Date: 20.09.2023
Vítkovické železniční opravny from the CE INDUSTRIES group of entrepreneur Jaroslav Strnad originally started as an industrial start-up in 2018. After less than five years, the company has become a thriving business that grows every year and recruits new employees to the halls in Vítkovice, Ostrava, where rail freight wagons are repaired for more than 100 customers from all over Europe.
"In 2022, we repaired 914 railcars. This is a year-on-year increase of 6% and our team has grown by 34 new members. We are now 165 in total and we would need up to 20 more colleagues. We have plenty of work to do. In five years we have built a thriving and stable business from a start-up. It makes sense and the times are right. The volume of rail transport in the CEE region is growing by 12% to 30% every five years. In addition, the EU's target is to increase the share of goods transport by rail to 30% by 2030, at the expense of road freight transport," said Daniel Marek, Managing Director of Vítkovické železniční opravny.
"There are 700,000 freight wagons in operation in Europe today. In 2030 there will be once as many. There is huge potential here for VŽO and our entire rail division, including Croatian freight railcar manufacturer Đuro Đaković. New wagons will have to be produced and existing ones repaired. The railway has and will have huge potential. It is the green backbone of Europe. Its development is key to reducing emissions from freight transport, which is one of Europe's main climate goals," adds Jiří Rabiec, Chief Economic Officer and member of the Board of Directors of CE INDUSTRIES.
The company's success is also due to its mobile workshop service, which emphasises a pro-client and innovative approach. More and more customers are dealing with unexpected situations on the line or planning ongoing maintenance of their rail freight wagons and are using the mobile workshop service. This can carry out maintenance or repair work on site, including, for example, the replacement of wheelsets. Thanks to the mobile workshop service, there is no need for transport to and from the repair shop, which saves a great deal of time and, above all, costs. "We currently have four mobile workshop locations - in Louny, Ostrava, Mošnov and Štúrovo. Thus, our facilities can offer their services outside the Czech Republic also in Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. We are preparing further expansion to the north to Polish ports, to the east to the Ukrainian border and to the south to cover another part of Hungary and possibly Croatia," says Richard Toman.
During its five-year existence, Vítkovické železniční opravny has also shared its premises with the traditional Ostrava-based company VÍTKOVICKÁ DOPRAVA. VÍTKOVICKÁ DOPRAVA a.s. continues the rich history of the Vítkovice Railway, founded in the second half of the 19th century. In its modern history, VÍTKOVICE DOPRAVA a.s. was established as an independent entity in 2002 by spinning off from the parent company VÍTKOVICE a.s. and in 2018, after its sale, it became part of the CE Industries group. They currently have 110 employees and achieve an annual turnover of around 180 million per year.
The main activity of VÍTKOVICE DOPRAVA is the operation of railway sidings and railway services for large industrial companies in the very centre of Ostrava. However, it is also engaged in track maintenance and management of passenger cars for companies from the CE INDUSTRIES holding and other customers.