Liko stories 01 2016

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2016 Since 1997

LIKO-Stories

Export issue of the company magazine

We are building a happy and green company

SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION IN USA

CZECH PREZIDENT VISITS LIKO-S

OUR NEW VISION FOR INTERIORS DIVISION

LIKO-NOE, HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR

LIKO-NOE: BUILT IN 27 DAYS • INTERVIEW WITH LIBOR MUSIL • BEST YEAR IN THE HISTORY OF THE PRODUCTION DIVISION • INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS • EXPORT REFERENCE PROJECTS

01/2016 LIKO-STORIES, EXPORT ISSUE OF THE COMPANY MAZAGINE published in Slavov u Brna, Czech Republic, 2016-04-30 PUBLISHER: LIKO-S, a.s., U Splavu 1419 684 01 Slavkov u Brna, Czech Repulic, Business ID: 60734795 LIKO-STORIES OFFICE: Jiří Stratil, Radka Cabáková, Světlana Honsová, Martina Juřinová, Martina Polová, Jana Vránová, David Šmída, Michal Chudáček LAYOUT: Eva Tabačková E-MAIL: info@liko-s.cz

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Dear LIKO-Stories Readers, Together, in your teams and divisions you have now evaluated 2015, and you have already divided up your share in each centre’s profit from last year. Thank you for your honest work and for the successes you have achieved. We have a very difficult year ahead of us. Unless the situation around us dramatically changes for the better, which of course we should also be ready for, then we have a year of economic boom awaiting us. This is a very dangerous period.

What are these hidden threats, the lurking reefs, at a time of full order books, reduced competition, employee recruitment, and investment into increasing our capacity, quality and future development?

Well, our environment has become a lot more comfortable and much of the stress has disappeared.

This always precedes an escape to the comfort zones we subconsciously yearn for. As soon as we start easing up, no longer striving every day to achieve maximum quality in our work, or the best services for our customers utilizing the fullest deployment of manpower, punishment is never far behind. Punishment comes in the form of losing some of our customers or their level of satisfaction, financial losses, and thereby ultimately to a worsening of our mutual relations and the general atmosphere in the company. Thus it can happen that a time of boom, which should be used to strengthen corporate stability, can be a missed opportunity.

We showed not too long ago, when the economy had retracted, that we could cope well during a time of crisis. But of course at that time the task was simple. The threats to the business were in plain view and we responded accordingly. Now the situation will be a lot trickier because the threats are hidden and external pressures have receded.

This is why we need to create the pressure ourselves. Whether that means within the team or within ourselves. It is a great art to get up every day with a feeling of urgency, especially when everyone else around you is saying, “What are you worried about? Everything’s going fine: now’s the time to enjoy yourself!”

Enjoyment comes best, however, from the comfort of knowing that you have done your work perfectly, that you have fully utilized all the good opportunities that have come your way, knowing that you grasped these opportunities in the same way as if the company’s survival depended on them. Again and again we have to awaken in ourselves that rawness, passion and sympathy in our actions that characterized our approach to work when times were tougher. We can never bask in previous business success. The man with the full stomach is no longer hungry. But our customers like hungry suppliers: they are the ones who make an effort.

It is not about increasing activity in any physical sense. That sort of activity comes through multiple orders that we have to manufacture, chase up and deal with. It is about increasing mental activity.

The activity of our thoughts. Do not be sweet-talked away from this task. Thinking hurts and those around you will always offer the easy option: “stop racking your brain and just get on and do it!” in such advice lies the hidden threat.

Do think hard! Do rack your brains working out how to do things better! Innovate and make your position ever stronger: a position of experts and hungry market leaders.

In addition, I’d like to wish you all the best of health and a happy family life!

Libor Musil Chairman of the Board of Directors

INTERIORS AND EXPORT DIVISION

NEW VISION OF INTERIORS DIVISION FOR OUR INTERIORS DIVISION, LAST YEAR WAS MORE THAN JUST A SUCCESS. IN ADDITION TO OUR STANDARD OUTPUT WE INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD SEVERAL REVOLUTIONARY NEW PRODUCTS. WE HAVE ENTERED 2016 NOT JUST WITH THESE NEW PRODUCTS, BUT WITH A NEW VISION, TOO.

In 2016 we will be working extremely hard to take advantage of the opportunities provided to us by the market. We are no longer simply a manufacturer and installer of partition walls, we have become an expert in interiors, and we intend to develop on several levels. The first such level concerns the mobility of our solutions.

The pace of the entire planet is constantly accelerating: in a world where firms are rapidly being founded, disappearing and merging, we have the capacity to offer clients the tools to achieve rapid mobility whenever they need to redevelop their office space. In this regard the flagship of our mobility concept is the mobile partition, VACUWALLÂŽ.

The second level of our expertise is technology. Today it is omnipresent. It is in our cars, mobile telephones and wristwatches, and we at LIKO-S see great potential

We at LIKO-S see great potential in integrating modern technology into the structural features of office space. in integrating modern technology into the structural features of office space. Which is why we are not only working on LCD glass technology, but also the further development of our own interactive partition, SMART-i-WALLÂŽ.

the entire industry, is acoustics. We will be able to offer customers expert advice and design for them original acoustic solutions, custom-made directly for their office space. We are gearing up to offer this service by building our own acoustic chamber as part of the LIKO-Noe experimental and development centre.

The fourth area of expertise is design. In 2016 we will introduce to the market a new system of re-buildable partitions which are revolutionary in terms of design and the opportunities they afford interior designers and architects. With our products and world-class services, we are setting new standards for the entire market.

