LIKO-Stories

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2016 Since 1997
LIKO-Stories
Export issue of the
company magazine
We are building a happy and green company
SUCCESSFUL
INSTALLATION IN USA
CZECH PREZIDENT
VISITS LIKO-S
OUR NEW VISION FOR
INTERIORS DIVISION
LIKO-NOE,
HEALTHY OFFICE
OF THE YEAR
LIKO-NOE: BUILT IN 27 DAYS • INTERVIEW WITH LIBOR MUSIL • BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF
THE PRODUCTION DIVISION • INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS • EXPORT REFERENCE PROJECTS
01/2016
LIKO-STORIES, EXPORT ISSUE OF THE COMPANY
MAZAGINE published in Slavov u Brna, Czech Republic,
2016-04-30
PUBLISHER:
LIKO-S, a.s., U Splavu 1419
684 01 Slavkov u Brna, Czech Repulic,
Business ID: 60734795
LIKO-STORIES OFFICE:
Jiří Stratil, Radka Cabáková, Světlana Honsová,
Martina Juřinová, Martina Polová, Jana Vránová,
David Šmída, Michal Chudáček
LAYOUT: Eva Tabačková
E-MAIL: [email protected]
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Dear LIKO-Stories Readers,
Together, in your teams and divisions you have now evaluated 2015, and you have already divided
up your share in each centre’s profit from last year. Thank you for your honest work and for the
successes you have achieved. We have a very difficult year ahead of us. Unless the situation around
us dramatically changes for the better, which of course we should also be ready for, then we have a
year of economic boom awaiting us. This is a very dangerous period.
What are these hidden threats, the lurking reefs, at a time of full order books, reduced competition,
employee recruitment, and investment into increasing our capacity, quality and future development?
Well, our environment has become a lot more comfortable and much of the stress has disappeared.
This always precedes an escape to the comfort zones we subconsciously yearn for. As soon as we
start easing up, no longer striving every day to achieve maximum quality in our work, or the best
services for our customers utilizing the fullest deployment of manpower, punishment is never far
behind. Punishment comes in the form of losing some of our customers or their level of satisfaction,
financial losses, and thereby ultimately to a worsening of our mutual relations and the general
atmosphere in the company. Thus it can happen that a time of boom, which should be used to
strengthen corporate stability, can be a missed opportunity.
We showed not too long ago, when the economy had retracted, that we could cope well during a
time of crisis. But of course at that time the task was simple. The threats to the business were in
plain view and we responded accordingly. Now the situation will be a lot trickier because the threats
are hidden and external pressures have receded.
This is why we need to create the pressure ourselves. Whether that means within the team or within
ourselves. It is a great art to get up every day with a feeling of urgency, especially when everyone
else around you is saying, “What are you worried about? Everything’s going fine: now’s the time to
enjoy yourself!”
Enjoyment comes best, however, from the comfort of knowing that you have done your work
perfectly, that you have fully utilized all the good opportunities that have come your way, knowing
that you grasped these opportunities in the same way as if the company’s survival depended on
them. Again and again we have to awaken in ourselves that rawness, passion and sympathy in our
actions that characterized our approach to work when times were tougher. We can never bask in
previous business success. The man with the full stomach is no longer hungry. But our customers
like hungry suppliers: they are the ones who make an effort.
It is not about increasing activity in any physical sense. That sort of activity comes through multiple
orders that we have to manufacture, chase up and deal with. It is about increasing mental activity.
The activity of our thoughts. Do not be sweet-talked away from this task. Thinking hurts and those
around you will always offer the easy option: “stop racking your brain and just get on and do it!” in
such advice lies the hidden threat.
Do think hard! Do rack your brains working out how to do things better! Innovate and make your
position ever stronger: a position of experts and hungry market leaders.
In addition, I’d like to wish you all the best of health and a happy family life!
Libor Musil
Chairman of the Board of Directors
INTERIORS AND EXPORT DIVISION
NEW VISION OF
INTERIORS DIVISION
FOR OUR INTERIORS DIVISION, LAST YEAR WAS MORE THAN JUST A SUCCESS. IN ADDITION TO OUR STANDARD
OUTPUT WE INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD SEVERAL REVOLUTIONARY NEW PRODUCTS. WE HAVE ENTERED 2016 NOT
JUST WITH THESE NEW PRODUCTS, BUT WITH A NEW VISION, TOO.
In 2016 we will be working extremely
hard to take advantage of the opportunities provided to us by the market. We are
no longer simply a manufacturer and installer of partition walls, we have become
an expert in interiors, and we intend to
develop on several levels. The first such level concerns the mobility of our solutions.
The pace of the entire planet is constantly
accelerating: in a world where firms are
rapidly being founded, disappearing and
merging, we have the capacity to offer
clients the tools to achieve rapid mobility
whenever they need to redevelop their office space. In this regard the flagship of our
mobility concept is the mobile partition,
VACUWALL®.
The second level of our expertise is technology. Today it is omnipresent. It is in
our cars, mobile telephones and wristwatches, and we at LIKO-S see great potential
We at LIKO-S see great
potential in integrating
modern technology
into the structural
features of office
space.
in integrating modern technology into the
structural features of office space. Which
is why we are not only working on LCD
glass technology, but also the further development of our own interactive partition,
SMART-i-WALL®.
the entire industry, is acoustics. We will be
able to offer customers expert advice and
design for them original acoustic solutions, custom-made directly for their office
space. We are gearing up to offer this service by building our own acoustic chamber
as part of the LIKO-Noe experimental and
development centre.
The fourth area of expertise is design. In
2016 we will introduce to the market a new
system of re-buildable partitions which
are revolutionary in terms of design and
the opportunities they afford interior designers and architects. With our products
and world-class services, we are setting
new standards for the entire market.
