A true visionary LINET

A TRUE VISIONARY

LINET spol. s.r.o. is a major European manufacturer of hospital and nursing beds. The company’s portfolio includes solutions designed for intensive care, products for regular in-bed treatment and also special beds for old people’s homes and long-term care facilities. Having achieved worldwide success, the company’s position is now stronger than ever before. Romana Moares reports.

LINET is maintaining its position out in front of its competitors in the field of hospital bed manufacture. The firm regularly introduces products and services with innovative features and functions that reduce physical demands on staff, enhance the efficacy of care provided and increase patient comfort. It works intensively on developing such products in collaboration with healthcare professionals and respected experts in various scientific fields, enabling it to keep abreast of new trends in the area of medical care.

LINET’s headquarters, as well as its production plant, continue to be based in Želevčice u Slaného, where it has been located since its establishment in 1990. The plant manufactures around 40,000 hospital beds per year, the vast majority of which are intended for export to more than one hundred countries worldwide. The product range also includes a wide range of accessories such as anti-pressure ulcer mattresses, mobile equipment, healthcare furniture and so on.

“Since 2011, LINET s.r.o. has been a member of the multinational holding organisation LINET Group SE, headquartered in the Netherlands, which came into existence after a merger with the German Wissner-Bosserhoff,” says Tomáš Kolář, the company’s marketing director.

“The holding currently employs around 1400 people and these numbers will soon increase: We are in the process of building a new factory near the old plant, which will create about 150 new jobs.”

Steady growth

The company was established in 1990 in Želevčice u Slaného, where it still operates a production plant. “Success in the complex and demanding medical equipment market has been achieved by focusing on two key elements – technological innovation and design,” says Mr Kolář. “Investment made in first class technology started to bear first fruit in the late 1990s when we introduced technical features which propelled us far ahead of our competitors.”

A turning point came in 2000 when the Eleganza and Multicare beds were introduced and proved highly popular thanks to their innovative design. Today, the work of leading designers is reflected in practically every LINET product: it is the unique synergy of functionality and appealing design that has differentiated the company from its competitors and created a distinctive brand.

Last year, LINET Group achieved sales of €230 million. Its management plans to double this figure within five years.

Flagship product

“Our company’s mission is to be instrumental in improving the standard of healthcare and nursing services. Through our products and services, we represent the highest standard of quality in the production of hospital and nursing beds,” says Tomáš Kolář.

The company’s flagship product is its Multicare bed, which is ideal for the demanding environment of the intensive and emergency care units. Its portfolio is supplemented by nursing care beds and antidecubitus mattresses (which play an important role in the prevention and treatment of pressure sores).

“New or improved products are introduced on an on-going basis,” says the marketing director. “This year we will be launching several

new products from both the bed and the mattress portfolios. Continuous development includes the Safety Monitor technological concept which will be enriched with new models. This is an intelligent system which improves overall patient safety, enabling the constant monitoring not only the patient’s condition but also of the status of the bed,” he explains.

An overwhelming majority of LINET’s output is sold in export markets, to over 100 countries worldwide. The biggest sales are now achieved in the United States, where the company started to export only six years ago. “Up to 70 per cent of total sales are generated in the United States and western Europe,” says Mr Kolář, adding that exports cover the whole portfolio, although in some cases products need to be modified to suit local market specifications.

Stronger still

Last year, production at the company’s Želevčice site increased by 50 per cent, meaning that capacity was no longer sufficient. Therefore, a new factory covering about 10,000m2 is now being built, a short distance from the old premises. The new plant will house the complete production process including a coating shop, material cutting shop, welding robots, laser technology and assembly line, as well as logistics facilities. “The new plant is designed for annual production of up to 40,000 beds and will thus represent a significant increase in terms of capacity,” claims the managing director.

“By 2020 we want to double our turnover,” he adds. “By continuing to invest in research and development we will further improve our main competence – i.e. providing top quality equipment for patient rooms and intensive care units. We see great potential in the area of care for the elderly and in providing special services such as antidecubitus mattress on-line renting.”

Mr Kolář confirms that the company’s plans for growth include not just increasing sales and capacities but also acquisitions in Europe and possibly the US. n