The Arlen Group brings together leading companies in the specialist protective clothing sector in Poland. The Arlen Group was founded in Poland in 1995 by its current owner and CEO, Andrzej Tabaczyński.
The Group’s vertical organisational structure enables it to carry out all necessary production processes.
One of Europe’s leading manufacturers of specialist protective clothing for uniformed services and personal protective equipment, and a pioneer in innovative fabric technologies.
The Arlen Group is a market leader in Poland and one of the few leading companies in Europe specialising in the manufacture of specialist protective and technical clothing, as well as personal equipment for uniformed services – primarily rucksacks, as well as corporate clothing (so-called ‘imagewear’) and high-visibility clothing. Throughout its 30-year history, Arlen has repeatedly pioneered the use of innovative technologies relating to quality, protection or durability in the manufacture of fabrics, as well as original clothing designs. In the protective clothing segment, the Group offers garments made from laminated fabrics – waterproof and breathable, including those with camouflage prints (infrared reflection) as well as anti-static and acid-resistant fabrics. The Arlen Group is one of the few European suppliers of specialist protective clothing for uniformed services that possesses its own (domestic) large-scale manufacturing capacity. Between 2021 and 2023, the Arlen Group’s sewing workshops produced no fewer than 750,000 items of clothing annually, whilst Optex S.A., a group company, produced approximately 3 million running metres of fabric annually, placing the Arlen Group among the very top domestic and European manufacturers of specialist fabrics and protective clothing.
A proven and unique business model – a vertically integrated production process ensuring control over every stage of production, five state-of-the-art production facilities and a specialist laboratory.
The Group has a modern machine park and integrates the production of fabrics and finished goods – protective clothing and rucksacks – into its operations, giving it a competitive edge. Fabric production at Optex S.A. meets the Arlen Group’s own fabric requirements, making it one of the few vertically integrated suppliers in the textile and clothing sector in Poland and Europe and clothing sector, and enables full control over the final product quality, which is crucial for securing orders from the most demanding customers.
The Group also comprises sewing workshops producing protective clothing for uniformed services, located within the companies Arlen S.A. (plant in Żyrardów), Arlen-Tec sp. z o.o., based in Tarnów, and Tailor-ATG sp. z o.o., based in Dzierżoniów, which together employ 210 seamstresses. In 2026, Zakłady Odzieżowe Tarnowskie Góry (ZOTG) joined the Arlen Group.
The group has an extensive fabric research department, its own garment design office with unique expertise in the domestic market, and a specialist laboratory. The laboratory focuses on researching the applications and production parameters of new fabrics, as well as on ongoing quality control of products for tender purposes.
A product portfolio that meets the highest quality standards, as confirmed by certificates that serve as a guarantee of quality for discerning institutional clients.
Institutional clients, whether from the uniformed services or the industrial sector, require that, prior to commencing mass production, the clothing or the facility dedicated to its manufacture must obtain a certificate issued by the relevant institutes and certification bodies. Based on tests carried out by accredited laboratories, the manufacturer – Arlen S.A. – applies for a certificate, without which it cannot enter a tender process or sign a contract for the supply of products after winning the tender. Specialist clothing is manufactured – under the supervision of the quality control department and our own laboratory – from high-quality materials, including aramid fibres or their blends, laminated polyesters, or polyamides, which are durable, resistant to damage and dirt, and also protect against weather conditions and adverse environmental factors. Many products of this type are also equipped with special features and elements, such as pockets, zips and insulation, which provide users with exceptional comfort and functionality.
The Group’s key customers and potential customers include uniformed services (the armed forces, the Border Guard, Frontex, special services, the police, the Customs and Tax Service, the Fire Service, uniformed services of other countries, etc.) and businesses from specialist sectors – including the fuel, chemical and fertiliser industries. For several years, the Group has also been a leading manufacturer and supplier of personal equipment items for uniformed services – mainly rucksacks (mountain infantry packs). Contracts executed by the Group for professional clients in the public sector – a group of clients comprising entities owned by the State Treasury or directly or indirectly controlled by the State Treasury, as well as uniformed services operating within the structures of other countries (contracts executed on the Polish market for this client group are concluded mainly through public procurement procedures) In 2023, the share of revenue generated by the Group from sales to such clients amounted to 76%, whilst in the first three quarters of 2024 stood at 73% (at the same time, the share of sales made by the Group to private sector clients (a group comprising entities controlled by private entities) in 2023 was 24%, and in the first three quarters of 2024 it was 27%).
Operating in the market for specialist protective clothing for uniformed services involves significant barriers to entry:
According to data from the CustomMarketInsights.com report “Global Industrial Protective Clothing Market 2024–2033”, the global market for protective clothing for uniformed services was valued at USD 12.2 billion in 2023 and is forecast to reach nearly USD 20.6 billion by 2032, representing a growth rate of 68.7%. These forecasts assume that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the period 2023–2032 should reach +6% year-on-year. The market for specialist protective clothing for uniformed services and personal equipment will grow rapidly due to increased global military spending.
As regards the Polish market, the reforms announced by the Ministry of National Defence and the continuation of modernisation programmes are likely to significantly accelerate growth in the Polish market for specialist protective clothing and personal equipment for the military. This will be driven by the planned expansion of the Polish Armed Forces and increased spending on individual equipment for soldiers.
In early 2024, the Polish Army General Staff hosted a workshop entitled ‘Deterrence and Strategic Communication’, during which General Wiesław Kukuła presented, amongst other things, the objectives of the so-called ‘Szpej’ operation – ‘The Soldier Comes First’ – a programme aimed at modernising individual soldier equipment. One of the programme’s key objectives is to maximise the production of soldiers’ equipment within the Polish defence industry. According to announcements by the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, funds have been secured in the Ministry of National Defence’s budget for the implementation of Operation “Szpej”, which are ultimately intended to represent the highest amounts ever allocated for this type of procurement.
