Printful continues to expand in Europe and has signed the lease for a new fulfillment center. Located in Lodz, Poland, the new facility will be around 9,300 m2 and will create over 50 new jobs during its first year of operations and an estimate of around 170 new jobs in total.
So far, Printful runs its operations in 8 in-house facilities around the world, and four of them are in Europe: two in Latvia, one in Spain, and an upcoming facility in the UK. Printful already has over 700 employees in Europe, adding up to more than 1,800 Printful employees globally.
The company is planning on initially investing 7 million zlotych (2 million euros) in the Lodz facility. The new facility will focus on cut & sew services. It is a quickly growing technique that allows the production and full customization of all-over-print items such as leggings, sports bras, and other activewear. By expanding this production department, Printful will give customers an opportunity to create unique products and differentiate themselves from the competition.
“Poland has increased their fashion and garment export by 104% over the last 10 years, so to keep up with the increasing demand for cut & sew services, we chose Poland as our next location. Considering that Lodz is historically recognized for its well-developed textile and garment industry, our decision was based on workforce availability and market opportunity,” explains Davis Siksnans, CEO & Co-Founder of Printful.
Centre for Strategic Investments of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) supported Printful in indicating the most efficient tools and solutions to execute this project. PAIH assisted in organizing site visits, provided in-depth market analysis and insight, as well as connected with a network of local partners.
“We are happy that Printful has chosen Poland as its next location. Printful presence will foster the development of the City of Lodz as the creative center and the Polish hub of design and fashion. This will offer more jobs for tailors and seamstresses and create new opportunities for local specialists who often have to settle for other roles due to the lack of employment in their respective field,” says Marcin Fabianowicz, Director of the Investment Center of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The Mayor of Lodz, Hanna Zdanowska, comments, “I am very glad to welcome Printful to Lodz. It is currently the third-largest city in Poland undergoing significant growth and transformation. The industrial and cosmopolitan past of Lodz defines the modern character of the city. I truly believe that Printful will benefit from our unique traditions, local labor market, and the excellent higher education system focusing on Fine Arts.”
Adam Pustelnik, Deputy Mayor of Lodz, adds, “I would like to emphasize that the City of Lodz puts a priority on supporting investment projects aiming at upgrading the economic profile of the city by creating high-quality jobs.”
The new Printful fulfillment center is developed in partnership with Colliers, a leading real estate services and investment management company, and 7R SA, a commercial real estate development company. “The building will comply with Printful's specific needs by implementing eco-friendly solutions into the workspace. The logistics park project serves as a great example of a brownfield restoration in order to create more employment and business opportunities for the residents of Lodz,” comments Katarzyna Litwin, Senior Leasing Manager at 7R SA.
Delivery within Poland will take 1–2 business days and only 2 business days to Germany, one of Printful's key European markets. Shipping speeds to other countries neighboring Poland will be 2–5 business days. The new facility is estimated to be fully operational by the end of this year and improved service speeds and presence in Poland will allow Printful to grow further in European markets.