Jan Musil Operations Manager, Interiors Division

The third level of expertise, one for which we want to set new standards for

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HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR

LIKO-NOE – HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR

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HEALTHY OFFICE OF THE YEAR

LIKO-NOE, THE BUILDING HOUSING OUR NEW DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, HAS WON THE PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION “MEETING ROOM OF THE YEAR“ IN THE CATEGORY HEALTHY OFFICE. MORE THAN 80 COMPANIES FROM ACROSS THE CZECH REPUBLIC ENTERED THE COMPETITION, OUT OF WHICH THE EXPERT JURY HEADED BY WORLDFAMOUS ARCHITECT EVA JIŘIČNÁ CHOSE WINNERS FROM EACH CATEGORY. Jan Musil, Libor Musil and Orraine Williams together with the famous Eva Jiřičná as Chairman of the commitee.

The reward for LIKO-S is the praise and recognition given to its efforts to create a building that benefits not only its inhabitants, but the whole locality too. The building’s internal atmosphere, which offers thermal comfort without the need for air-conditioning, reduces health risks and functions as an island of health. The building has its own root zone water treatment system in the roof and works exclusively with natural sources of heat and cold. Having a healthy internal environment with plenty of natural light and fresh air was also a priority. Whoever thinks that the company’s flagship is occupied by company management will be disappointed, however. LIKO-Noe is now the new home of LIKO-S’s development and marketing team, who can draw on an inspirational environment to help develop products of the future.

LIKO-Noe building is very unique due to the system of natural heat stabilisation.

ZASEDAČKA ROKU

Waste water coming from nice-designed toilets goes into the root cleaning unit.

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LIKO-NOE AND NEW BEGINNING

LIKO-NOE: BUILT IN 27 DAYS INSPIRED BY THE OLD TESTAMENT STORY OF NOAH AND THE ARK, AND DRIVEN TO GIVE BACK TO THE EARTH, THE WORLD’S FIRST PROTOTYPE BUILDING FEATURING THE CONCEPT OF ‘NATURAL THERMAL STABILIZATION’ WAS BUILT IN THE HEART OF THE SOUTH MORAVIAN REGION.

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LIKO-NOE - A NEW BEGINNING

Motivated to replenish the Earth with what we take from it as well as taking inspiration from the story of Noah’s Ark, Czech licensed ICYNENE contractor, LIKO-S embarked on the development of a high-performance commercial building that is in complete harmony with nature and its surrounds.

The building’s concept and operation is based on the idea of ‘natural thermal stabilization’ where the building functions with energy from natural sources and without the need of special machinery or equipment.

REVERSING TRADITIONAL TRENDS

Within the Czech Republic, large scale manufacturing and storage facilities have been constructed on fertile and arable land. It is estimated by LIKO-S that over the past 20 years, more than 90,000 hectares (222,394 acres) have been developed this way across the country. With estimates of more than 10 hectares (24 acres) being built upon each day, the LIKO-S team calculated that 58 million cubic meters of usable rain water is lost annually.

Seeking to reverse this trend, LIKO-S sought to create a net-zero style commercial building with waste water cleaning capabilities. The team approached renowned Czech architect Zdenek Fránek, dean in the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec, to help develop the concept and the building itself.

CREATING A FUNCTIONING BUILDING

In addition to the natural thermal stabilization concept where the building amasses energy from the sun or the earth, the building also is designed to work independently with water. A special root-based waste water treatment facility and a retention lake wetland allows the building to use water effectively and sustainably.

Primarily wooden, the building’s external cladding is stabilized by green façades to allow for the growth of plants, grass and otther vegetation - a concept used in a similar LIKO-S building - the ‘Living Building’.

As a licensed Icynene contractor, it was a natural fit for LIKO-S to incorporate Icynene’s highperformance spray foam insulation products into the design of the building prototype. Both medium-density Icynene ProSeal and light-density Icynene Classic were used throughout the building design.

Icynene ProSeal was applied to the exterior walls and along the base of the building to help provide structural reinforcement and act as a moisture barrier for the water reservoir next to the building. Icynene Classic’s vapor permeability supports bi-directional drying of the wall assembly while its flexible composition maintains an air seal even after seasonal expansion/ contraction of the building. The inclusion of large windows allow for natural light to flood into the space reducing the need for artificial lighting. Acoustic and climatic chambers were also included into the design to allow for future development and testing of Icynene spray foam insulation products, and other building materials, in the Czech Republic.

ENCOURAGING EDUCATION, TESTING AND PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Although the building prototype is destined to be a shining example of sustainability and eco-conscious design, LIKO-S suggests that uniqueness of the building is really underlined by its use.

Designed for further development, testing and European certification of spray foam insulation and other building material products, the building will play an important role in driving change within the Czech, and European, building industry.LIKO-S’ in ternational team will include young, burgeoning engineers who will be given the opportunity to participate in major projects that will encourage their professional and personal development.

With its roots firmly planted in changing how we think about buildings, how they perform and how they function, the LIKO-NOE prototype is truly a stunning example of creative, innovative and conscious design.

For more information about this unique project, visit the www.liko-noe.com.

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OUR VISITORS

CZECH PRESIDENT MILOŠ ZEMAN VISITS LIKO-S ON THE MORNING OF TUESDAY, 26 JANUARY 2016, LIKO-S WAS EVEN BUSIER THAN USUAL. WE HAVE HAD QUITE A FEW RARE VISITORS TO OUR COMPANY, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HOSTED THE PRESIDENT OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC.

The production hall, where our partitions are normally assembled, turned into a spacious reception area for the planned meeting. The guys from metal production made a display stand for the new banner literally on the spot and our colleagues from the development department installed our SMART-i-WALL. Just after 1 pm, a convoy of cars drove into LIKO-S and President Miloš Zeman and Michal Hašek, the Governor of South Moravia, stepped out of one of them.

