A Conversation with Izabela Kołaszewska-Gabor About Her Father, Lech Kołaszewski – Founder of the Kołaszewski Company

Today, October 23, 2025, in Bytów, we say goodbye to Lech Kołaszewski – founder of the Kołaszewski company, constructor, mentor, and a man who, for over half a century, inspired others with his passion, determination, and belief in the value of well-done work.

The funeral ceremony will take place at 1:30 PM at St. Philip Neri Church in Bytów.

On the day of farewell, we remember the man from whom it all began – through the eyes of his daughter, Izabela Kołaszewska-Gabor, who continues her father’s legacy.

Beginnings and Determination

The year 1974: times of scarcity, first decisions, and perseverance that turned lack into opportunity.

My father came from a very poor family. I believe that this experience taught him determination and the conviction that hard work can change one’s life. He wanted to break free from poverty – and he did everything to achieve it.

He had a very strong character and incredible optimism. He saw solutions where others saw only problems. In 1974, he opened his own locksmith workshop – at a time when, in Poland, there was nothing available. Materials were scarce, tools had to be improvised. Yet he managed to design and build everything himself. By trade he was a locksmith, but in spirit, an engineer and inventor. In our family, we used to call him “Pomysłowy Dobromir” – a Polish equivalent of “MacGyver” – because he truly could make something out of nothing.

Family as the Foundation

Love from school years, a shared life, a home built with their own hands, and everyday values.

Above all, he was a family man. He met my mother when she was still in high school. They married when she was 19 and he was 24. They were together for 52 years – full of love, hard work, and mutual support.

On October 20, they would have celebrated another wedding anniversary. Every year on that day, Dad brought my mom a huge bouquet of red roses and told her she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

At home, he was demanding but always fair. He had a clear sense of values – for him, something was either right or wrong, never “in between.” Sometimes he was strict, but behind that firmness was a huge heart. My mom was his greatest support and the only person who could truly “disarm” him.

He was also incredibly hardworking – he built our family home in Bytów with his own hands, with Mom by his side.

A Man with a Passion for the World

Forests, horses, pigeons, the sea and storms. At home, paintings of ships – a love for beauty and objects with a soul.

My father loved nature. He adored forests, horses, pigeons, and the sea. He often woke up at dawn and drove to the Baltic just to watch the storm. He took us with him so we could see how beautiful and powerful the sea could be. Our home was filled with paintings of ships and waves – his passion.

He was also an aesthete. He searched antique shops for unique lamps, albums, or figurines. He loved watches – he owned many and gave each family member a special one. He always said that things should be not only useful but also beautiful.

Helpful, Humble, and Compassionate

Children from the orphanage, quiet gestures, care for animals, and hunting as an excuse to be in the forest.

My father was sensitive to suffering – both human and animal. He supported children from the Bytów orphanage. Every child receiving their First Communion would get a bicycle from our production. He never talked about it publicly. He simply did what he felt was right.

He deeply loved animals. He fed them, built salt licks and feeders. He enjoyed hunting, but for him, it was just a reason to spend time in the forest, listen to the birds, and breathe fresh air. I used to joke that if all hunters were like my dad, the animals would have an all-inclusive life in the woods.

A Leader Who Understood People

Demanding but fair.

He was a “people’s person.” He knew that a company is not just machines and production – it is, above all, people. He helped, supported, and understood others. He was never afraid of conversations and never put himself above anyone else. Always demanding, but never unfair. Many employees remember him not just as an employer, but as someone who gave them confidence and self-belief.

Passing the Torch

Presence without imposing: trust that allows growth, advice when asked, not out of habit.

In recent years, my father stepped back from the company’s daily operations, but he was always present. I could always count on him. Interestingly, he never imposed his opinion – he waited until I asked. That surprised me greatly because throughout his life, he was the one setting directions and making decisions. I think it took great humility, but it also showed how much he trusted me.

Memory and Legacy

Words that guide us: “If you do something, do it well.” The man from whom it all began.

I want him to be remembered as a man who built something lasting out of nothing. Who never gave up and who loved people, nature, and life itself. As a husband, father, friend, and creator of the company without which today’s FK Machinery would not exist.

Dad always said: “If you do something, do it well.” These words guide us every day – in our work, in our decisions, and in how we relate to others. It is his way of seeing the world, one that will stay with us forever.

Izabela Kołaszewska-Gabor
CEO