Jan Musil
Operations Manager, Interiors Division
The third level of expertise, one for
which we want to set new standards for
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HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR
LIKO-NOE – HEALTHY
OFFICE OF THE YEAR
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HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR
LIKO-NOE, THE BUILDING HOUSING
OUR NEW DEVELOPMENT CENTRE,
HAS WON THE PRESTIGIOUS
COMPETITION “MEETING ROOM
OF THE YEAR“ IN THE CATEGORY
HEALTHY OFFICE. MORE THAN 80
COMPANIES FROM ACROSS THE
CZECH REPUBLIC ENTERED THE
COMPETITION, OUT OF WHICH THE
EXPERT JURY HEADED BY WORLDFAMOUS ARCHITECT EVA JIŘIČNÁ
CHOSE WINNERS FROM EACH
CATEGORY.
Jan Musil, Libor Musil and Orraine Williams together with the famous Eva Jiřičná as Chairman
of the commitee.
The reward for LIKO-S is the praise and
recognition given to its efforts to create a
building that benefits not only its inhabitants, but the whole locality too. The building’s internal atmosphere, which offers
thermal comfort without the need for air-conditioning, reduces health risks and
functions as an island of health. The building has its own root zone water treatment
system in the roof and works exclusively
with natural sources of heat and cold. Having a healthy internal environment with
plenty of natural light and fresh air was
also a priority. Whoever thinks that the
company’s flagship is occupied by company management will be disappointed,
however. LIKO-Noe is now the new home
of LIKO-S’s development and marketing
team, who can draw on an inspirational environment to help develop products of the
future.
LIKO-Noe building is very unique due to the system of natural heat stabilisation.
ZASEDAČKA ROKU
Waste water coming from nice-designed toilets goes into the root cleaning unit.
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LIKO-NOE AND NEW BEGINNING
LIKO-NOE:
BUILT IN 27 DAYS
INSPIRED BY THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY OF NOAH AND THE ARK, AND DRIVEN TO GIVE BACK TO THE EARTH,
THE WORLD’S FIRST PROTOTYPE BUILDING FEATURING THE CONCEPT OF ‘NATURAL THERMAL STABILIZATION’
WAS BUILT IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH MORAVIAN REGION.
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LIKO-NOE - A NEW BEGINNING
Motivated to replenish the Earth with what
we take from it as well as taking inspiration
from the story of Noah’s Ark, Czech licensed ICYNENE contractor, LIKO-S embarked
on the development of a high-performance
commercial building that is in complete harmony with nature and its surrounds.
The building’s concept and operation is
based on the idea of ‘natural thermal stabilization’ where the building functions with
energy from natural sources and without the
need of special machinery or equipment.
REVERSING TRADITIONAL TRENDS
Within the Czech Republic, large scale
manufacturing and storage facilities have
been constructed on fertile and arable
land. It is estimated by LIKO-S that over the
past 20 years, more than 90,000 hectares
(222,394 acres) have been developed this
way across the country. With estimates of
more than 10 hectares (24 acres) being built
upon each day, the LIKO-S team calculated
that 58 million cubic meters of usable rain
water is lost annually.
Seeking to reverse this trend, LIKO-S
sought to create a net-zero style commercial building with waste water cleaning capabilities. The team approached renowned
Czech architect Zdenek Fránek, dean in the
Faculty of Architecture at the Technical
University of Liberec, to help develop the
concept and the building itself.
CREATING A FUNCTIONING BUILDING
In addition to the natural thermal stabilization concept where the building amasses
energy from the sun or the earth, the building also is designed to work independently with water. A special root-based waste
water treatment facility and a retention
lake wetland allows the building to use water effectively and sustainably.
Primarily wooden, the building’s external cladding is stabilized by green façades
to allow for the growth of plants, grass and
otther vegetation - a concept used in a similar LIKO-S building - the ‘Living Building’.
As a licensed Icynene contractor, it was a
natural fit for LIKO-S to incorporate Icynene’s highperformance spray foam insulation
products into the design of the building prototype. Both medium-density Icynene ProSeal and light-density Icynene Classic were
used throughout the building design.
Icynene ProSeal was applied to the exterior walls and along the base of the building to
help provide structural reinforcement and
act as a moisture barrier for the water reservoir next to the building. Icynene Classic’s
vapor permeability supports bi-directional
drying of the wall assembly while its flexible
composition maintains an air seal even after
seasonal expansion/ contraction of the building. The inclusion of large windows allow
for natural light to flood into the space reducing the need for artificial lighting. Acoustic
and climatic chambers were also included
into the design to allow for future development and testing of Icynene spray foam insulation products, and other building materials, in the Czech Republic.
ENCOURAGING EDUCATION, TESTING
AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Although the building prototype is destined to be a shining example of sustainability
and eco-conscious design, LIKO-S suggests
that uniqueness of the building is really
underlined by its use.
Designed for further development, testing
and European certification of spray foam
insulation and other building material products, the building will play an important
role in driving change within the Czech, and
European, building industry.LIKO-S’ in
ternational team will include young, burgeoning engineers who will be given the opportunity to participate in major projects that
will encourage their professional and personal development.
With its roots firmly planted in changing
how we think about buildings, how they perform and how they function, the LIKO-NOE
prototype is truly a stunning example of creative, innovative and conscious design.
For more information about this unique
project, visit the www.liko-noe.com.
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OUR VISITORS
CZECH PRESIDENT
MILOŠ ZEMAN VISITS
LIKO-S
ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2016, LIKO-S WAS EVEN BUSIER THAN USUAL. WE HAVE HAD QUITE A
FEW RARE VISITORS TO OUR COMPANY, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HOSTED THE PRESIDENT OF THE CZECH
REPUBLIC.
The production hall, where our partitions are normally assembled, turned into
a spacious reception area for the planned
meeting. The guys from metal production
made a display stand for the new banner literally on the spot and our colleagues from
the development department installed our
SMART-i-WALL. Just after 1 pm, a convoy of
cars drove into LIKO-S and President Miloš
Zeman and Michal Hašek, the Governor of
South Moravia, stepped out of one of them.
