baltona (full: baltona foreign trade company spółka akcyjna, former baltona - zaopatrywanie statków) is an enterprise created in 1946 in poland. nationalized and subordinated to the polish ministry of foreign trade in 1950, it was tasked with resupplying polish ships, planes, diplomatic posts, airports, seaports, border crossings, and even scientific expeditions. the company grew and became a large export-import company during the 1970s and 1980s. during the time of the people's republic of poland, it was one of the few companies offering western goods to polish consumers for foreign currency. at the height of its popularity during the mid-1980s, baltona operated nearly 250 stores and had over 2,000 employees. in 1984 it was transformed into a joint stock company ( or s.a.).