It is hard to sell something you cannot see. Safe ventilation and good air quality are invisible, yet they are essential in every building. In the pages of Forbes magazine, Marzena and Michał Maj shared their journey to success and the power of family values. Sometimes, one decision can change everything. In Forbes, you can read about what made SMAY the European leader in safe ventilation.

An Unstoppable Duo — Marzena and Michał Maj in Forbes

The construction industry is vast — innovative building materials, ultra-modern interior design solutions, and prestigious finishing elements impress both investors and potential buyers. But in an era of so many breath-taking architectural innovations that influence a building’s appearance, how do you promote Polish ventilation solutions?
Marzena and Michał Maj — Vice President and President of SMAY — both admit it was not easy, even though fire safety in buildings should be a top priority.

The Innovation That Changed the Approach to Safe Evacuation

It was difficult for this family-owned Małopolska company to break into the market. The turning point came with the creation of an innovation — the company’s flagship pressure differential system, which permanently changed the approach to safe evacuation in high-rise buildings.

They succeeded — SMAY’s ventilation solutions became unrivalled for the tallest and most renowned buildings in Poland. They have been installed in Varso Tower, The Bridge, Warsaw Spire, Mennica Legacy Tower, Złota 44, and Sky Tower. This achievement is all the more remarkable because the company operates in an area that is invisible — air exchange and fire protection — where the temptation to cut costs on innovative solutions is high. Especially given that available research shows we spend over 90% of our time indoors.

The Power of Family Values in Overcoming a Company Crisis

Before the Safety Way pressure differential system secured SMAY’s market position, the company faced a crisis. It was the fifth month of 2018, and the company was still incurring losses.

“I remember the three of us standing on the balcony, considering various scenarios, including the worst one — selling the company to foreign competition,” recalls Marzena Maj, Vice President of SMAY.

It was the most difficult moment in SMAY’s history.

Seven years have passed since then, and SMAY remains in the hands of the founding family. The second generation now leads the company founded 35 years ago by Mr Marek Maj.

“I decided my son should take over at 37 — the same age I was when I started the business, full of creative energy. Many of my colleagues think they are perfect and irreplaceable. That belief in your own perfection can be your downfall,” explains Marek Maj.

Years of Preparation to Take Over the Company

Mr Marek Maj had been preparing to hand over the reins to his son for several years, closely observing how his successors gained experience under his supervision.

“For 15 years, they went through the typical career development process, starting in the lowest positions and gradually advancing,” says the founder of SMAY.

The new management entered the following year full of fresh ideas but were quickly confronted with a sharply weakening construction market and a lack of new contracts.

“Those five months of losses were incredibly stressful, but they forced us to make necessary changes that, in other circumstances, we probably would not have made,” says Marzena Maj.

They improved and broke down the long, 18-month sales process for their systems. They consolidated and automated production in a new single facility, tripling capacity. They also went abroad — but approached this conservatively: in France’s closed market, they found a partner to bid for projects, while in the UK, they opened their own foreign branch.

“Michał and I complement each other perfectly — I run ahead, earning money, while he oversees production and finances, constantly ensuring we do not take on too much risk,” explains Marzena Maj.

A Strong Position for a Polish Company in Foreign Markets

The company’s growth ambitions have long extended beyond Poland. SMAY is successfully entering foreign markets and continually refining its solutions for international partners. How did this Polish company, under Marzena and Michał Maj’s leadership, begin its overseas expansion?

The first major contract in the UK for the Polish fire safety system was The Portal, a 36-storey residential tower in North Acton, a district located north-west beyond Notting Hill. SMAY increasingly diversified its products, creating air exchange solutions for hospital rooms, laboratories, and schools.

Beyond Safety Way — New SMAY Solutions Delivering Clean Air

A study by NCBiR on air quality in schools that had undergone thermal insulation revealed CO₂ levels above recommended limits, PM 2.5 particle levels above guidelines, and PM10 dust concentrations up to eight times higher than the norm. The solution is SMAY’s iSchool system, which removes dust using streams of ventilated air supplied to classrooms and automatically adjusts airflow according to detected CO₂ increases. The company perfected it in a school in Niepołomice to ensure it was both effective and affordable. To install it, a school must commit to renovations.

“If you have a broken window or damaged furniture, you immediately see it needs replacing. But we cannot see air, so we often do not realise how bad the air we breathe is. The same goes for evacuation systems — the problem becomes apparent only when a tragedy occurs. That is why even for innovative companies, this market is so challenging,” explains the Vice President of SMAY.

As a result, exports now account for 40% of revenue, and the Polish company continues to seek new markets.

“Last year, I travelled to Saudi Arabia for the first time. To do business here, you must invest a lot of time in building relationships. But I think it is worth it, because considering the number of high-rises under construction in Riyadh, it could be just as promising as London,” says Marzena Maj.