Immediately upon arrival, they met with
the Musil family, members of the Board and
also with our Chairman of the Supervisory
Board. The main topic of conversation was
the Baťa-style inspired company management. The President was also interested in
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the LIKO-School project, and the discussion
moved on to the need to support Czech family firms. This meeting was immediately
followed by a discussion between Miloš Zeman and company employees. In a relaxed
atmosphere, they touched on the issue of
education, the acquisition of subsidies and
the condition of infrastructure in our region. At the end of the meeting, the President
then received a commemorative original
stainless steel ashtray, which our employees had hand-crafted to resemble the revolutionary LIKO-Noe building. In addition,
the President also took home the visionary
book by J.A. Baťa „Let‘s Build a State for 40
Million People“ and a bottle of homemade
Slivovitz.
OUR VISITORS
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PRODUCTION DIVISION
2015 - BEST YEAR EVER
IN THE HISTORY OF THE
PRODUCTION DIVISION
THE YEAR 2015 KEPT US ALL BUSY DURING A PERIOD OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS GROWTH. TO ADD TO THE
GENERAL BUZZ, WE MADE CHANGES TO OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS-WISE WE BENEFITED FROM OUR
PARTICIPATION AT THE SUBCONTRACTOR FAIR IN SWEDEN. ALL THE ABOVE TOLD US THAT A GOOD RESULT WAS
WITHIN REACH. TODAY WE CAN CONFIRM IT. IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC INDICATORS, WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED THE
BEST YEAR EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR DIVISION.
to craftsmen themselves to determine how
long they will work to earn the money. This
system enables craftsmen to earn more by
encouraging them to look for ways to speed
up production (whilst of course maintaining the same quality). This is highly motivating and supports a mind-set aimed at
introducing innovative changes.
In connection with this change in the
system, we have implemented a process of
continuous improvement based on the activities of management and craftsmen. The
intention is to eliminate everyday barriers
that prevent greater productivity. Many
suggestions came from the workshop in
2015 and the majority of our colleagues
participated. The vast majority of suggestions have been implemented.
Filip Kadeřávek and Michal Ryzí have excellent results.
The machining plant under the leadership of Filip Kadeřávek has contributed
substantially to the excellent results. Here,
we made a major change in management
and set up the entire centre as a separately
operating unit. Mr. Kadeřávek was able to
reach new customers who ordered goods
worth over CZK 1,000,000 from the machining shop.
Another important step was a change in
the remuneration system for craftsmen.
The new system openly provides information about job calculations and therefore
also reveals that part intended for payment. The amount is paid in full and it is up
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We have implemented
a process of continuous
improvement based
on the activities of
management and
craftsmen. The intention
is to eliminate everyday
barriers that prevent
greater productivity.
In 2015, we also managed to send our first
deliveries to Sweden. In particular, I would
like to mention the successful deliveries to
GETINGE. The requirements for material
and production processes were extremely
demanding. We were able to satisfy all the
wishes of this client and this experience
will also mean being able to continue working with the company, which is a major
supplier of sterilization equipment for
hospitals worldwide.
Another extraordinary project was the
contract for B + M Surface from Germany.
The negotiations were very friendly and
from the beginning it was clear that they
were looking for a long-term partner, not
just for one project. During production,
they came to check the goods twice and during the pre-shipping inspection the head
of purchasing expressed great satisfaction
PRODUCTION DIVISION
Waste separator for our french customer
with our services. The project also gave us
the opportunity to verify just how well we
could plan such a large order; it turned out
that production under the leadership of
Mr. Jaroslav Zourek was as smooth as silk.
This year we must take full advantage of
the new laser technology. Since we are talking about putting things to good use, I also
have to mention the use of human resources. At the end of the year, Mr. Konečný joined us as quality manager. In addition to
his main duties, he will also be in charge of
training new colleagues. Only after the successful completion of training will craftsmen receive a company certificate and be
able to weld for our customers.
The biggest challenge, however, awaits
us in construction of the new hall. This
project is at the initial design stage and it is
clear that it will not be your bog-standard,
everyday hall. The project must incorporate solutions to tackle the overheating of
production halls and we want it to be environmentally friendly, while creating the
best possible conditions for work and relaxation. Only that way can we attract the
best craftsmen who can perform at their
level best. The craftsman is the architect of
success.
This year we must also ensure excellent service for our customers. We have
to maintain our high standards and make
sure our services allow enough space to
accommodate other activities - marketing,
sales and development.
Roman Zouhar
Director of Production Division
We keep on innovating of our production. The latest innovation is fiber-laser unit.
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INTERVIEW
HE STARTED WITH A SAW AND
A WELDER, TODAY HE ASSEMBLES
HALLS ALL OVER THE WORLD
HE HAS BRANCHES IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, TWO HUNDRED EMPLOYEES AND PRESTIGIOUS
CONTRACTS. THE BUSINESS OF LIBOR MUSIL, WHICH HE STARTED 25 YEARS AGO IN AN ABANDONED SUGAR
FACTORY, HAS GROWN LARGE. HE IS SUCCESSFUL WITH HIS CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS THE PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC.
THEY VOTED HIS COMPANY LIKO-S THE FAMILY COMPANY OF THE YEAR. THE STORY OF LIBOR MUSIL IS A BIT LIKE
AFAIRY TALE. HE STARTED TO DO BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REVOLUTION WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW. HE
LEFT HIS GOOD JOB AS A PRODUCTION ENGINEER IN A STATE ELECTRIC MOTOR FACTORY AND THREW HIMSELF
INTO BUILDING HALLS IN THE FORMER CZECHSLOVAKIA AND GERMANY. HE WAS 26 YEARS OLD AND WANT TO
WORK FREELY AND FOR HIMSELF.
How do you think back to the beginning
of your business in the 1990s?
