Main shareholder of LINET Group, Zbyněk Frolík, leaving executive positions in company and joining supervisory board
Mr Frolík is fulfilling a plan that he announced publicly five years ago. For the first time in the company’s history, daily operations within LINET Group will be the exclusive responsibility of the company’s management under the leadership of its CEOs Tomáš Kolář and Michael Rosada. Tomáš Kolář is also the sole CEO of the Czech company LINET.
Mr Frolík is fulfilling a plan that he announced publicly five years ago. For the first time in the company’s history, daily operations within LINET Group will be the exclusive responsibility of the company’s management under the leadership of its CEOs Tomáš Kolář and Michael Rosada. Tomáš Kolář is also the sole CEO of the Czech company LINET. ‘The company’s ambitions remain as high as possible: double the size of the company within five years. It’s clear that organic growth won’t be enough, despite the fact that LINET has long outperformed its competitors. This means we won’t be avoiding acquisitions; on the contrary, that’s the path we likely be taking. If 70% of our sales are currently coming from Europe, in the future we want to have more than half of our sales outside of Europe, primarily in the United States,’ says Mr Frolík.
Mr Frolík began planning his departure five years ago as he was preparing to celebrate his 60th birthday. Since then, he and Tomáš Kolář have worked side by side at the helm of LINET. Their joint efforts have given LINET the best years of its existence, during which the company expanded into the American market and substantially increased its presence in other developed markets, namely in the Middle East, Australia, Canada, and Asia.
‘As head of LINET Holding, which administrates the shares of the domestic LINET Group shareholders, I will, of course, assign tasks to the management and keep a check on them. Our goals are still as ambitious as possible. We’re the main, and essentially only, challenger to the two largest hospital bed manufacturers in the world. I’m confident that the current management of LINET, led by Tomáš Kolář and Michael Rosada, is capable of accomplishing all of our goals,’ adds Mr Frolík.
In the 2017/2018 fiscal year, LINET Group achieved revenues of more than 250 million euros. In the following year, revenues jumped to 287 million euros, with the aim of growing this year as well. ’Our results for the first two quarters show we’re on track. We’re also investing in the future – we’ve introduced SAPs, are building our own sales representation in promising markets, and are continuing to innovate at a stable pace,’ says Tomáš Kolář.
Interesting numbers from history
- LINET started out on greenfield land, more precisely in a derelict cowshed
- LINET was founded by Zbyněk Frolík in 1990
- LINET has employed approximately 8,000 people throughout its existence
- LINET increases sales each year by an average of 20%
- LINET has never been a loss-making company, the majority of its profits have gone into further expansion
- LINET is one of only a few companies to outgrow a German partner (wi-bo)
- LINET is active in more than 100 markets and has its own sales representation in key markets
- LINET is one of the three largest manufacturers of hospital beds in the world
LINET Group is Europe’s largest manufacturer of hospital beds, antidecubitus mattresses, furniture, and comprehensive solutions for hospitals and nursing care facilities. The holding is based in the Dutch city of Dordrecht and employs 1,680 people in 15 companies. Its portfolio also encompasses the products of BORCAD Medical, including birthing beds and gynaecological, transport, and dialysis chairs. LINET Group maintains stable organic growth by regularly introducing new products optimized to meet the needs of its customers. More at www.linet.com.