Immediately upon arrival, they met with the Musil family, members of the Board and also with our Chairman of the Supervisory Board. The main topic of conversation was the Baťa-style inspired company management. The President was also interested in

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the LIKO-School project, and the discussion moved on to the need to support Czech family firms. This meeting was immediately followed by a discussion between Miloš Zeman and company employees. In a relaxed atmosphere, they touched on the issue of education, the acquisition of subsidies and the condition of infrastructure in our region. At the end of the meeting, the President then received a commemorative original stainless steel ashtray, which our employees had hand-crafted to resemble the revolutionary LIKO-Noe building. In addition, the President also took home the visionary book by J.A. Baťa „Let‘s Build a State for 40 Million People“ and a bottle of homemade Slivovitz.

OUR VISITORS

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PRODUCTION DIVISION

2015 - BEST YEAR EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE PRODUCTION DIVISION THE YEAR 2015 KEPT US ALL BUSY DURING A PERIOD OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS GROWTH. TO ADD TO THE GENERAL BUZZ, WE MADE CHANGES TO OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS AND BUSINESS-WISE WE BENEFITED FROM OUR PARTICIPATION AT THE SUBCONTRACTOR FAIR IN SWEDEN. ALL THE ABOVE TOLD US THAT A GOOD RESULT WAS WITHIN REACH. TODAY WE CAN CONFIRM IT. IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC INDICATORS, WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED THE BEST YEAR EVER IN THE HISTORY OF OUR DIVISION. to craftsmen themselves to determine how long they will work to earn the money. This system enables craftsmen to earn more by encouraging them to look for ways to speed up production (whilst of course maintaining the same quality). This is highly motivating and supports a mind-set aimed at introducing innovative changes.

In connection with this change in the system, we have implemented a process of continuous improvement based on the activities of management and craftsmen. The intention is to eliminate everyday barriers that prevent greater productivity. Many suggestions came from the workshop in 2015 and the majority of our colleagues participated. The vast majority of suggestions have been implemented.

Filip Kadeřávek and Michal Ryzí have excellent results.

The machining plant under the leadership of Filip Kadeřávek has contributed substantially to the excellent results. Here, we made a major change in management and set up the entire centre as a separately operating unit. Mr. Kadeřávek was able to reach new customers who ordered goods worth over CZK 1,000,000 from the machining shop.

Another important step was a change in the remuneration system for craftsmen.

The new system openly provides information about job calculations and therefore also reveals that part intended for payment. The amount is paid in full and it is up

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We have implemented a process of continuous improvement based on the activities of management and craftsmen. The intention is to eliminate everyday barriers that prevent greater productivity.

In 2015, we also managed to send our first deliveries to Sweden. In particular, I would like to mention the successful deliveries to GETINGE. The requirements for material and production processes were extremely demanding. We were able to satisfy all the wishes of this client and this experience will also mean being able to continue working with the company, which is a major supplier of sterilization equipment for hospitals worldwide.

Another extraordinary project was the contract for B + M Surface from Germany.

The negotiations were very friendly and from the beginning it was clear that they were looking for a long-term partner, not just for one project. During production, they came to check the goods twice and during the pre-shipping inspection the head of purchasing expressed great satisfaction

PRODUCTION DIVISION

Waste separator for our french customer with our services. The project also gave us the opportunity to verify just how well we could plan such a large order; it turned out that production under the leadership of Mr. Jaroslav Zourek was as smooth as silk.

This year we must take full advantage of the new laser technology. Since we are talking about putting things to good use, I also have to mention the use of human resources. At the end of the year, Mr. KoneÄ?nĂ˝ joined us as quality manager. In addition to his main duties, he will also be in charge of training new colleagues. Only after the successful completion of training will craftsmen receive a company certificate and be able to weld for our customers.

The biggest challenge, however, awaits us in construction of the new hall. This project is at the initial design stage and it is clear that it will not be your bog-standard, everyday hall. The project must incorporate solutions to tackle the overheating of production halls and we want it to be environmentally friendly, while creating the best possible conditions for work and relaxation. Only that way can we attract the

best craftsmen who can perform at their level best. The craftsman is the architect of success.

This year we must also ensure excellent service for our customers. We have to maintain our high standards and make

sure our services allow enough space to accommodate other activities - marketing, sales and development.

Roman Zouhar Director of Production Division

We keep on innovating of our production. The latest innovation is fiber-laser unit.

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INTERVIEW

HE STARTED WITH A SAW AND A WELDER, TODAY HE ASSEMBLES HALLS ALL OVER THE WORLD HE HAS BRANCHES IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, TWO HUNDRED EMPLOYEES AND PRESTIGIOUS CONTRACTS. THE BUSINESS OF LIBOR MUSIL, WHICH HE STARTED 25 YEARS AGO IN AN ABANDONED SUGAR FACTORY, HAS GROWN LARGE. HE IS SUCCESSFUL WITH HIS CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS THE PROFESSIONAL PUBLIC. THEY VOTED HIS COMPANY LIKO-S THE FAMILY COMPANY OF THE YEAR. THE STORY OF LIBOR MUSIL IS A BIT LIKE AFAIRY TALE. HE STARTED TO DO BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REVOLUTION WITH HIS FATHER-IN-LAW. HE LEFT HIS GOOD JOB AS A PRODUCTION ENGINEER IN A STATE ELECTRIC MOTOR FACTORY AND THREW HIMSELF INTO BUILDING HALLS IN THE FORMER CZECHSLOVAKIA AND GERMANY. HE WAS 26 YEARS OLD AND WANT TO WORK FREELY AND FOR HIMSELF. How do you think back to the beginning of your business in the 1990s?