I like to think back at that time very much,
even though I can no longer imagine how we
ever managed. Our first technological equipment was a welder that I took from the house
along with tools, a borrowed saw machine for
profiles with an oxy-acetylene welder and that
was all placed in an unheated hall in a failed sugar factory. My managerial equipment included a desk phone, whose dialer would not come
back to its original position in the freezing office, an obsolete typewriter and Škoda 120 that
I borrowed from my father-in-law. With my
wife, who started a business at that time, we
were returning bottles at the end of the month
to have money to buy food for us and our little
daughter.
But after a while the business started to pick
up, correct?
Anyone, who wanted to build something,
was our customer. But there were not many
such investors at that time. Everyone was waiting what would happen. Those were precipitous years. But then came the first contract,
a hall for the state enterprise Ferona in Brno.
The hall is still used today.
I wanted to work for foreign partners as well
from the beginning. So I set off to do business
in Germany without knowing the language.
After many troubles, over time I eventually
won the first contracts for halls in the eastern
part of the country as well as contracts for the
supply of tables for wallpapering for a DIY
market chain in the western part of Germany.
So instead of sugar, trucks full of wallpapering tables for German DIY enthusiasts were
leaving the Slavkov sugar factory for full two
years.
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The whole family works in LIKO-S. Mr. Musil and Mrs. Musilová, their son Jan, daughter Hana
and son-in-law Orraine.
Did you borrow any money to start?
At the very beginning, we had only a couple
of thousand that my father-in-law gave us. I did
not give a dime, so all that was left was to ask
suppliers for longer due dates and customers
to pay in advance. Simple math. Later, we managed to get a loan for the operations from a
district bank. At that time, it was not such a big
problem, even though the interest was over 10
percent.
How did the company gradually expand?
Suddenly, we were growing like crazy, so we
had 300 employees within three years. It was
incredible, contracts were pouring in. Back
then, we did as much work in a week that I now
do in half a year. There were no mobile phones
or even a fax machine so we had to be everywhere in person and I drove in Škodas 200
thousand kilometres a year around Europe.
I do not know what fuel we were functioning
on back then, but I think it was an explosive
mixture of joy of freedom, faith in the wonderful future and willingness to achieve something. At the beginning, the boom was also
enforced by contracts in the renovated East
Germany and representation leading Western
companies in Central Europe. We learned a lot
from them and soon we also outgrew them.
INTERVIEW
Today, you have „stabilized“ at two hundred
employees. Do you have a problem to find the
right people just like many businesses?
We do not hire people, instead we carefully
select people. On the one hand, their expertise
is important, but on the other hand, they must
have personal characteristics to identify with
our corporate philosophy, and that is too demanding for some people. If we want to work at
the forefront in the industry, then we all have
to realize that it is windy up there.
It is really difficult to look for relentless experts in sales, project preparation, production
and assembly from today‘s spoiled and badly
educated population. The selection, additional education and training of a new employee
costs us a lot of money. This raises the price of
our work. Partially, we address this problem by
our own education system. But it is necessary
that people responsible for education in our
country and paid from our taxes deal with this.
Since we arrived at the topic of company
philosophy, I saw that you issue your own
company magazine for our employees. That
is an interesting idea.
We have been issuing it for 17 years and it
differs from conventional magazines in that
the authors of the articles are our colleagues or
close partners. It helps with communication,
which is one of the pillars of our company strategy. So, every month people can read the latest
information from the life of company and its
employees.
COMPLIMENTS ARRIVED ALL THE
WAY FROM AMERICA
Hello, with great pleasure and interest I read
an article in the on-line edition of iDNES about
you winning the 2014 Family Firm of the Year
award. For many years, I worked in Canada
in the industry, in which you do business, as
an engineer, so I can appreciate the level of
your company, employees and products. As
a Czech, I am proud of you and I am pleased
that you have successfully penetrated foreign
markets. In response to the award that you
certainly deserve I was surprised by some
comments of „experts“ regarding business,
„the American model“ and other critical
remarks revealing mostly envy and narrowmindedness of the commentators. You are
doing it right and do not let people, who have
no clue about what it means to start own
business and actually succeed, get you down.
Only companies like yours give me hope that
the market economy in my home country
will survive. I keep my fingers crossed and
wish you many more happy customers and
employees.
And you have cloths made for your
employees.
We want to be identifiable. Both internally
and externally. Both in terms of clothing and
behaviour, on which we place great emphasis.
And company clothing is simply part of the
image of a modern business. And we do not
have only service models, we also have elegant
models. Not only for workers in production
but also in administrative and managerial positions. It is appreciated not only by employees
but also the partners and associates of the company. An employee and customer are our partners who deserve to be in the spotlight. In the
spirit of Baťa traditions, in the spirit of honest
and socially beneficial business.
You said that you always wanted to work
with foreign partners. Today, you have branches in many countries including India.
What is the volume of your exports?
The company has three divisions and each
has its own export. So, exports of partitions
represent 40% of turnover of the Interiors Division, the exports of Chytrá izolace and Živé
stavby are 20% for the Energy Divisions and
the best is Metal Production that exports 95%
of its stainless steel production lines. Products
from construction divisions are headed mainly to Western Europe, metal production is exported worldwide.
I have been working with my wife almost
from the beginning in this company. After
completing his education in England, our son
Jan joined us as well as our daughter with her
husband from the USA. Our children have lived with the firm since they were little because
we had to deal with business matters in front of
them and we explained a lot of things to them.
They grew up in kind of a business incubator
and now it makes us happy when we see them
at work. We try to solve things calmly but
that is not always possible in today‘s business
world. Sometimes you need to give space to
emotions. Our family is learning every day at
work how to nicely and effective communicate
and we do not avoid it during family events. It
is not possible to have the benefits of owning
a company as well as not sacrificing anything.
My wife and I are very happy that our children
decided to work in our family company.
What are your future plans?
We do not want to expand our company too
much now. We want to remain a medium-sized
company focused on excellent service to our
customers. And in addition we want to make
sure that our business is also an intellectual
adventure for our family members and our
employees. For this reason, we invest a lot of
money into the development of new products,
new markets and we still have much to learn.
