The company's official LinkedIn profile thanked everyone who contributed to this success. "In a very short time, we managed to rebuild the damaged wall and prepare the machinery, which is the result of hard work, determination and support of many people and companies," we read in the announcement.
Aksam's management particularly distinguished its employees, emphasizing their commitment and dedication, which allowed the company to quickly return to partial production. "We are proud to work with such a great team! Today, walking through the hall, we can once again hear the work of machines producing our snacks. This is the best reward and the nicest sound for the entire team of the company," the statement continued.
Business partners and institutions supporting the company during the crisis were not left out either. Thanks to their quick response and assistance, it was possible to minimize the negative effects of the fire and speed up the reconstruction work.
The fire mobilized the local community
The fire that broke out on the night of July 12-13, 2024, destroyed a significant part of the plant in Malec. Fortunately, all employees present in the factory managed to evacuate and no one was injured. However, the material losses were enormous, and production was seriously limited.
Aksam reacted quickly to the tragedy, assuring that it had no plans to lay off workers and that employees would receive full pay, despite limited production capacity. The company’s quick and proactive approach was met with broad support from the public. There were numerous expressions of solidarity with Aksam online, as well as appeals to buy the Polish company’s products to support it during this difficult period.
Despite the dramatic situation in which the company found itself after the fire, Aksam managed to rebuild its most important production hall at record speed and resume production of Beskidzkie Paluszki.
Aksam: Responsible leadership turns crisis into success
The fire that hit the Aksam factory, the producer of Beskid Paluszki, on the night of 12-13 July, could have ended in disaster for the company and its employees. However, the owner's decision not to dismiss any of the employees despite the difficult situation turned out to be crucial both for maintaining the team and for strengthening the brand's image – notes Piotr Gąsiorowski, president of the Leadership Institute. The decision also generated media and social interest worth millions of złoty, which was analysed by the Leadership Institute.
Courageous leadership attracts media and public attention
Leaders’ decisions are often not directly measurable, but in the case of Adam Klęczar, CEO of Aksam, there is a significant media and social response that highlights the importance of responsible leadership in a crisis situation.
In the period from July 13 to August 13, 2024, i.e. within a month of the fire, Aksam recorded almost 2.5 thousand publications on the Internet, which reached 56.4 million recipients. The value of the advertising equivalent, i.e. the amount that the company would have to pay for the commercial publication of materials, amounted to almost PLN 7 million, according to calculations by the Institute of Leadership.
Impressive interest was also noted in the case of publications concerning Paluszki Beskidzkie. In the month after the fire, almost 1.7 thousand publications concerning this product were published, which reached 37.6 million people and an advertising equivalent of 4.6 million PLN.
The decision of the owner of the Aksam company not to lay off employees despite the dramatic circumstances was widely appreciated by the public and Internet users, who began to search for information about the company and to buy its products en masse as an expression of support and appreciation for the CEO's decision. In the period from June to July 2024, the Aksam slogan recorded an increase in interest in the Google search engine by over 3,700%, and Paluszki Beskidzkie by over 7,000%.