I like to think back at that time very much, even though I can no longer imagine how we ever managed. Our first technological equipment was a welder that I took from the house along with tools, a borrowed saw machine for profiles with an oxy-acetylene welder and that was all placed in an unheated hall in a failed sugar factory. My managerial equipment included a desk phone, whose dialer would not come back to its original position in the freezing office, an obsolete typewriter and Škoda 120 that I borrowed from my father-in-law. With my wife, who started a business at that time, we were returning bottles at the end of the month to have money to buy food for us and our little daughter.

But after a while the business started to pick up, correct?

Anyone, who wanted to build something, was our customer. But there were not many such investors at that time. Everyone was waiting what would happen. Those were precipitous years. But then came the first contract, a hall for the state enterprise Ferona in Brno.

The hall is still used today.

I wanted to work for foreign partners as well from the beginning. So I set off to do business in Germany without knowing the language.

After many troubles, over time I eventually won the first contracts for halls in the eastern part of the country as well as contracts for the supply of tables for wallpapering for a DIY market chain in the western part of Germany.

So instead of sugar, trucks full of wallpapering tables for German DIY enthusiasts were leaving the Slavkov sugar factory for full two years.

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The whole family works in LIKO-S. Mr. Musil and Mrs. Musilová, their son Jan, daughter Hana and son-in-law Orraine.

Did you borrow any money to start?

At the very beginning, we had only a couple of thousand that my father-in-law gave us. I did not give a dime, so all that was left was to ask suppliers for longer due dates and customers to pay in advance. Simple math. Later, we managed to get a loan for the operations from a district bank. At that time, it was not such a big problem, even though the interest was over 10 percent.

How did the company gradually expand?

Suddenly, we were growing like crazy, so we had 300 employees within three years. It was incredible, contracts were pouring in. Back

then, we did as much work in a week that I now do in half a year. There were no mobile phones or even a fax machine so we had to be everywhere in person and I drove in Škodas 200 thousand kilometres a year around Europe.

I do not know what fuel we were functioning on back then, but I think it was an explosive mixture of joy of freedom, faith in the wonderful future and willingness to achieve something. At the beginning, the boom was also enforced by contracts in the renovated East Germany and representation leading Western companies in Central Europe. We learned a lot from them and soon we also outgrew them.

INTERVIEW Today, you have „stabilized“ at two hundred employees. Do you have a problem to find the right people just like many businesses?

We do not hire people, instead we carefully select people. On the one hand, their expertise is important, but on the other hand, they must have personal characteristics to identify with our corporate philosophy, and that is too demanding for some people. If we want to work at the forefront in the industry, then we all have to realize that it is windy up there.

It is really difficult to look for relentless experts in sales, project preparation, production and assembly from today‘s spoiled and badly educated population. The selection, additional education and training of a new employee costs us a lot of money. This raises the price of our work. Partially, we address this problem by our own education system. But it is necessary that people responsible for education in our country and paid from our taxes deal with this.

Since we arrived at the topic of company philosophy, I saw that you issue your own company magazine for our employees. That is an interesting idea.

We have been issuing it for 17 years and it differs from conventional magazines in that the authors of the articles are our colleagues or close partners. It helps with communication, which is one of the pillars of our company strategy. So, every month people can read the latest information from the life of company and its employees.

COMPLIMENTS ARRIVED ALL THE WAY FROM AMERICA Hello, with great pleasure and interest I read an article in the on-line edition of iDNES about you winning the 2014 Family Firm of the Year award. For many years, I worked in Canada in the industry, in which you do business, as an engineer, so I can appreciate the level of your company, employees and products. As a Czech, I am proud of you and I am pleased that you have successfully penetrated foreign markets. In response to the award that you certainly deserve I was surprised by some comments of „experts“ regarding business, „the American model“ and other critical remarks revealing mostly envy and narrowmindedness of the commentators. You are doing it right and do not let people, who have no clue about what it means to start own business and actually succeed, get you down.

Only companies like yours give me hope that the market economy in my home country will survive. I keep my fingers crossed and wish you many more happy customers and employees.

And you have cloths made for your employees.

We want to be identifiable. Both internally and externally. Both in terms of clothing and behaviour, on which we place great emphasis.

And company clothing is simply part of the image of a modern business. And we do not have only service models, we also have elegant models. Not only for workers in production but also in administrative and managerial positions. It is appreciated not only by employees but also the partners and associates of the company. An employee and customer are our partners who deserve to be in the spotlight. In the spirit of Baťa traditions, in the spirit of honest and socially beneficial business.

You said that you always wanted to work with foreign partners. Today, you have branches in many countries including India.

What is the volume of your exports?

The company has three divisions and each has its own export. So, exports of partitions represent 40% of turnover of the Interiors Division, the exports of Chytrá izolace and Živé stavby are 20% for the Energy Divisions and the best is Metal Production that exports 95% of its stainless steel production lines. Products from construction divisions are headed mainly to Western Europe, metal production is exported worldwide.

I have been working with my wife almost from the beginning in this company. After completing his education in England, our son Jan joined us as well as our daughter with her husband from the USA. Our children have lived with the firm since they were little because we had to deal with business matters in front of them and we explained a lot of things to them.

They grew up in kind of a business incubator and now it makes us happy when we see them at work. We try to solve things calmly but that is not always possible in today‘s business world. Sometimes you need to give space to emotions. Our family is learning every day at work how to nicely and effective communicate and we do not avoid it during family events. It is not possible to have the benefits of owning a company as well as not sacrificing anything.

My wife and I are very happy that our children decided to work in our family company.

What are your future plans?