You earned the title of the Family Firm of
the Year. How many family members work
in LIKO-S?
Author: Katerina Hovorkova
Excerpt from web portal: iDNES 30.1.2015
SELECTED THOUGHTS
OF THE DAY
OUR INDIAN PARTNER IN BANGALORE SHARES WITH US IN ALMOST
TWO YEARS EVERY WORKING DAY (INCLUDING DATURDAYS, WHICH
ARE WORKING DAYS IN INDIA ) ONE INTERRESTING THOUGHT. WE HAVE
DECIDED TO PUBLISH THE MOST INTERRESTING ONES OF THEM FOR
YOU IN LIKOSÁČEK:
• Do something each day to bring you a little closer to your
dreams….
• Patience is the companion of wisdom.
• Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them
open.
• Success is no accident It is hard work, perseverance, learning,
studying , sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing…
• The future starts today, not tomorrow.
Sincerely, Aloha,
Josef Dorničák
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
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2015
2015 AT LIKO-S
2015 WAS A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR LIKO-S; INDEED IN MANY WAYS IT BROKE ENTIRELY NEW GROUND, AS YOU
CAN READ THIS PAGE BELOW. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND THE REALIZATION OF ORDERS CAME THICK AND FAST,
WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE SET OUT FOR YOU A SUMMARY OF THOSE WE CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT, MOST
INTERESTING OR, IN SOME OTHER WAY, MOST EXCEPTIONAL.
MAY
MARCH
JANUARY
Interiors – at the BAU trade fair in
Munich we successfully presented
our latest innovations, VACUWALL®
and SMART-i-WALL®.
Administration – the educational
project LIKO-School is now in full
swing.
Icynene – thermal insulation installed
at the Kovobel Poultry Farm.
Production – our equipment range
was extend by the inclusion of a fourroller bending machine.
Production – successful realization of large pressure cylinders for
a Danish client.
Interiors – completion of Slovak
projects – Continental and Danfoss.
Icynene – participation in
conference in Mexico.
Energy – construction of the LIKONoe development centre. This project
has shifted our ideas concerning Živé
stavby®.
Icynene – thermal insulation of
LIKO-Noe.
Interiors – realization of office space
for Merck Sharp & Dohne in Prague.
DESIGN MANUÁL
FEBRUARY
APRIL
JUNE
Icynene – participated at the Austrian trade fair Bauen und Energie
Wien.
Icynene – launch of new logo.
Production – CNC Crusher Nordic –delivery for the mining and quarrying industry.
Energy – start construction on the new
administrative and warehousing area
ROBUR, Popůvky u Brna.
Chytrá izolace™
Production – order of superduplex
material for a Swedish
pharmaceutical company.
Interiors – implementation of
interiors at ABB.
Production – first order for prestigious client, the Swiss organization
CERN.
Support – testing the new Pujol lamination ovens.
Interiors - installation at the AC
Sparta Prague stadium, Letná.
Interiors – recording the video clip for
SMART-i-WALL.
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AT THE
LIKO-S
KILOMETRES DRIVEN – 1 600 000
40X
JULY
Icynene – launch of the new website
www.chytraizolace.cz
Interiors – launch of the new website
www.smart-i-wall.cz
First realization of partition walls in the
USA, for the central office of the company
Meopta.
COFFEES DRUNK
SEPTEMBER
17 418
Icynene – important visit from the
IcyneneCEO, Howard Deck.
LUNCHES EATEN
19 403
NEWLY BORN CHILDREN TO LIKO-S EMPLOYEES
Production – manufacture of a prototype
marine winch for a Norwegian customer.
Support – starting the new manufacture
of AIS.
Participation at the For Arch trade
fair in Prague.
Interiors – new showroom at the
Prague branch.
Production – delivery of filtration
equipment for our Swedish partner.
General – exhibition of handcrafts
at Slavkov Chateau with LIKO-S
participation. Important visit from
Dolores Baťa. Visit by 35 secondary
school head teachers as part of the
summer academy “European Forum
for Vocational Training”.
13
NOVEMBER
Icynene – entrance to the Guild of
Tinsmiths, Roofers and Carpenters.
General – LIKO-Noe reaches the final
of the competition Meeting Room of
the Year.
Interiéry – interactive configurator
www.likoglass.cz is launched.
Production – manufacture of the tank
painting line for B+M Surface Systems.
2015
AT LIKO-S
AUGUST
OCTOBER
DECEMBER
Icynene – realization of Vapes
– unique thermal insulation for
apartment buildings.
Interiors – a new product joins the
LIKO-S offer: SilentPET acoustic panels and laminated glass LIKO-Glass.
Energy – completion of the second
largest Audi showroom in Europe,
AUDI Jarov.
Icynene – Smartisol 300 certification.
Realization for the facility service
company OLMAN spol. s.r.o. –
thermal insulation of the admin
building.
Support – start of new timber
production.
General – VIP zone at the chateau, Christmas meeting with
employees – announcement of
best employees of the year.
Production – purchase of new
laser technology.
Správa – LIKO-S Special Team at the
Gulasch Open Austerlitz.
Interiors – realization of interiors
for the company Homola in Ostrava,
using the interior LCD glass LIKOGlass.
Správa – aerial photography of the
company LIKO-S.
Production – Nicrofer products –
heat-resistant and high-temperature
material for the company Junker.
15
EXPORT INTERIORS DIVISION
SUCCESSFUL
INSTALLATION IN LONG
ISLAND, NEW YORK
OUR EXPORT DEPARTMENT HAS NOW CROSSED THE ATLANTIC! I HAVE HAD THE HONOUR OF TAKING PART IN THE
FIRST INSTALLATION OF PARTITIONS FOR OUR CUSTOMER MEOPTA USA.
The modern building of Meopta USA is situated amidst greenery in an industrial area of one of
New York’s suburbs.
