Creating your home JITONA

CREATING YOUR HOME

JITONA is the largest Czech producer and exporter of furniture. Its history goes back nearly a hundred years but its current strong position in the European marketplace is the result of superb quality and original design which enhances the beauty of wood in all of its forms and shapes. Romana Moares reports.

Founded in 1920, JITONA is a successor of renowned furniture producers Tusculum Rousínov and UP Brno. The latter became the largest company of its kind in Europe in the pre-war period.

Having gone through a number of organisational and ownership structures over the years, today’s JITONA, employing 600 people in two large production facilities (in Třebíč and Klatovy), is a modern, effective Czech company, supplying demanding customers in many countries.

A significant milestone in the recent company history came in the late 1990s when JITONA entered into a strategic partnership with IKEA. Currently JITONA is one of the five largest suppliers of veneered furniture for IKEA in Europe and is even the sole manufacturer of some of the product ranges worldwide.

Exports account for 95 per cent of turnover. Key markets for direct sale include Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark and Austria, but various furniture units made in the Czech Republic may be found throughout the world as part of the IKEA offering.

Two plants

Each factory has its own production focus. The Klatovy plant houses the mass production of the ready-to-assemble veneered lines, with transparent UV varnish and stained shades, supplied to IKEA. “The furniture is made according to IKEA’s designs. Total output increased last year and we expect a similar development in 2016,” says Vojtěch Hejduk, the Strategic Purchasing Manager. “Last year, sales increased by 15 per cent and we expect a similar, or greater, increase in 2016.” The expected increase has been supported by investment in technology upgrades.

The factory in Třebíč makes solid-wood and partially solid-wood bedroom, living room and dining room furniture according to JITONA’s own design or as required by individual customers. Most of these products are exported to the EU markets (Germany, Denmark, the UK), directly to furniture retailer chains. At the beginning of 2016, a new coating line was installed in the Třebíč plant to support increased demand.

“Recently we launched production of a new product, slightly outside our traditional range – plywood speaker boxes for Bosch – and this product line seems very promising,” says Mr Hejduk, adding that production volumes are expected to increase. Production for Bosch is concentrated in a new specialised hall, which the company built specifically for this customer.

Meeting customer preferences

Each year JITONA launches several new products and continuously improves its services which is, in this segment riddled with severe competition, a must. The key to success is, according to the Strategic Purchasing Manager, a detailed monitoring of market development and design trends, as well as following the changes in customers’ requirements and preferences.

The range of products is extensive, from various plywood items to high quality solid wood pieces for the upmarket customers. “We

have a number of renowned customers, such as the Huelsta Group in Germany, or Argos and B&Q in the UK,” says Mr Hejduk.

He explains that market develoments have a significant impact on the company’s focus. “JITONA traditionally made mostly solid wood furniture for the high segment of the market, which is now extremely competitive. Our second business line, veneered furniture, has been affected by falling demand as a result of the rise in laminated furniture. Luckily, we have such a wide range of production technologies that we can cope very well with these changes,” he says.

Facing the future

One of the factors contributing to JITONA’s success is its flexibility and readiness to accomodate changes, both in terms of technologies and customer preferences. “We can design and manufacture precisely what the customer wants,” confirms Mr Hejduk.

In the future, the management will seek to further strengthen the company’s position and increase its market share in its important territories, such as Germany and the UK.

“Generally speaking, we will seek to widen our product range and increase customer numbers so that we are well prepared for potential fluctuations in demand for different products. The future seems positive – I believe that quality products will always find their ways to customers,” concludes Mr Hejduk. n