INVESTORS IN MSK
roby spalovacích motorů, což je naše
aktuální zaměření. Rychle jsme reagovali a začali vyvíjet produkty, které
nejsou vázány na spalovací motory, ale
naopak na ty hybridní, popřípadě na
bateriové, elektrické vozy. Nyní máme
celou škálu ventilů pro chladicí systémy, které jsou stěžejní pro udržení výkonu a životnosti elektrických baterií…
Stant si své výrobky patentuje. Nově
připravujeme sérii patentů pro komponenty do elektrických bateriových
systémů. Věřím, že je naše budoucnost
růžová, že nás konec spalovacích motorů neohrozí.
Paní ředitelko, děkujeme Vám za rozhovor.
Leading Company in the World
of Automotive Engineering to Open Their
First Validation Laboratory in Czechia
She spent a total of eleven years at the company thus far. She started at the manufacturing plant in
Karvíná, but was transferred to a sister company in Chicago as a Material Manager three years later.
The following year, she moved on to work at the company’s headquarters in Indiana as a Senior
Manager for Production Control and Material Systems. After spending two years in the USA, she
returned back to the Moravian-Silesian Region, where she negotiated a transfer from Karviná
to Hrabová, where CTP would construct a brand new facility. Until Spring of last year, she was
primarily in charge of production in the Czech Republic, and now she also has the responsibility of
directing the global supply chain, production plans and logistics. This well-accomplished manager is
none other than Ing. Karin Hájková, director of Stant Manufacturing s.r.o.
Mrs Hájková, first of all, what drove you
to pursue your career path?
My first impulse towards building a career
in industry came from my education.
I studied at a school that combined
chemistry and technology, thus I always
thought I would end up as the director of
a chemical plant, and at the time, that was
my goal. I also added economics to my
field of study, where I focused on logistics,
to which I ended up devoting my entire
professional life. When I started my job as
Material Manager, my job mainly consisted
of managing warehouses, material orders,
production planning and transport.
Thanks to your experience in the USA,
you have a more expansive perspective.
What can the Czech Republic learn from
the global automotive field?
The automotive industry is the same
everywhere
you
look,
regardless
of whether it is in the USA or here.
The industry’s environment is very specific,
extremely hectic, and it has very strict rules.
One of the strictest areas within the field is
passenger safety, where there are strict
standards that every supplier has to meet.
Essentially, there is little wiggle room to
allow for differences in execution. What
I do see a difference in, however, is the
people’s attitude. If I were to, for example,
mention that I have a eight month old child,
when applying to a manager position at
a Czech company, I would easily be labeled
as a mother, who would have to always take
time off to take care of a sick child, would
not be as dedicated to her job as she should,
and would not be able to meet deadlines.
Americans, however, are not bothered by
this at all. For them it is irrelevant whether
or not you have children, whether you are
a man or a woman. If you have the desire
to do a job, come and do it, that is what is
important. They give people room to grow
and whenever they notice someone with
potential they motivate them.
What advantages do you hold over your
competition?
I gave myself the goal of expanding our
operation within the Czech Republic
beyond the scope of a simple assembly
line where products are assembled with
little added value. I wanted our branch
to become a technological hub, a second
headquarters of sorts. I managed to
convince the American headquarters
that we have some real talent here. This
allowed us to start opening up divisions at
our Czech branch, which were historically
solely located in the US. Our innovation,
design development and purchasing
departments are very well represented, to
the point that our purchasing department
handles the purchases of other branches
as well. We now also handle the entirety
of customer service, servicing North
America as well as Europe. Every project
that we undertook resulted in big leaps
for the company. Presently, we are also
working on opening a large validation
laboratory, which will house machines
capable of testing carbon canisters,
which is our main product, making up
roughly 40% of our sales. I had no idea
that we were the only ones offering these
products in the Czech Republic, in which
case, if we end up with free stock, we can
offer it on the local market.
What are your visions for the future?
With the Euro 7 standard further lowering
the allowed emission threshold, it is only
a matter of time until the production
of combustion engines will be banned
entirely. Seeing as combustion engines are
currently our main focus, we immediately
started developing products that are
not tied to that technology. Instead, we
are shifting towards hybrid engines and
electric vehicles. We now offer a wide
variety of cooling system valves which
are critical to maintain power output
and extend the lifespan of batteries. At
Stant, we always patent our products,
and as of right now, we are preparing
a series of patents for components in
battery systems. I believe that the future
is looking good for us and that the end of
combustion engines will not endanger us.
Mrs Hájková, thank you for the interview.
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