Two companies founded independently in 1976 by ambitious young entrepreneurs are celebrating their 50th anniversaries in 2026, highlighting parallel journeys that have helped shape the glass industry in Poland and Germany.

Polish glass processor VITROSZLIF traces its origins to a small workshop established by a 20-year-old entrepreneur in Mstów, where crystal glass products such as goblets, bowls, vases and decorative tableware were manually processed. Over the following decades, the company steadily expanded, relocating to Częstochowa in the 1990s and entering the insulating glass market, a strategic move that defined its future development.

Today, VITROSZLIF is recognized as one of Poland’s most advanced glass-processing companies, producing insulating glass units for international markets while also manufacturing high-quality wooden windows.

At the same time, approximately 1,000 kilometers away in Lauenförde, Germany, another 20-year-old entrepreneur founded HEGLA after being unable to source suitable glass transport racks. What began as a solution to a practical challenge evolved into one of the world’s leading suppliers of glass processing and handling technologies.

The shared milestone inspired a closer collaboration between the two companies as VITROSZLIF embarked on a comprehensive modernization program aimed at increasing automation and digitalization throughout its production facility.

HEGLA supported the transformation by designing and implementing a fully automated glass storage system equipped with two gantries. The project optimized existing production processes while introducing advanced technologies where they delivered the greatest value. The investment also enabled the installation of a ProLam laminated glass cutting line featuring LSR technology and a ReMaster residual glass storage system.