The earliest reference to white zinc produced in Oława comes from the year 1845. From then on, the facility developed rapidly, which resulted in its participation at numerous fairs worldwide (New York, Vienna, Paris, Sydney and Kraków). Until the end of World War II, the facility was owned by a German company, Zinkweißfabrik Marthahütte C.T. Löbbecke GmbH.

After the war, the facility was given the name Marta Zinc White and White Lead Works, and it belonged to the Paint and Varnish Industry Union until 1949.

From 1949, it was an independent company operating under the name of Oława Zinc White Works.

In the years 1950-8, the steel mill was subject to the Central Board of the Non-ferrous Metals Industry in Katowice, and from 1958 it operated under the jurisdiction of the Mining and Metallurgy of Non-ferrous Metals Union.

In 1983, the company was renamed Oława Works, and two years later it was included in the Mining and Metallurgy Combine of Non-ferrous Metals based in Katowice.

In 1989, the Combine ceased to exist and Oława Works was transformed into a shareholder company of the State Treasury, as Huta “Oława” SA.

In 1993, a complete restructuring of the company began. In 1994, the Chief Inspectorate for Environmental Protection removed the Works from the list of companies polluting the environment.

Another important step in the history of the company was its privatization, conducted in 1995 with a public offering, resulting in the debut of Huta “Oława” SA on the Main Floor of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (February 21, 1996).

In May 2004, production began at a purchased facility in Będzin, and in June of the same year the company was withdrawn from public trading.

On June 2, 2005, the firm was merged with BORYSZEW S.A., with Huta Oława becoming a branch of the company.

Since December 2007, Huta Oława has been a branch of Zakłady Metalurgiczne “Silesia” S.A. based in Katowice.

Certificates

  • October 1996 – entry in the registry of Cleaner Production Enterprises
  • December 1998 – receipt of ISO 9002:1994 certification
  • 2003 – receipt of ISO 9001:2000 certification
  • November 2009 – recertification of the management system to EN ISO 9001:2008

Memberships

  • Since 2005 – membership of PZPP (Polish Association of Feed Producers)
  • Since 2006 – membership of EMFEMA (International Association of the European Manufacturers of Major, Trace and Specific Feed Mineral Materials)
  • Since 2007 – membership of ELOA (European Lead Oxide Association), CEFIC (European Chemical Industry Council) and ZOPA (Zinc Oxide Producers Association)