We do not want to expand our company too much now. We want to remain a medium-sized company focused on excellent service to our customers. And in addition we want to make sure that our business is also an intellectual adventure for our family members and our employees. For this reason, we invest a lot of money into the development of new products, new markets and we still have much to learn.

You earned the title of the Family Firm of the Year. How many family members work in LIKO-S?

Author: Katerina Hovorkova

Excerpt from web portal: iDNES 30.1.2015

SELECTED THOUGHTS OF THE DAY OUR INDIAN PARTNER IN BANGALORE SHARES WITH US IN ALMOST TWO YEARS EVERY WORKING DAY (INCLUDING DATURDAYS, WHICH ARE WORKING DAYS IN INDIA ) ONE INTERRESTING THOUGHT. WE HAVE DECIDED TO PUBLISH THE MOST INTERRESTING ONES OF THEM FOR YOU IN LIKOSÁČEK:

• Do something each day to bring you a little closer to your dreams….

• Patience is the companion of wisdom.

• Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.

• Success is no accident It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying , sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing…

• The future starts today, not tomorrow.

Sincerely, Aloha, Josef Dorničák Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

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2015

2015 AT LIKO-S 2015 WAS A SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR LIKO-S; INDEED IN MANY WAYS IT BROKE ENTIRELY NEW GROUND, AS YOU CAN READ THIS PAGE BELOW. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AND THE REALIZATION OF ORDERS CAME THICK AND FAST, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE SET OUT FOR YOU A SUMMARY OF THOSE WE CONSIDER MOST IMPORTANT, MOST INTERESTING OR, IN SOME OTHER WAY, MOST EXCEPTIONAL. MAY MARCH JANUARY Interiors – at the BAU trade fair in Munich we successfully presented our latest innovations, VACUWALL® and SMART-i-WALL®.

Administration – the educational project LIKO-School is now in full swing.

Icynene – thermal insulation installed at the Kovobel Poultry Farm.

Production – our equipment range was extend by the inclusion of a fourroller bending machine.

Production – successful realization of large pressure cylinders for a Danish client.

Interiors – completion of Slovak projects – Continental and Danfoss.

Icynene – participation in conference in Mexico.

Energy – construction of the LIKONoe development centre. This project has shifted our ideas concerning Živé stavby®.

Icynene – thermal insulation of LIKO-Noe.

Interiors – realization of office space for Merck Sharp & Dohne in Prague.

DESIGN MANUÁL FEBRUARY

APRIL

JUNE

Icynene – participated at the Austrian trade fair Bauen und Energie Wien.

Icynene – launch of new logo.

Production – CNC Crusher Nordic –delivery for the mining and quarrying industry.

Energy – start construction on the new administrative and warehousing area ROBUR, Popůvky u Brna.

Chytrá izolace™

Production – order of superduplex material for a Swedish pharmaceutical company.

Interiors – implementation of interiors at ABB. Production – first order for prestigious client, the Swiss organization CERN.

Support – testing the new Pujol lamination ovens.

Interiors - installation at the AC Sparta Prague stadium, Letná.

Interiors – recording the video clip for SMART-i-WALL.

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AT THE LIKO-S KILOMETRES DRIVEN – 1 600 000

40X JULY Icynene – launch of the new website www.chytraizolace.cz Interiors – launch of the new website www.smart-i-wall.cz First realization of partition walls in the USA, for the central office of the company Meopta.

COFFEES DRUNK

SEPTEMBER

17 418

Icynene – important visit from the IcyneneCEO, Howard Deck.

LUNCHES EATEN

19 403

NEWLY BORN CHILDREN TO LIKO-S EMPLOYEES

Production – manufacture of a prototype marine winch for a Norwegian customer.

Support – starting the new manufacture of AIS.

Participation at the For Arch trade fair in Prague.

Interiors – new showroom at the Prague branch.

Production – delivery of filtration equipment for our Swedish partner.

General – exhibition of handcrafts at Slavkov Chateau with LIKO-S participation. Important visit from Dolores Baťa. Visit by 35 secondary school head teachers as part of the summer academy “European Forum for Vocational Training”.

13 NOVEMBER Icynene – entrance to the Guild of Tinsmiths, Roofers and Carpenters.

General – LIKO-Noe reaches the final of the competition Meeting Room of the Year.

Interiéry – interactive configurator www.likoglass.cz is launched.

Production – manufacture of the tank painting line for B+M Surface Systems.

2015 AT LIKO-S

AUGUST

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

Icynene – realization of Vapes – unique thermal insulation for apartment buildings.

Interiors – a new product joins the LIKO-S offer: SilentPET acoustic panels and laminated glass LIKO-Glass.

Energy – completion of the second largest Audi showroom in Europe, AUDI Jarov.

Icynene – Smartisol 300 certification.

Realization for the facility service company OLMAN spol. s.r.o. – thermal insulation of the admin building.

Support – start of new timber production.

General – VIP zone at the chateau, Christmas meeting with employees – announcement of best employees of the year.

Production – purchase of new laser technology.

Správa – LIKO-S Special Team at the Gulasch Open Austerlitz.

Interiors – realization of interiors for the company Homola in Ostrava, using the interior LCD glass LIKOGlass.

Správa – aerial photography of the company LIKO-S. Production – Nicrofer products – heat-resistant and high-temperature material for the company Junker.

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EXPORT INTERIORS DIVISION

SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION IN LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK OUR EXPORT DEPARTMENT HAS NOW CROSSED THE ATLANTIC! I HAVE HAD THE HONOUR OF TAKING PART IN THE FIRST INSTALLATION OF PARTITIONS FOR OUR CUSTOMER MEOPTA USA.

The modern building of Meopta USA is situated amidst greenery in an industrial area of one of New York’s suburbs.

