Mirror success Amirro

Amirro specialises in float glass shaping and mirror production. The company is the largest producer of interior mirrors in the Czech Republic and has a strong footing in the EU markets. The management is now seeking to capitalise on new opportunities in the markets of western Europe and secure further growth. Romana Moares reports.

MIRROR SUCCESS MIRROR SUCCESS MIRROR SUCCESS

The Czech company Amirro, founded in its current form in 1992, is the successor to a glass making business that had been in family hands for four generations. In recent years, in the face of cheaper Asian competitors, the management has substantially invested in increased productivity and put a stronger focus on superb quality and flexibility. This resulted in both gaining new, and winning back former, customers and securing a sound position in today’s severely competitive markets in Europe. Seventy per cent of the company’s output is sold in the export markets, primarily in Germany, Austria, Denmark, England, the Netherlands and Russia.

Focus on quality

Amirro’s products are suitable for business interiors, homes, bathrooms and decorative purposes. “We are able to meet any customer’s specific and individual requirements ranging from pocket mirrors to 19 mm thick glass table panel with polished edges,” says Lucie Hronova, the company’s managing director. “We supply primarily large volume simple mirrors and glasses for furniture manufacturers but we are also able to satisfy even the most demanding of technical requirements, such as those from jewellery or luxury glass lighting manufacturers.”

She further explains that the company also makes small glass parts and small glass files and has an in-house developed product range of interior mirrors supplied to retail chains throughout Europe.

“New technology development is an integral part of our production process – we seek to find more economical procedures and to provide tailor-made solutions, for which no production technology has been available so far. I believe it is precisely the creativity of our technologists as well as the willingness and ability to travel unchartered grounds that distinguish us from our competitors,” Ms Hronova remarks.

New technologies

Amirro has two production plants: the larger one, housing also the company headquarters, is located in Čelákovice near Prague; the smaller of the two, specialising in small parts machining, is located in Uhlířské Janovice. Interestingly, most of the work force are women, and this applies to the company management as well.

For raw materials the company uses high quality float glass and glass panels, which meet the highest quality and technology requirements. Amirro technologies include shape cutting and edge shaping by CNC engraving machines, both straight and shaped bevelling, cutting and polishing of edges in various profiles, drilling, hole milling, sand-blasting, screen printing (seriography) and fitting of metal furniture parts with the UV glue.

“We have recently invested in new technologies and in the near future plan to invest primarily in staff training including enhancing people’s loyalty to the company – our production involves a high percentage of manual labour and it is our workers who greatly contribute to the company’s good name and excellent reputation,” says Ms Hronova.

She emphasises that just as the company’s success depends on its labour force, a reliable haulier is just as important for delivering the brittle goods in a timely and reliable manner to customers throughout Europe. “We have found such reliable partner in Gebrüder Weiss,” she says.

Seizing new opportunities

The managing director further explains that sector development has been good for the company: most of the output is sold to Germany, where demand for mirrors and float glass has been rising sharply in recent years. At the same time, several German glass processors closed down their operations, leaving a gap in the market waiting to be filled. Amirro is not going to miss this opportunity.

“We want to sustain the company growth and development. At the same time, we aim at creating a staff friendly company, where people know each other by name – a company that would provide a good living for its employees and of which we can all be proud,” says Ms Hronova. “I would like to make sure that the company is in a sound condition for my children to take over when the time comes, so that the glass making tradition continues for further generations.” Amirro is well on its way towards this objective. n