Cutting Edge Products from Chlebovice to the Rest of the World

INVESTORS IN MSK Cutting Edge Products from Chlebovice to the Rest of the World The B.PRO company is a highly influential supplier of products and systems for professional kitchens. In their twenty-eight years of existence, they have flourished to become one of the most crucial employers in the Moravian-Silesian Region and their growth continues—in their facilities, employees and products. B.PRO CZ was founded in 1925 in the municipality of Oberderdingen Germany by Heinrich Blanc under its original name ‘Blanc & Co.’ After almost seventy years of successful business in Germany, the company expanded to the Czech Republic under the name BLANCO. In 1993, it started the production of sink pans, working surfaces and preparatory trolleys in Frýdek Místek. At the time, the company only had four employees, however, it grew quickly and, in 1996, moved to a 2,000 square meter hall in Baška. By 2004, the company had outgrown their headquarters in Baška, giving birth to the large project of constructing a new production facility in the small village of Chlebovice. The project is currently in its second phase, with two halls accommodating a total area of 10,000 square meters already operational. The construction of the third hall, moving the project to its final phase, is set to begin in January of next year. This final warehouse hall will later be outfitted with another 3,000 square meters dedicated to production. Since 2012, all production has been being gradually transferred from Germany to Chlebovice; as of right now, 70% of B.PRO production capabilities are already stationed in the Czech town. All finished products are currently being sent to the warehouse in Oberderdingen, from where they are then distributed to customers, however, after the construction of the warehouse in Chlebovice, this will no longer be necessary. B.PRO produces high-quality stainless steel products for large kitchens in restaurants, hospital canteens as well as regular ones for schools—in short, for all kitchens that need to produce large quantities of meals. Their range includes trolleys, conveyor belts, buffet tables, banquet trolleys, portioning systems and much more. Customers can select from a large selection of goods either by purchasing a standard product or by using the B.PRO website’s configurator tool to specify parameters and customize their product according to their specific needs. If that is not enough however, they also offer the option for individual projects to perfectly match customer needs. Maintaining a personal and individual approach towards customers is very important for B.PRO, and the new name reflects that sentiment. ‘We restlessly innovate our products in order to make them more comfortable for the customer so that it fits their needs perfectly’, says David Krompolc, director of the Chlebovice facility. coronavirus, B.PRO has not let any of their employees go because, as Ms. Nahodilová from the HR department said, ‘We would never be where we are now without our employees’. The B.PRO staff greatly values this approach, so job fluctuation within the company is minimal. Despite the current crisis, the company keeps growing and is continually hiring more employees. ‘We are a company that makes products that build our future: people will always need to eat, and our goods will always be necessary in hospitals. Our staff can therefore clearly see the value of their work’, Ms Náhodilová says. A company of such a size cannot operate without constantly working on innovating their products to keep up with modern technologies and current ecological and safety requirements. Automatic welding machines, robotic welders and manipulators, among other devices, have already been implemented in order to preserve employee health and safety. The next phase of the B.PRO modernisation plan is set to begin within the next year, in which certain manual tasks, which can be harmful to employee health, will be replaced by collaborative and grinding robots. B.PRO truly values their qualified employees and does its best to take care of them. For example, the company set up an internal training center where new employees are trained in all the necessary systems and devices—not only theoretically, but practically. Particularly skillful or ambitious employees also have the opportunity to receive training in stainless steel welding or other professional positions, as well. A transparent level system for career growth and a wide range of benefits are also a matter of course. Currently, the company has over 200 employees, around two thirds of which are in production. B.PRO has become a very influential and highly favored employer within the Moravian-Silesian Region. Even through the crisis brought about by the POSITIV 4/2021 ǀ 55