A good reputation is important for any manufacturer

As a manufacturer, your reputation can take a tremendous hit with the slightest of problems. When Polish window and door manufacturers flooded the European market in 2004, it soon became clear that technical support and service left much to be desired. Consequently, the image of "the Polish manufacturer" was quickly tarnished. This also applied to DAKO, but thanks to years of effort and investment, the company has today grown into a renowned manufacturer with partners in Europe, Japan, Canada and South Africa.

After the fall of the communist system, private housing construction in the Eastern Bloc experienced a huge boom. The demand for well-insulated windows and doors was high, causing a lot of new manufacturers to start up in Poland. "Everyone had one goal in mind: in every wall opening there had to be a window or a door, cheap and fast, but without taking into account the wishes of the consumer," explains Bruno Vastmans, who is responsible at DAKO for sales in Belgium and the Netherlands.

DAKO has an extensive dealer network. In almost every country in Europe you will find a DAKO distributor within a 40 km radius. In the Netherlands, the manufacturer is still looking to further expand its network.

"When Poland joined the European Union in 2004, most producers entered the European market with the same strategy. They flooded the market with cheaper products, but had absolutely no attention to detail, and technical support and after-sales service also left much to be desired. As a result, the reputation of Polish producers took a firm hit."

Reputation greatly changed

At DAKO, they also made mistakes back then, but fortunately brothers Jerzy and Janusz Studzinski and their team quickly learned from them. Thus, today DAKO has grown into an internationally oriented manufacturer with partners in Europe, Japan, Canada and South Africa.

"We produce windows, doors, sliding systems, shutters and garage doors that are tailored to information we gather through consumers in different countries. Witness to this is our HarmonyLine. We do not sell directly to private individuals, but we deliberately seek contact, for example at trade fairs such as Batibouw," says Vastmans. "In addition, we are also working hard to expand our dealer network to ensure that customers can always find a DAKO distributor within a 40-km radius. In the Netherlands, we are still looking for additional partners for this."

DAKO is also committed to good communication through trade magazines and consumer media, as well as with a website, social media and all printed information (catalogs, etc.) in many different languages.