White Eagle

What White Eagle does

White Eagle (legal name Orzeł Biały S.A.) is a Polish public limited company listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (ticker: OBL) since 2007 and headquartered in Piekary Śląskie, Poland. The company operates as the market leader of refined lead producers in Poland and the largest firm specializing in recycling used lead-acid batteries and other lead-containing waste. Its primary revenue is generated from the sale of refined lead and lead alloys produced through secondary smelting of scrap battery feedstock, with the production cycle carried out in accordance with European Union quality and environmental standards and supported by an IMS Policy referencing ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.

The core technology centers on battery collection, smelting, and refining processes that recover lead and convert it into refined lead and customized lead alloys. The company complements its lead output with two secondary offerings: polypropylene (recovered as a by-product of the battery recycling stream) and laboratory testing services that support internal and external quality control. The company also operates a wholly-owned subsidiary, Pumech sp. z o.o., which has engaged in material related-party transactions with Agroma Olsztyn Grupa Sznajder sp. z o.o. (announced April 28, 2021).

The business model is B2B and sales-led, with refined lead and alloys sold on a quotation basis tied to underlying commodity lead prices. Customers are industrial manufacturers in the battery production and broader industrial lead applications sectors, served through direct industrial sales relationships primarily within Poland and selected international markets. Marketing and investor communications are conducted via the corporate website and WSE regulatory disclosures. The company was founded in 1858 and currently employs between 101 and 250 people.

Name

White Eagle

Legal name

Orzeł Biały S.A.

Website

https://orzel-bialy.com.pl

Company type

Public

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Orzeł Biały (White Eagle) is Poland's market leader in refined lead production, recycling used lead-acid batteries into refined lead and lead alloys for industrial battery manufacturers and related sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lead Recycling and Refining

akta.pro primary industry

Lead-Acid Battery Recycling (Breaking, Smelting, Refining) (EUAIAIAG)

Keywords

• Lead recycling
• Lead alloys
• Battery recycling
• Refined lead
• Secondary lead production

Headquarters

HQ city

Piekary Slaskie

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Revenue model

1. Sale of Refined Lead and Lead Alloys: Primary revenue is generated from the sale of refined lead and its alloys obtained by recycling used batteries and other lead-containing waste. The company operates in the secondary lead production market, processing scrap materials into high-quality lead products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

White Eagle (Orzeł Biały S.A.) is the market leader of refined lead producers in Poland and the largest company specializing in recycling used lead batteries. The company recovers used batteries and other lead-containing waste to produce refined lead and lead alloys, which it sells primarily to industrial customers in the battery manufacturing and lead processing sectors. It also produces polypropylene as a secondary output from its recycling processes.

Product overview

White Eagle (Orzeł Biały) operates as a single, unified product offering centered on lead recycling and refining. The core business is the sale of refined lead and lead alloys produced by recycling used lead batteries and other lead-containing waste. The company also offers laboratory testing services and polypropylene as secondary products derived from its recycling processes. The product portfolio is integrated, with the refining of lead batteries serving as the primary revenue driver.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Orzeł Biały: Market leader in refined lead production and lead battery recycling in Poland

Products and services

• Lead and Lead Alloys

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Pumech sp. z o.o.minorOthersOn April 28, 2021, Orzeł Biały subsidiary Pumech sp. z o.o. entered into a material transaction with related party Agroma Olsztyn Grupa Sznajder sp. z o.o.
• Agroma Olsztyn Grupa Sznajder sp. z o.o.minorOthersOn April 28, 2021, a material transaction was reported between Pumech sp. z o.o. (Orzeł Biały subsidiary) and related party Agroma Olsztyn Grupa Sznajder sp. z o.o.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Clarios LLC: Global leader in automotive and industrial lead-acid battery manufacturing with significant internal lead recycling capacity. Comparable as both a customer and competitor in secondary lead, but much larger and battery-focused.
• EnerSys: US-headquartered industrial battery manufacturer with own recycling operations for reserve power and motive power applications. Comparable as a downstream buyer and recycler of lead, though primarily a battery manufacturer.
• Glencore plc: Global mining and commodities giant with lead production and recycling exposure through its industrial assets. Overlaps with Orzeł Biały as a refined lead supplier but operates at vastly larger and broader scale.
• Umicore SA: Belgian materials technology and recycling company operating large-scale non-ferrous metals recovery and refining. Comparable as an EU-based industrial metals recycler, though much broader in scope including catalysis and battery materials.

Direct peers

• Campine NV: Belgian company specializing in recycling lead-acid batteries into refined lead and lead alloys, plus antimony and plastic byproducts. Directly comparable operating model and product mix to Orzeł Biały in the European market.
• Aurubis AG: German-headquartered multi-metal recycler producing refined copper, lead, and other non-ferrous metals from secondary feedstock. Comparable as a European multi-site non-ferrous metals refiner competing for similar scrap supply.
• Eco-Bat Technologies: UK-based global lead-acid battery recycler and producer of refined lead. Closely comparable as a specialist in secondary lead recovery, directly competing for scrap feedstock in European markets.
• Boliden AB: Swedish miner and metals refiner with significant lead and zinc recycling operations via its Bergsöe and Rönnskär smelters. Closely comparable to Orzeł Biały in non-ferrous metals recovery and refining, though larger and more diversified across base metals.
• Britannia Refined Metals: UK-based precious and base metals refinery producing refined lead and other non-ferrous metals from secondary sources. Comparable refining model and European footprint though with different metal mix.

Regional players

• RSR Corporation: US-based secondary lead smelter and recycler producing refined lead from used lead-acid batteries. Comparable in process and product, but operates exclusively in North America rather than the European market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about White Eagle