Adam Krzanowski

In 1992, Adam Krzanowski with his brother Jerzy registered Nowy Styl. Since then, the president and co-owner has built a thriving company with €276 million in sales revenue, a portfolio of six product brands, and numerous awards along the way. The Nowy Styl Group is the fourth largest manufacturer of office chairs and furniture in Europe, with 19 sales departments in 13 countries, as well as 15 state-of-the-art production plants.

Adam’s business adventure started in 1990 when he stopped studying and travelled to the US to save up enough capital to start his own business back in Poland. After being promoted to a managerial position with Wythe—a small company which was making chairs for restaurants—Adam returned home with the seeds of a business idea germinating in his mind.

Adam’s brother Jerzy shared his entrepreneurial outlook, and with the support of Adam’s boss, Henry Stern, the brothers set out to establish their own business. Drawing on Henry’s know-how and financial guarantees, Adam and Jerzy found a niche to occupy in the Polish market. They started manufacturing chairs—which had previously been imported—selling three models locally with the help of friends and family.

The brothers envisioned a manufacturing company with a strong brand, which could offer customers across Europe a new style of office work. “When we were starting up, market economy was just beginning to take shape in Poland. Unlike our competitors, we founded our success on investing in product development, technology, and our own production capacity.”