On 26 June 2015, after perfect preparation
by Karel Hudec and the final completion of a
few small details, including the delivery of
material to the site, we, i.e. Orraine Williams,
Martin Doležal and I, set out on our journey
to New York. This journey took one day. Due
to the time difference, we went to bed upon
our arrival, filled with excitement for the
next day. Saturday morning we arrived at the
site where we the purchaser´s representatives were waiting for us. At the same site were
two containers with our materials. Having
opened the containers, we checked the delivery of profiles and found that everything
was O.K. Then, we got down to work. By
the way, I have to praise here our logistics
staff, because I have never seen materials
stored so perfectly. Everything was how it
should be, nothing got shifted or damaged.
After reviewing conditions on site (the
group of installers who should have been
available for the partition installation were
AWOL, and there were obviously unfinished
16
works requiring another two, three days),
we concluded that we would first have to
get finished all the work needed for the partition installation. Because we were a team
of strong guys we moved out the necessary
material for edging and started the edging
work. Except for minor differences in height, everything was running smoothly and
by Sunday nearly all parts were edged.
On Sunday evening, we had the opportunity to visit the centre of New York, which
thanks to its architecture, streets full of
people and cars really does impress. But
what got to me most was the suburb of
New York where Meopta USA is based:
greenery all around, one-story houses
and a plenty of space. And naturally, we had
a taste of local specialities, which were absolutely delicious.
On Monday evening another container
arrived, which meant we could get stuck in
– moving the gear, completing edging operations and installing windows and frames.
First installation of partitions in the United
States, under the leadership of Antonín
Řičánek and Martin Doležal.
Since our co-workers, who had made great
progress installing other structures (carpets, plasterboard structures, suspended ceilings, paving), were now available, we managed to transport the material its installation
locations during the day. And then, as one of
my co-workers would say, we just ´put it up´.
Before I left, we installed one VACUWALL®
just to try it. Everything worked out fine, so I
could leave without worrying. The installation of partitions was completed during
the following week. The final installation
of the VACUWALL® was carried out by Karel
Hudec and Martin Doležal. I am pleased that
the customer has been so satisfied with our
systems as well as with the work done by our
team. This has been a good first step on our
journey to the New World.
Antonín Řičánek
Project Manager of Interiors Division
(Photo by our team of installers in New York)
EXPORT INTERIORS DIVISION
Our strong team of installers found the work easy. The customer chose the OMEGA 100.1 system.
For Martin Doležal and Karel Hudec,
installation of the easily movable partition
VACUWALL® was the icing on the cake.
Currently this is our biggest contract for our new product.
Time for an Orraine Williams’ detail.
View of new interiors in Meopta USA.
17
INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS
PROJECT YONDER,
ROMANIA
THE FEELING AND TOUCH OF GREEN ZONE, NATURE, YOUTH AND COLOURS WIRES THROUGH THE WHOLE INTERIOR
THAT HAS BEEN BUILT BY OUR PARTNER FROM ROMANIA – COS. ALSO THE EMPLOYEES HAVE LEFT A BIT OF THE
PERSONAL TRACE. EVERYONE OF THE PERSONEL BROUGHT SOME PERSONAL THING THAT HAS BEEN LATER ON
COMPOSED INTO THE INTERIOR.
18
INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS
VIP BOXES,
AC SPARTA PRAGUE
ANOTHER INTERESTING PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE FAMOUS FOOTBALL CLUB AC SPARTA PRAGUE.
THE NEW LUXURIOUS VIP BOXES ARE EQUIPPED WITH OUR GLASS PARTITIONS MICRA II.
19
INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS
ERV EUROPEAN
TRAVEL INSURANCE
GROUP, PRAGUE
WE HAVE DELIVERED FOR ERV PARTITION SYSTEM MICRA II WITH ELECTRIC BLINDS. LATELY WE HAVE DELIVERED
MICRA I PARTITIONS TOGETHER WITH SLIDING DOORS.
20
INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS
DEUTSCHE BÖRSE,
PRAGUE
INVESTORS FROM LICHTENSTEIN AND GERMANY, SUPERVISORS FROM UK – ALL THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
INVOLVED IN SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION OF OUR MICRA II WALLS. WE ARE PROUD OF SUCCESSFULL JOB AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW ONE.
21
INNOVATIONS
WEALTH OF INNOVATIVE
PRODUCTS FROM THE
INTERIORS DIVISION
THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT THE INTERIORS DIVISION HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY BROUGHT OUT SEVERAL GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCTS THAT PUSH THE POSSIBILITIES OF INTERIOR SOLUTIONS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
VACUWALL®
One innovation is the mobile partition
VACUWALL®, a product developed in co-operation with our Swiss partners. This
is the only mobile partition wall in the
world which gives interiors a genuinely
unlimited range of variability. Walls can
be erected in a matter of minutes and
can then be rebuilt elsewhere whenever
required. The entire wall is held between
the floor and ceiling by an inflated rubber
bag in combination with aluminium profi-
22
les. When taking down the partition, the
air is sucked out of the rubber bag using
a manual pump, after which the wall panels can be easily handled. When the time
comes to reinstall your partition, it can
be secured in its new location simply by
pressing the air valve: the bag expands
and in just a few seconds the VACU-WALL®
is firmly in position. This design has the
added advantage that should any damage
accidentally occur to the rubber bag, the
partition will firmly attach itself to the
ceiling and floor and its accidental release
will not pose any threat to safety. Thanks
to its locking mechanism and low mass,
the VACUWALL® does not affect the static
stability of the surrounding structural
elements. When it comes to possible options for dividing interior space, it provides users with complete freedom: it can
be used to partition off meeting spaces,
manufacturing areas or create an office. Installation requires two people, a
screwdriver and a few minutes of time.
