Texts: Jaroslav Drahoš, Kateřina Misiarzová
This period has also been unique one for FINIDR, full of revolutionary , unexpected and challenging events… And what has actually happened in that time?
We were able to build and proved two modern production halls, install hi-tech modern machinery, and increase production flow, productivity, ergonomics and quality.
Ecology is playing an key role in our business. Climate and biodiversity protection is becoming more and more important for us. We are still working to reduce CO2 emissions. We meet our environmental commitments using different environmental activities and these are becoming important to our business. We are actively involved in the unique “Green Company” project and we are moving our ecological and environmental activities further every year. We have been awarded the “Carbon Footprint Management” certification, our printed products are CO2 neutral, and our own printed materials have a zero carbon footprint. We are also the largest producer of FSC® certified books in the country, we use 100% green energy and have been awarded the ECOVADIS award for our achievements.
The fact we are one of the TOP companies in the printing industry is not only proven by the fact that we have received various international certificates and prestigious awards, we also appreciate winning the award “The Most Beautiful Book” by Magnesia Litera. We support prestigious French event called “Night for the Book”- the award ceremony where the author of the work and the publisher meet on one stage together.
In this period we managed to produce and celebrated the 250 and 300 millionth book.
We became a general partner of Albrecht High School in Český Těšín, with which we closely cooperate especially in field of studying Printing and Polygraphics. We help to educate, provide practice, and professional guidance and support students into further working process. We support future generations and help to keep beautiful printing tradition in Tesin region. We have been awarded with gold award SCHOOL FRIENDLY for our activities.
In 2019, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our printing company and this special year was all about celebration. We have also printed a chronicle FINDIR which introduces complete history of the company in a comprehensive way. These beautiful stories, presented by former as well as current employees enable us to remember the old times and also uncover current activities in our company. Some parts of the chronicle are to be found in actual and previous issues of Finidrak.
A year after came something none of us expected or had ever experienced before… the covid-19 pandemic. The restrictions and limitations that this pandemic caused were enormous. Since its inception and subsequent rocket spread around the world, many things in our lives have had to change immediately.
However, we have been able to come together even more during this time, helping and supporting each other. We have set up a lot of processes, changes and improvements and this huge effort has paid off. After the end of the first wave of the pandemic, FINIDR was much stronger in many areas than it was before it started.
In 2020, we were the first in Europe who invested into the world’s most advanced generation of printing machines. The world’s largest exhibition of printing equipment, DRUPA, should had taken place in Düsseldorf in the same year, but due to the COVID situation, this exhibition was cancelled. Therefore, our printing company decided together with the manufacturer of printing machines Heidelberg Praha to organized an unique printing show in Český Těšín with a live demonstration of these latest machines and this important event was called “small DRUPA”.
Karin Lednicka
formerly DOMINO Publishing House
When I recall a memory of my first introduction with the FINIDR printing house, I feel like I’m going back to publishing’s prehistoric times.
The nineties are raging all around with all the signs of that era. Inside the blocks of old buildings where the headquarter of the most indebted man´s companies in printing industry is placed, a tall male figure runs around in his long black winter coat fluttering behind him. The man in the elegant coat is Jaroslav Drahoš. And same as me, he’s trying to find out where is the debtor hiding this time…
After more than two decades, this dramatic situation has turned into a funny memory, covered by the joy of the many beautiful books we brought into the world together.
Today’s book business is quite different than it was that time. I am happy and grateful to say quite frankly that printing at FINIDR has been, is, and undoubtedly will be a pure joy. Even in today’s turbulent times, when many of the former certainties have vanished, we can count on FINIDR to deliver as it was promised: in time, on quality, simply on every front.
I wish FINIDR from the bottom of my heart to continue in maintaining the professionalism combined with a friendly environment that makes us sincerely look forward to each and every book printed.
Martin Prouza
Heidelberg Praha spol. s .r. o.
If I should personally mention some strong moments that connect me with FINIDR, I will start with my first visit in FINIDR, when I had the opportunity to go to Český Těšín and see what I heard from my colleagues. At that time I had undoubtedly deep practical and long term experience in printing production, but in a relatively small printing plant in East Bohemia. When I arrived at FINIDR, I remember to this day how fascinated I was by the continuous arrival of truckloads with paper on the one hand and the exporting of finished books on the other. I had never seen anything like this before and it was a truly amazing spectacle.
The second moment was at the Drupa 2012 printing exhibition, when Jarek Drahoš arrived in his tallness and immediately after shaking my hand he told me that he had come to buy a new printing machine. I stood there like a frozen man and didn’t understand what was going on. My much more experienced colleagues reacted in the same way, somehow also unable to understand that someone had suddenly appeared out of the blue with the intention of buying technology for about 2.5 million euros. And in the end he really bought it!
Jaroslav Drahoš
owner
A significant anniversary that we celebrated in 2019 was 25 years since the printing house was founded. I see the twenty-five years of the company as a journey towards maturity, experience and the strengthens that the printery has now. I believe our DNA is incredibly strong and will help us continue to win.
This latest anniversary is partly my personal anniversary. It’s been exactly 10 years since I became the sole owner of the printery. This has allowed me, with the help of all of you, to implement the visions and move the printery to the position where it is today. We have come a long way together. It has not often been an easy journey, but it has certainly been a successful one.