On 26 June 2015, after perfect preparation

by Karel Hudec and the final completion of a few small details, including the delivery of material to the site, we, i.e. Orraine Williams, Martin Doležal and I, set out on our journey to New York. This journey took one day. Due to the time difference, we went to bed upon our arrival, filled with excitement for the next day. Saturday morning we arrived at the site where we the purchaser´s representatives were waiting for us. At the same site were two containers with our materials. Having opened the containers, we checked the delivery of profiles and found that everything was O.K. Then, we got down to work. By the way, I have to praise here our logistics staff, because I have never seen materials stored so perfectly. Everything was how it should be, nothing got shifted or damaged.

After reviewing conditions on site (the group of installers who should have been available for the partition installation were AWOL, and there were obviously unfinished

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works requiring another two, three days), we concluded that we would first have to get finished all the work needed for the partition installation. Because we were a team of strong guys we moved out the necessary material for edging and started the edging work. Except for minor differences in height, everything was running smoothly and

by Sunday nearly all parts were edged.

On Sunday evening, we had the opportunity to visit the centre of New York, which thanks to its architecture, streets full of people and cars really does impress. But what got to me most was the suburb of New York where Meopta USA is based: greenery all around, one-story houses and a plenty of space. And naturally, we had a taste of local specialities, which were absolutely delicious.

On Monday evening another container arrived, which meant we could get stuck in – moving the gear, completing edging operations and installing windows and frames.

First installation of partitions in the United States, under the leadership of Antonín Řičánek and Martin Doležal.

Since our co-workers, who had made great progress installing other structures (carpets, plasterboard structures, suspended ceilings, paving), were now available, we managed to transport the material its installation locations during the day. And then, as one of my co-workers would say, we just ´put it up´.

Before I left, we installed one VACUWALL® just to try it. Everything worked out fine, so I could leave without worrying. The installation of partitions was completed during the following week. The final installation of the VACUWALL® was carried out by Karel Hudec and Martin Doležal. I am pleased that the customer has been so satisfied with our systems as well as with the work done by our team. This has been a good first step on our journey to the New World.

Antonín Řičánek Project Manager of Interiors Division (Photo by our team of installers in New York)

EXPORT INTERIORS DIVISION

Our strong team of installers found the work easy. The customer chose the OMEGA 100.1 system.

For Martin Doležal and Karel Hudec, installation of the easily movable partition VACUWALL® was the icing on the cake.

Currently this is our biggest contract for our new product.

Time for an Orraine Williams’ detail.

View of new interiors in Meopta USA. 17

INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS

PROJECT YONDER, ROMANIA THE FEELING AND TOUCH OF GREEN ZONE, NATURE, YOUTH AND COLOURS WIRES THROUGH THE WHOLE INTERIOR THAT HAS BEEN BUILT BY OUR PARTNER FROM ROMANIA – COS. ALSO THE EMPLOYEES HAVE LEFT A BIT OF THE PERSONAL TRACE. EVERYONE OF THE PERSONEL BROUGHT SOME PERSONAL THING THAT HAS BEEN LATER ON COMPOSED INTO THE INTERIOR.

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INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS

VIP BOXES, AC SPARTA PRAGUE ANOTHER INTERESTING PROJECT THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR THE FAMOUS FOOTBALL CLUB AC SPARTA PRAGUE. THE NEW LUXURIOUS VIP BOXES ARE EQUIPPED WITH OUR GLASS PARTITIONS MICRA II.

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INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS

ERV EUROPEAN TRAVEL INSURANCE GROUP, PRAGUE WE HAVE DELIVERED FOR ERV PARTITION SYSTEM MICRA II WITH ELECTRIC BLINDS. LATELY WE HAVE DELIVERED MICRA I PARTITIONS TOGETHER WITH SLIDING DOORS.

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INTERIORS DIVISION INSTALATIONS

DEUTSCHE BÖRSE, PRAGUE INVESTORS FROM LICHTENSTEIN AND GERMANY, SUPERVISORS FROM UK – ALL THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SUPERVISION OF CONSTRUCTION OF OUR MICRA II WALLS. WE ARE PROUD OF SUCCESSFULL JOB AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEW ONE.

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INNOVATIONS

WEALTH OF INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FROM THE INTERIORS DIVISION THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AT THE INTERIORS DIVISION HAVE SIMULTANEOUSLY BROUGHT OUT SEVERAL GROUNDBREAKING PRODUCTS THAT PUSH THE POSSIBILITIES OF INTERIOR SOLUTIONS TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.

VACUWALL® One innovation is the mobile partition VACUWALL®, a product developed in co-operation with our Swiss partners. This is the only mobile partition wall in the world which gives interiors a genuinely unlimited range of variability. Walls can be erected in a matter of minutes and can then be rebuilt elsewhere whenever required. The entire wall is held between the floor and ceiling by an inflated rubber bag in combination with aluminium profi-

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les. When taking down the partition, the air is sucked out of the rubber bag using a manual pump, after which the wall panels can be easily handled. When the time comes to reinstall your partition, it can be secured in its new location simply by pressing the air valve: the bag expands and in just a few seconds the VACU-WALL® is firmly in position. This design has the added advantage that should any damage accidentally occur to the rubber bag, the partition will firmly attach itself to the ceiling and floor and its accidental release will not pose any threat to safety. Thanks to its locking mechanism and low mass, the VACUWALL® does not affect the static stability of the surrounding structural elements. When it comes to possible options for dividing interior space, it provides users with complete freedom: it can be used to partition off meeting spaces, manufacturing areas or create an office. Installation requires two people, a screwdriver and a few minutes of time.