LADISLAV RAVAS:
„DURING DEVELOPMENT WE CREATED
ABOUT TEN VARIATIONS, ONE AFTER THE
OTHER, BEFORE WE FINALLY CAME TO THE
CURRENT DESIGN.“
The idea to create a partition wall based on
the same principle as that used by today’s VACUWALL® goes back to 2011, when we had our
regular meeting that we call the “International
Development Meeting”. This was the occasion
our Swiss partner Rolf Ritter first pulled out
of his “rucksack” a strange object resembling a
rubber truncheon. Once he had explained to
us what it was and how we might use it, the basic idea of the VACUWALL was born. The hardest thing was to ensure an optimal connection
between each neighbouring module. During
development we created about ten variations,
one after the other, before we finally settled on
the current design. Now we have a complete
series of modules (solid, glazed, door) and partitions can be assembled like a giant jigsaw
puzzle. Together with the “T” and “L” shape connectors, you can create a layout that suits
your actual needs. And the next day you can
turn an office into a meeting room, or vice versa. And you don’t need anyone’s help to do it.
INNOVATIONS
SMART-I-WALL®
We first introduced the flagship of our new
innovative products – the interactive partition SMART-i-WALL® – to the public at the
trade fair BAU 2015 in Munich. An international team of young enthusiasts had already begun working on this unique device a
year earlier. The result of their labours is a
unique interactive partition which represents
the future - not only for office and conference
space. SMART-i-WALL® enables you to play
videos, make presentations, surf the web,
co-operate remotely, use cloud services and
perform many other activities. The base is
formed by a standard interior partition from
the Omega or Micra systems. The infill is made
of LCD-Glass, a special type of glass which the
user can switch from transparent to opaque at
the touch of a button. Onto this surface is transferred a picture with full HD resolution. No
mouse or keyboard is required to control the
image: this is a fully interactive device that can
be controlled with the touch of a finger. One interesting technical feature is the way in which
sound is reproduced. Special transductors
relay the audio signal directly into the glass,
which means it is reproduced by the actual
surface of the partition. The great sound quality has a pleasant, natural tone thanks to the
large reproduction area, which also means that
there is no need to connect up any external
speakers to SMART-i-WALL. And when the
presentation, consultation or meeting finishes,
with a flick of a switch you get back your transparent partition once again. For more information visit www.smart-i-wall.cz.
ORRAINE WILLIAMS:
„WE HAD A WISH LIST OF ALL MODERN
FUNCTIONALITY WHICH WOULD BE
FEASIBLE FOR AN INTERIOR WALL, AND
OUR TASK WAS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.“
Two years ago I joined the LIKO-S team
and was asked by Jan Musil if I would like
to participate in this work group of developing an interactive partition. Based on
my background and interests, I gladly joined the team which also included Sylvia
Janošková. We had a ‘wish list’ of all modern functionality and technology which
would be feasible for an interior wall, and
our task was to „make it happen“. During
our development we tried various interactive medium and technologies from
top developers across the globe. Sylvia,
brought to the table the idea of sound re-
producing glass which brought our product to the next level. Our technician tested various glasses, foils, and films to find
the right fit. Our aim was to marry these
technologies as one with our partitions.
Today we have a complete solution for
SMART-i-WALL®. In addition to the 4 main
features, we now provide addition functionality such as Privacy mode (which automatically detects an internet call and switches the audio source from the glass). Easy
connection and sharing (which allows visitor display content directly from their
devices). Remote support, and the automatically updated application which is
available in multiple languages. As we
continue our development, our motto and
aim is to remain innovative leaders in
office walls. So stay tuned for more about
SMART-i-WALL®.
SMART-i-WALL® in LIKO-NOE.
23
INNOVATIONS
Structured Glass
LIKO-GLASS®
When in March 2015 the warm-up procedure
got under way in our new lamination oven,
a new chapter was opened in the history of
another innovative product – special LIKO-Glass®. This is a layered laminated glass, the
bases for which are traditional glass panels.
Between them is inserted EVALAM laminated film. By “baking” these panes together
with the film, a tough multi-layered glass is
produced.
Combining both panes of glass with the laminate film substantially improves the safety of
the resulting product as well as its acoustic
parameters. In addition to the laminating
film, between the layers of glass can be inserted all kinds of other materials. These
can include graphic designs or photographs, different kinds of organic materials,
coloured films and many other types of
interlayer. Besides the wide range of design
elements, hi-tech layers can also be added,
such as films with liquid crystals enabling
users to switch between opaque and transparent glass. The whole concept gives free reign to the imaginations of architects and interior designers. And not only to them. We can
laminate almost anything between layers
of glass, which means customers can come
to us with their own ideas about how a particular glass partition might look. To help this
process along we have also launched a special website www.liko-glass.cz, where anyone
can use the Designer app to try out various
new forms for this innovative product.
24
LUKÁŠ TRÁVNÍČEK:
„DEVELOPING LIKO-GLASS® HAS
TAUGHT ME NEVER TO GIVE UP, TO
ALWAYS TRY AND FIND A WAY TO
SOLVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM.“
I came to the development of the LIKO–
Glass® project in mid-July this year, when I
first started getting deeper into the question of glass lamination (Lukáš started out
in our company at LIKO-School as a handyman – editor’s note). Getting some initial
experience was not easy. Lamination has
something of alchemy about it: time,
temperature, vacuum and correct cooling all play a big part. The result, though,
is a truly unique product. We can insert
practically an unlimited choice of designs
between the panes. My personal favourite
is using leaves, grasses and flowers. I can
also see a distinct future laminating holographic and smart films. Working on its
development has given me loads of experience, forcing me to constantly improve the
product, towards constructive thinking. It
has also taught me never to give up, to always try and find a way to solve a particular problem.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
WE CAN NOW LAMINATE
OUR OWN PARTITIONS
OUR SUPPORT OPERATION DOES NOT STAY IN ONE PLACE AND RESPONDS TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR
CUSTOMERS. THEREFORE, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF OUR OPERATION BEGAN IN LATE MARCH WHICH AIMS TO
CONCENTRATE ALL OUR PRODUCTION CAPACITIES IN ONE PLACE AND ADD NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT EXPAND
OUR PRODUCT RANGE AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF OUR DELIVERIES. ALTHOUGH THE RECONSTRUCTION
IS IN PROGRESS WE ARE STILL IN FULL OPERATION, THE ONLY EFFECT HAS BEEN A HIGHER QUALITY OF OUR
DELIVERIES AND AN EXPANSION OF OUR PRODUCT RANGE.
