Ingersoll-Rand finds success in the Czech Republic
12.06.2008,
Headquartered in New Jersey, in the United States, Ingersoll-Rand (NYSE: IR, www.irco.com, www.irco.cz) is a significant mechanical engineering firm and global provider of the most various innovations and solutions in its field. Following its recent acquisition of the company Trane, IR has 64,000 employees at 120 manufacturing plants around the world producing a broad spectrum of products including mobile refrigeration and air-conditioning units (Thermo King), stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment (Hussmann, Koxka, Trane), compressors, pneumatic and electrical tools and pumps (Ingersoll-Rand), microturbines (Power Works), golf carts (Club Car), security technology (Interflex, Schlage, Kryptonite, Locknetics, Recognition Systems) and a range of other products in the annual volume of USD 17 billion.
Ingersoll-Rand currently has two manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic, specifically in Kolín and Uničov, and a newly built complex in Hostivice u Prahy, where the company’s R&D centre and Ingersoll-Rand University are located.
Ingersoll-Rand has been present in the Czech Republic since 1997, when it acquired from Westinghouse the company Thermo King, a producer of mobile truck-mounted refrigeration units that had been operating in Kolín since 1992, when the firm took over the Research Institute of Refrigeration Technology in Prague. The excellent results of this acquisition led Ingersoll-Rand to make further investments in the Czech Republic.
Another important year in the company’s history was 2001, when the Torrington ball-bearing plant was built in Olomouc. That same year saw the acquisition of the Superstav factory in Dobříš, which was incorporated into the Bobcat division, and the start of production of compact loaders and excavators. Other significant investments were gradually made in Dobříš, including the establishment of a research and development centre and, later, a new manufacturing plant and training centre. The entire Bobcat division was sold to Doosan in 2007.
An important compressor factory was built in the Uničov industrial zone in 2002 and Ingersoll-Rand’s latest investment in the Czech Republic involved the construction of the complex in Hostivice, which was put into operation in 2007.
It is necessary to add that development of the company’s business operations in the Czech Republic and its decision to place its investments in the heart of Europe were substantially influenced by support from CzechInvest and the Czech investment-incentives scheme.
All of Ingersoll-Rand’s activities in the Czech Republic are currently being performed by two companies: Ingersoll-Rand CZ and Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic.
Ingersoll-Rand CZ comprises a manufacturing plant built on a greenfield in Uničov over roughly seven months. Production began in August 2002. Today this plant specialises in assembly and testing of stationary screw and piston air compressors in the performance range of 1-350 KW and, since 2004, assembly of piston compressors for mobile refrigeration. The plant is also a European distribution centre. More than 98% percent of production is intended for foreign markets, and the company is certified according to ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:1997 and OHSAS 18001:1999 standards.
Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic includes a manufacturing plant in Kolín and the new complex in Hostivice. In Kolín the company manufactures primarily air-conditioning units for buses and light rail vehicles under the Thermo King brand and various components such as heat exchangers for other Ingersoll-Rand factories, as well as Hussmann and Koxka stationary refrigeration and distribution cold-storage units. The Kolín plant is undergoing continual modernisation through investments in new technologies.
The complex in Hostivice is favourably located near Prague-Ruzyňe international airport and highway links to Western Europe. This location was selected because Ingersoll-Rand employees and customers from around the world often meet at the R&D centre and Ingersoll-Rand University, which are also located here.
The origins of today’s R&D centre can be traced back to 1949, when the Research Institute of Refrigeration Technology was established in what was then Czechoslovakia. As previously mentioned, in 1992 this R&D centre, still under its original name, became part of Thermo King, which in 1997 was acquired by Ingersoll-Rand and became a new unit called Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic.
The institute’s location in Prague’s densely built-up Smíchov district made its further development impossible and thus it was decided to relocate it to completely new facilities in Hostivice, where at the beginning of 2007 a complex of two buildings entered operation. The administrative building can provide outstanding facilities for up to 90 employees. The second building, which houses testing facilities and laboratories, features state-of-the-art equipment, such as a vibration laboratory with electromagnetic stands and hydraulic multi-axis systems enabling the testing of objects weighing several tonnes, a climate chamber including an ATP test room, calorimetric testing facility for measuring the performance of refrigeration units for trucks and large cargo boxes, and testing facilities for refrigeration and air-conditioning units and performance and service-life trials. At the R&D centre strong emphasis is placed on quality and the environment. The centre is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards.
The centre particularly ensures applied research and development focused on the future of mobile and stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning. Part of the workplace is the aforementioned ATP, which is charged with certification of transport and shipping equipment for international shipment of perishable goods. The Czech Republic is a signatory of the ATP international agreement concluded in Geneva in 1970 and this research centre is entrusted with the activities of the Czech transport ministry’s ATP testing facility and is entered in the official UN list of certified facilities.
Ingersoll-Rand dedicates significant attention to further education. Ingersoll-Rand University (IRU) plays a key role in this programme.
IRU opened its doors in May 2003 and has been providing world-class education to Ingersoll-Rand managers ever since. IRU is a true corporate university with both instructor-led and online courses that are tailored to meet the needs of its students.
IRU’s programmes are designed to develop leadership and strategic competencies that are in line with the company’s strategic needs. These programmes focus on cultivating global leaders and developing strategic skills that are common across the enterprise and/or region. The university’s strategic programmes run in four colleges: Leadership and General Management, Sales, Marketing and Operational Excellence.
IRU has education centres in Davidson, North Carolina; Prague, Czech Republic; Bangalore, India and Shanghai, China. IRU – European Served Area (ESA) has offered programmes in Prague since 2005. In February 2007 IRU-ESA moved into the new Research and Development Centre in Hostivice. The university also provides regional programmes. In addition, its services include managing and brokering educational programmes to meet the specific development needs of the ESA region.
Available Managed Services Courses in 2008 include: Communication Skills for Effective Management, Finance for Non-Financial People, Front-Line Leader 2008, Matrix Management, and Project Management Fundamentals.
Zdenek Kaiser
Executive Director,
Business Development,
Ingersoll-Rand Czech Republic
Ingersoll-Rand currently has two manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic, specifically in Kolín and Uničov, and a newly built complex in Hostivice u Prahy, where the company’s R&D centre and Ingersoll-Rand University are located.
Important milestones in the history of Ingersoll-Rand in the Czech Republic
Ingersoll-Rand has been present in the Czech Republic since 1997, when it acquired from Westinghouse the company Thermo King, a producer of mobile truck-mounted refrigeration units that had been operating in Kolín since 1992, when the firm took over the Research Institute of Refrigeration Technology in Prague. The excellent results of this acquisition led Ingersoll-Rand to make further investments in the Czech Republic.
Another important year in the company’s history was 2001, when the Torrington ball-bearing plant was built in Olomouc. That same year saw the acquisition of the Superstav factory in Dobříš, which was incorporated into the Bobcat division, and the start of production of compact loaders and excavators. Other significant investments were gradually made in Dobříš, including the establishment of a research and development centre and, later, a new manufacturing plant and training centre. The entire Bobcat division was sold to Doosan in 2007.
An important compressor factory was built in the Uničov industrial zone in 2002 and Ingersoll-Rand’s latest investment in the Czech Republic involved the construction of the complex in Hostivice, which was put into operation in 2007.
It is necessary to add that development of the company’s business operations in the Czech Republic and its decision to place its investments in the heart of Europe were substantially influenced by support from CzechInvest and the Czech investment-incentives scheme.
Two in the heart of Europe
All of Ingersoll-Rand’s activities in the Czech Republic are currently being performed by two companies: Ingersoll-Rand CZ and Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic.
