Thursday, June 23rd, Alliance Laundry Systems celebrated, with 300 highly honoured guests, the official opening of the STAR (Science, Technology & Research) