This is part related to the company's planned medium-term expansion strategy and also in response to the success of the new BMFL range of moving lights - the first of which was launched in September 2014, plus the continued demand for other popular moving light fixtures like the Pointe and the LEDWash series.
Robe has recently completed the acquisition of nearly 8000sq.m of land including four large buildings immediately next door to its current main factory premises in Valasské Mezirici. Robe, which first moved to this facility in 2002, has gradually been buying up other commercial premises along the street, and with this latest purchase, now owns the three largest units on the block.
Work has recently been completed on a new building at the main factory site which has created an enlarged Technical Centre, a host of new meeting, board and conference rooms and a gleaming new contemporary designed staff canteen.
Refurbishment work on of the four buildings at the newest site has already commenced, and Robe's sister company, architectural and commercial LED lighting manufacturer Anolis is scheduled to move there in the spring. This will give Anolis a much larger factory and administration space and further streamline the production of Anolis fixtures.
Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Roznov, Robe's PCB manufacturing division Dioflex is taking over the area in their building that will be vacated by Anolis. Dioflex is investing in a series of new PCB CNC populating machines which are also being installed to keep up the volume and pace of production.
Robe celebrated 20 years since its foundation in 2014. Says CEO & General manager Josef Valchar, "It's a remarkable achievement to reach 20 years and I am very proud of the company and the many creative, talented and dedicated individuals who have worked so hard to help get us to where we are today, and among the market leaders in our specialist field of lighting.
"Of course to share our best ever year with that anniversary is just amazing, and it's a tribute to the great teamwork that is making Robe really rock."
In addition to the record profits, Robe also opened two new wholly-owned subsidiary operations in 2014 in the Middle East and Singapore (Asia Pacific), and the latest one in France was inaugurated in January 2015.
(Jim Evans)