Ingersoll-Rand CZ comprises a manufacturing plant built on a greenfield in Uničov over roughly seven months. Production began in August 2002. Today this plant specialises in assembly and testing of stationary screw and piston air compressors in the performance range of 1-350 KW and, since 2004, assembly of piston compressors for mobile refrigeration. The plant is also a European distribution centre. More than 98% percent of production is intended for foreign markets, and the company is certified according to ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001:1997 and OHSAS 18001:1999 standards.
Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic includes a manufacturing plant in Kolín and the new complex in Hostivice. In Kolín the company manufactures primarily air-conditioning units for buses and light rail vehicles under the Thermo King brand and various components such as heat exchangers for other Ingersoll-Rand factories, as well as Hussmann and Koxka stationary refrigeration and distribution cold-storage units. The Kolín plant is undergoing continual modernisation through investments in new technologies.
The complex in Hostivice is favourably located near Prague-Ruzyňe international airport and highway links to Western Europe. This location was selected because Ingersoll-Rand employees and customers from around the world often meet at the R&D centre and Ingersoll-Rand University, which are also located here.
Unique R&D centre
The origins of today’s R&D centre can be traced back to 1949, when the Research Institute of Refrigeration Technology was established in what was then Czechoslovakia. As previously mentioned, in 1992 this R&D centre, still under its original name, became part of Thermo King, which in 1997 was acquired by Ingersoll-Rand and became a new unit called Ingersoll-Rand Equipment Manufacturing Czech Republic.
The institute’s location in Prague’s densely built-up Smíchov district made its further development impossible and thus it was decided to relocate it to completely new facilities in Hostivice, where at the beginning of 2007 a complex of two buildings entered operation. The administrative building can provide outstanding facilities for up to 90 employees. The second building, which houses testing facilities and laboratories, features state-of-the-art equipment, such as a vibration laboratory with electromagnetic stands and hydraulic multi-axis systems enabling the testing of objects weighing several tonnes, a climate chamber including an ATP test room, calorimetric testing facility for measuring the performance of refrigeration units for trucks and large cargo boxes, and testing facilities for refrigeration and air-conditioning units and performance and service-life trials. At the R&D centre strong emphasis is placed on quality and the environment. The centre is certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards.
The centre particularly ensures applied research and development focused on the future of mobile and stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning. Part of the workplace is the aforementioned ATP, which is charged with certification of transport and shipping equipment for international shipment of perishable goods. The Czech Republic is a signatory of the ATP international agreement concluded in Geneva in 1970 and this research centre is entrusted with the activities of the Czech transport ministry’s ATP testing facility and is entered in the official UN list of certified facilities.
Employee education above all else
Ingersoll-Rand dedicates significant attention to further education. Ingersoll-Rand University (IRU) plays a key role in this programme.
IRU opened its doors in May 2003 and has been providing world-class education to Ingersoll-Rand managers ever since. IRU is a true corporate university with both instructor-led and online courses that are tailored to meet the needs of its students.
IRU’s programmes are designed to develop leadership and strategic competencies that are in line with the company’s strategic needs. These programmes focus on cultivating global leaders and developing strategic skills that are common across the enterprise and/or region. The university’s strategic programmes run in four colleges: Leadership and General Management, Sales, Marketing and Operational Excellence.
IRU has education centres in Davidson, North Carolina; Prague, Czech Republic; Bangalore, India and Shanghai, China. IRU – European Served Area (ESA) has offered programmes in Prague since 2005. In February 2007 IRU-ESA moved into the new Research and Development Centre in Hostivice. The university also provides regional programmes. In addition, its services include managing and brokering educational programmes to meet the specific development needs of the ESA region.
Available Managed Services Courses in 2008 include: Communication Skills for Effective Management, Finance for Non-Financial People, Front-Line Leader 2008, Matrix Management, and Project Management Fundamentals.
Zdenek Kaiser
Executive Director,
Business Development,
Ingersoll-Rand Czech Republic