TECHO grows stronger despite the crisis

PRAGUE, 10 February 2010 – Interior company TECHO announced 2009 sales of 975 million CZK with a profit of 19 million CZK. Despite the drop in demand caused by the global crisis, and also an unprecedented drop in prices, the company last year managed to significantly increase its market share, not just in the Czech Republic, but in Central and Eastern Europe as a whole.

„Despite the unfavourable climate, which caused a decline of European office furniture sales of around 40%, we are one of the very few companies that managed to record a profit, and in doing so strengthen our market position” stated Jiří Kejval, CEO of TECHO. Last year TECHO had to face intense pressure from customers to reduce costs and the result was relative prices reduced to a level not seen before. Nevertheless, the company increased its share of the Czech market from 15% to 18% and increased its share of the CEE market by 1.5%.

The high quality of provided services was recognised at the end of last year with the receipt of a prestigious award. As part of the National Quality Award, which is awarded every year in eighty countries according to the same rules of the European Foundation for Quality Management, TECHO received the award “Excellent Company” in the business sector.

„2010 will be a further challenge and we will focus in accordance with our long-term strategy on the key markets of Central and Eastern Europe. We see real possibilities for further growth of the company,“ concludes Petr Hampl, Sales Director and member of the Board of TECHO.
Press information:

TECHO, a. s., is the leading company providing comprehensive services in the area of supplying commercial interiors in Central and Eastern Europe and is also a major producer of office furniture in the Czech Republic. Its clients include major banks, financial institutions, international companies and government organisations. Today it has branches in Great Britain, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Russia, Georgia and Ukraine. Since 2008 it has been part of the Dutch concern Royal Ahrend NV, which is one of Europe’s top five office furniture producers.

European Foundation for Quality Management is a non-profit organisation that was established in 1988 by fourteen European companies. Today it has over 700 members. It is the creator and owner of   - Model for Excellence EFQM, on which the Czech National Quality Award is based (source: www.csq.cz; www.scj-cr.cz).

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