One of our new technologies, which we added to our production, is a laminating furnace which was installed in the new premises in
mid-April. This new technology from Pujol
will allow us to laminate double-layer and multi-layer glass up to a size of 1.8 x 4.2 meters.
What can you imagine under the term glass
lamination? This is a technology where the
EVALAM laminating film is inserted between
the glass and „baking“ these glasses with the
film in a furnace will produce a multi-layer
glass. Safety glass known as Conex are formed
in such a way. The laminating film, however,
does not have to be necessarily clear. There is
a wide range of films – colourful, bulletproof,
transparent, opaque, and they can be combined with each other. This results in very interesting effects. Even various other materials
can be inserted between the glass such as
PVC, PET film (coloured and printed), polycarbonates, metals and mesh, fabrics and
casement cloths, natural materials such as
imitation stone, wood, flowers and the like.
Illuminating LEDs can be also laminated and
other interesting variations can be created.
With this technology, we are able to respond
flexibly to the requirements and new design
trends required by our clients. We are also capable of laminating special controlled transparent films based on liquid crystals. This creates
glass, which may be opaque and transparent
after supplying electric current. These glasses
can replace blinds in windows, or they can be
used for projections.
These are the glasses that we use for our global innovation – SMART-i-WALL® multimedia
walls on which images can be projected. Intrial
operation of our furnace, we have prepared
different types of laminated glass, including
glass with a controlled transparent film. This
technology is currently the most advanced
method for the production of design glass.
Jiří Dufek,
LIKO-S
An engineer from out supplier Pujol, Carlos Sarzano (middle) presents multi-layer glass to Jiří
Dufek.
Inserting the glass with film into the furnace.
25
SOME OF OTHER INTERESTING NEWS
LIKO-S RANKS AMONG THE BEST
INNOVATORS IN SOUTH MORAVIA
Our developers, who among other
achievements are responsible for the
interactive partition SMART-i-WALL®, this
year took part for the first time in the South
Moravian Region’s “NEJinovátor” competition,
run by the SME Union. The professional
panel of judges examined the claims of just
under 200 entrants. Under scrutiny were
the importance of their innovations, their
innovation strategy, procedures, employee
qualifications, innovation management and
many other criteria. In the roll call of South
Moravia’s most progressive companies,
LIKO-S was perfectly at home, and at the
gala announcement our representatives
Orraine Williams and Jan Musil went up to
collect a prize for a creditable fifth place.
Congratulations!
ICYNENE® AT
THE BAUEN UND
ENERGIE WIEN 2016
TRADE FAIR
This year the division Smart Isolation - Icynene®
again took part in the trade fair Bauen und
Energie 2016, which took place on 28 – 31
January in Vienna.
Vašek Pěnička (left) helped out
with his fluent German.
Our Austrian business partner Ernst
Stocker (in the middle) explains the
advantages of Smartisol spray-foam
insulation.
26
EVEN EGGS CAN FLY
Our technicians were having their regular training
and just to liven things up a bit, halfway through the
day they were given a special task. Each team was
given some eggs, straw, some gaffer tape and 15
minutes to come up with a construction that would
allow the eggs to survive a flight down from the
first floor onto hard concrete. Our technicians used
all their speed, accuracy, art of improvisation and
design creativity to the max. Thanks to which, no
yolk was spilt in the impact zone. This too is what
training looks like at LIKO-S.
MEETING WITH PRINCE OF LIECHTENSTEIN
Libor Musil was invited (along with his daughter Hanka Williams Musilová) to attend a conference
for family firms in Bucharest which focused on the issues of succession and the handover of firms
to the next generation. On this occasion they had the opportunity to meet Prince Philipp von und zu
Liechtenstein, the brother of the Prince of Liechtenstein, both of whom represent another form of
family business handed down from generation to generation. After that, they received an exclusive
invitation to a private dinner with the Prince and to taste wines from the vineyards of Liechtenstein,
which was organized by the Princess of Liechtenstein.
Hanka Williams with Princess and Prince of Liechtenstein
TRAINING THE PRODUCTION DIVISION
CONGRATULATIONS
It is impossible to properly carry out any skilled trade without detailed knowledge of the design
documentation. Which is why the workers from metal production were being trained to perfect
their knowledge of contemporary computer-aided design.
Fifteen years. That’s the exact length of time that
Martina Juřinová has been working at LIKO-S.
Waiting for her at our New Year’s get-together was a
beautiful bouquet of flowers and a financial gift.
LIKO-S HELPING
YOUNG DESIGNERS
A while back, the student team TU Brno Racing,
who are developing a formula racing car for the
Formula Student Germany International Design
Competition, came to us for assistance. Our
Metal Production was able to help them out by
manufacturing a special part for their openwheel car. We were very happy to hear that their
Dragon 4 formula car came second at the famous
Hockenheim circuit in Germany. In due course we
were thanked by the team and we look forward
to possible cooperation in future.
27
GLASS
LIKO GLASS DESIGNER
ENTER THE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN
WRITE THE STORY OF GLASS WITHOUT
LIMITS ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN
IMAGINATION. TRY THE DESIGNER
APPLICATION AND DESIGN YOUR OWN
INTERIOR.
www.likoglass.com
...FUTURE IS HERE!
INTERACTIVE
PARTITION
www.smartiwall.com
VACUWALL®
VARIABILITY WITHOUT LIMITS
VACUWALL® IS THE ONLY MOBILE WALL
IN THE WORLD WHICH ENABLES A
TRULY UNLIMITED VARIABILITY OF YOUR
COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL SPACE.
www.vacuwall.eu