gierek
Edward Gierek was a Polish communist politician.He was born in Porąbka, outside of Sosnowiec. He lost his father to a mining accident in a pit at the age of four. His mother married again and emigrated to northern France, where he was raised. He joined the French Communist Party in 1931 and was...
. Under this programme, large loans were taken from western banks for the purpose of importing modern equipment and methods that would cause expansion of Polish industry and growth of the Polish economy. In 1977, a 7.9 million dollar export-import bank loan and a 7 million dollar loan from private American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
banks were granted to the Ursus tractor factory for the purpose of purchasing machine tools from the Ingersoll Milling Machine Company of Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, and Gleason Works
Gleason Corporation
Gleason Corporation is a prominent machine tool company based in Rochester, New York, USA. It has manufacturing plants in the USA, Britain, India, and Germany, and sales offices in those and additional countries....
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. However, such investment programmes became inefficient and failed, leaving Poland with an immense debt.
By 1980, 25 billion dollars were locked into inefficient, unfinished projects in Polish industry that were speculated to require an additional 50 billion dollars to complete. The Ursus Tractor Factory was one of the largest victims of this problem. By 1981, equipment that had been purchased in the West at the Ursus Factory amounted to 3,600 million złoty. Warehouse space at Ursus was filled with unused, unnecessary supplies, such as a stock of 1.6 million rarely used screws, for example, and since production of new warehouse space had stopped, other supplies were left to deteriorate outside. Gierek had invested nearly 1 billion dollars into a project of developing a modern Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
model of tractor at Ursus, however due to licensing problems, these tractors could not be sold in the West, and could not be sold in the East because they were too expensive. Instead of the targeted production of 75,000 tractors per year, only 500 were produced.
Ursus today
URSUS Company was established in the years 1998–2003 as a consequence of restructuring and cooperation of PHZ "Bumar" Ltd., ZPC URSUS SA and Ursus Tractor Factory Ltd.
The company is still producing Ursus tractor
Tractor
A tractor is a vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery used in agriculture or construction...
s. Bumar Ltd became the main shareholder of Ursus Company. That is why Ursus joined Bumar Industrial Group dealing with Ursus products both on foreign and domestic markets.
In 2007, Uzel Holding
Uzel Holding
Uzel Group is an agricultural machinery manufacturer. Formally founded in 1937 with a heritage going back to the middle of the nineteenth century, the Group is one of the oldest industrial groups with Turkish origins...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
announced they were buying 51% of Ursus. Both Uzel and Ursus are, or were, licensees of AGCO
AGCO
AGCO is an agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Duluth, Georgia, USA. As a leading global manufacturer of agricultural equipment, AGCO offers a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage and tillage equipment, which are distributed through more than 2,700 independent...
's Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
. In 2008 it was announced that Uzel hadn't kept up to its commitments, and TAFE
TAFE Tractors
Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited is an Indian manufacturer of tractors and other farm equipment with its corporate headquarters in Chennai. The company was established in 1960 and has a reported annual revenue of $ 1.3 billion and a sales volume of over 117,000 tractors annually.Tractors and...
and Pol-Mot
Pol-Mot
Pol-Mot Holding SA is a Polish holding company based manufacturer of agricultural equipment, including tractors. Pol-Mot was established in 1968; it controlled the whole international trade and collaboration of Polish automotive industry, inclusive with license contracts.Between 1990 and 1996 it...
were interested.
Sources
- Open Society Archive
- http://files.osa.ceu.hu/holdings/300/8/3/text/41-4-120.shtml
- http://files.osa.ceu.hu/holdings/300/8/3/text/46-1-243.shtml
- http://files.osa.ceu.hu/holdings/300/8/3/text/44-6-190.shtml
- http://files.osa.ceu.hu/holdings/300/8/3/text/45-4-220.shtml
- The Warsaw Voice
- http://www.warsawvoice.pl/archiwum.phtml/2713/
- Poland Business Network
- http://www.polandbusinessnetwork.pl/news/index.php?contentid=140152
- Time Magazine
- http://www.time.com/time/subscriber/personoftheyear/archive/stories/1981.html
External links
- Ursus website Polish version
- Website of enthusiasts of Ursus plants Polish and English version
- Ursus video clip collection
- Photo gallery of the abandoned halls