LADISLAV RAVAS: „DURING DEVELOPMENT WE CREATED ABOUT TEN VARIATIONS, ONE AFTER THE OTHER, BEFORE WE FINALLY CAME TO THE CURRENT DESIGN.“

The idea to create a partition wall based on the same principle as that used by today’s VACUWALL® goes back to 2011, when we had our regular meeting that we call the “International Development Meeting”. This was the occasion our Swiss partner Rolf Ritter first pulled out of his “rucksack” a strange object resembling a rubber truncheon. Once he had explained to us what it was and how we might use it, the basic idea of the VACUWALL was born. The hardest thing was to ensure an optimal connection between each neighbouring module. During development we created about ten variations, one after the other, before we finally settled on the current design. Now we have a complete series of modules (solid, glazed, door) and partitions can be assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Together with the “T” and “L” shape connectors, you can create a layout that suits your actual needs. And the next day you can turn an office into a meeting room, or vice versa. And you don’t need anyone’s help to do it.

INNOVATIONS

SMART-I-WALL® We first introduced the flagship of our new innovative products – the interactive partition SMART-i-WALL® – to the public at the trade fair BAU 2015 in Munich. An international team of young enthusiasts had already begun working on this unique device a year earlier. The result of their labours is a unique interactive partition which represents the future - not only for office and conference space. SMART-i-WALL® enables you to play videos, make presentations, surf the web, co-operate remotely, use cloud services and perform many other activities. The base is formed by a standard interior partition from the Omega or Micra systems. The infill is made of LCD-Glass, a special type of glass which the user can switch from transparent to opaque at the touch of a button. Onto this surface is transferred a picture with full HD resolution. No mouse or keyboard is required to control the image: this is a fully interactive device that can be controlled with the touch of a finger. One interesting technical feature is the way in which sound is reproduced. Special transductors relay the audio signal directly into the glass, which means it is reproduced by the actual surface of the partition. The great sound quality has a pleasant, natural tone thanks to the large reproduction area, which also means that there is no need to connect up any external speakers to SMART-i-WALL. And when the presentation, consultation or meeting finishes, with a flick of a switch you get back your transparent partition once again. For more information visit www.smart-i-wall.cz.

ORRAINE WILLIAMS: „WE HAD A WISH LIST OF ALL MODERN FUNCTIONALITY WHICH WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR AN INTERIOR WALL, AND OUR TASK WAS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.“

Two years ago I joined the LIKO-S team and was asked by Jan Musil if I would like to participate in this work group of developing an interactive partition. Based on my background and interests, I gladly joined the team which also included Sylvia Janošková. We had a ‘wish list’ of all modern functionality and technology which would be feasible for an interior wall, and our task was to „make it happen“. During our development we tried various interactive medium and technologies from top developers across the globe. Sylvia, brought to the table the idea of sound re-

producing glass which brought our product to the next level. Our technician tested various glasses, foils, and films to find the right fit. Our aim was to marry these technologies as one with our partitions.

Today we have a complete solution for SMART-i-WALL®. In addition to the 4 main features, we now provide addition functionality such as Privacy mode (which automatically detects an internet call and switches the audio source from the glass). Easy connection and sharing (which allows visitor display content directly from their devices). Remote support, and the automatically updated application which is available in multiple languages. As we continue our development, our motto and aim is to remain innovative leaders in office walls. So stay tuned for more about SMART-i-WALL®.

SMART-i-WALL® in LIKO-NOE. 23

INNOVATIONS

Structured Glass

LIKO-GLASS® When in March 2015 the warm-up procedure got under way in our new lamination oven, a new chapter was opened in the history of another innovative product – special LIKO-Glass®. This is a layered laminated glass, the bases for which are traditional glass panels.

Between them is inserted EVALAM laminated film. By “baking” these panes together with the film, a tough multi-layered glass is produced.

Combining both panes of glass with the laminate film substantially improves the safety of the resulting product as well as its acoustic parameters. In addition to the laminating film, between the layers of glass can be inserted all kinds of other materials. These can include graphic designs or photographs, different kinds of organic materials, coloured films and many other types of interlayer. Besides the wide range of design elements, hi-tech layers can also be added, such as films with liquid crystals enabling users to switch between opaque and transparent glass. The whole concept gives free reign to the imaginations of architects and interior designers. And not only to them. We can laminate almost anything between layers of glass, which means customers can come to us with their own ideas about how a particular glass partition might look. To help this process along we have also launched a special website www.liko-glass.cz, where anyone can use the Designer app to try out various new forms for this innovative product.

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LUKÁŠ TRÁVNÍČEK: „DEVELOPING LIKO-GLASS® HAS TAUGHT ME NEVER TO GIVE UP, TO ALWAYS TRY AND FIND A WAY TO SOLVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM.“

I came to the development of the LIKO– Glass® project in mid-July this year, when I first started getting deeper into the question of glass lamination (Lukáš started out in our company at LIKO-School as a handyman – editor’s note). Getting some initial experience was not easy. Lamination has something of alchemy about it: time, temperature, vacuum and correct cooling all play a big part. The result, though, is a truly unique product. We can insert

practically an unlimited choice of designs between the panes. My personal favourite is using leaves, grasses and flowers. I can also see a distinct future laminating holographic and smart films. Working on its development has given me loads of experience, forcing me to constantly improve the product, towards constructive thinking. It has also taught me never to give up, to always try and find a way to solve a particular problem.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

WE CAN NOW LAMINATE OUR OWN PARTITIONS OUR SUPPORT OPERATION DOES NOT STAY IN ONE PLACE AND RESPONDS TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR CUSTOMERS. THEREFORE, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF OUR OPERATION BEGAN IN LATE MARCH WHICH AIMS TO CONCENTRATE ALL OUR PRODUCTION CAPACITIES IN ONE PLACE AND ADD NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT EXPAND OUR PRODUCT RANGE AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF OUR DELIVERIES. ALTHOUGH THE RECONSTRUCTION IS IN PROGRESS WE ARE STILL IN FULL OPERATION, THE ONLY EFFECT HAS BEEN A HIGHER QUALITY OF OUR DELIVERIES AND AN EXPANSION OF OUR PRODUCT RANGE. One of our new technologies, which we added to our production, is a laminating furnace which was installed in the new premises in mid-April. This new technology from Pujol will allow us to laminate double-layer and multi-layer glass up to a size of 1.8 x 4.2 meters.

What can you imagine under the term glass lamination? This is a technology where the EVALAM laminating film is inserted between the glass and „baking“ these glasses with the film in a furnace will produce a multi-layer glass. Safety glass known as Conex are formed in such a way. The laminating film, however, does not have to be necessarily clear. There is a wide range of films – colourful, bulletproof, transparent, opaque, and they can be combined with each other. This results in very interesting effects. Even various other materials can be inserted between the glass such as PVC, PET film (coloured and printed), polycarbonates, metals and mesh, fabrics and casement cloths, natural materials such as imitation stone, wood, flowers and the like.

Illuminating LEDs can be also laminated and other interesting variations can be created.

With this technology, we are able to respond flexibly to the requirements and new design trends required by our clients. We are also capable of laminating special controlled transparent films based on liquid crystals. This creates glass, which may be opaque and transparent after supplying electric current. These glasses can replace blinds in windows, or they can be used for projections.

These are the glasses that we use for our global innovation – SMART-i-WALL® multimedia walls on which images can be projected. Intrial operation of our furnace, we have prepared different types of laminated glass, including glass with a controlled transparent film. This technology is currently the most advanced method for the production of design glass.

Jiří Dufek, LIKO-S

An engineer from out supplier Pujol, Carlos Sarzano (middle) presents multi-layer glass to Jiří Dufek.

Inserting the glass with film into the furnace.

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SOME OF OTHER INTERESTING NEWS LIKO-S RANKS AMONG THE BEST INNOVATORS IN SOUTH MORAVIA Our developers, who among other achievements are responsible for the interactive partition SMART-i-WALL®, this year took part for the first time in the South Moravian Region’s “NEJinovátor” competition, run by the SME Union. The professional panel of judges examined the claims of just under 200 entrants. Under scrutiny were the importance of their innovations, their innovation strategy, procedures, employee qualifications, innovation management and many other criteria. In the roll call of South Moravia’s most progressive companies, LIKO-S was perfectly at home, and at the gala announcement our representatives Orraine Williams and Jan Musil went up to collect a prize for a creditable fifth place.

Congratulations!

ICYNENE® AT THE BAUEN UND ENERGIE WIEN 2016 TRADE FAIR This year the division Smart Isolation - Icynene® again took part in the trade fair Bauen und Energie 2016, which took place on 28 – 31 January in Vienna.

Vašek Pěnička (left) helped out with his fluent German.

Our Austrian business partner Ernst Stocker (in the middle) explains the advantages of Smartisol spray-foam insulation.

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EVEN EGGS CAN FLY Our technicians were having their regular training and just to liven things up a bit, halfway through the day they were given a special task. Each team was given some eggs, straw, some gaffer tape and 15 minutes to come up with a construction that would allow the eggs to survive a flight down from the first floor onto hard concrete. Our technicians used all their speed, accuracy, art of improvisation and design creativity to the max. Thanks to which, no yolk was spilt in the impact zone. This too is what training looks like at LIKO-S.

MEETING WITH PRINCE OF LIECHTENSTEIN Libor Musil was invited (along with his daughter Hanka Williams Musilová) to attend a conference for family firms in Bucharest which focused on the issues of succession and the handover of firms to the next generation. On this occasion they had the opportunity to meet Prince Philipp von und zu Liechtenstein, the brother of the Prince of Liechtenstein, both of whom represent another form of family business handed down from generation to generation. After that, they received an exclusive invitation to a private dinner with the Prince and to taste wines from the vineyards of Liechtenstein, which was organized by the Princess of Liechtenstein.

Hanka Williams with Princess and Prince of Liechtenstein

TRAINING THE PRODUCTION DIVISION

CONGRATULATIONS

It is impossible to properly carry out any skilled trade without detailed knowledge of the design documentation. Which is why the workers from metal production were being trained to perfect their knowledge of contemporary computer-aided design.

Fifteen years. That’s the exact length of time that Martina Juřinová has been working at LIKO-S. Waiting for her at our New Year’s get-together was a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a financial gift.

LIKO-S HELPING YOUNG DESIGNERS A while back, the student team TU Brno Racing, who are developing a formula racing car for the Formula Student Germany International Design Competition, came to us for assistance. Our Metal Production was able to help them out by manufacturing a special part for their openwheel car. We were very happy to hear that their Dragon 4 formula car came second at the famous Hockenheim circuit in Germany. In due course we were thanked by the team and we look forward to possible cooperation in future.

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GLASS LIKO GLASS DESIGNER ENTER THE WORLD WHERE YOU CAN WRITE THE STORY OF GLASS WITHOUT LIMITS ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN IMAGINATION. TRY THE DESIGNER APPLICATION AND DESIGN YOUR OWN INTERIOR.

www.likoglass.com

...FUTURE IS HERE!

INTERACTIVE PARTITION

www.smartiwall.com

VACUWALL® VARIABILITY WITHOUT LIMITS VACUWALL® IS THE ONLY MOBILE WALL IN THE WORLD WHICH ENABLES A TRULY UNLIMITED VARIABILITY OF YOUR COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL SPACE.

www.vacuwall.eu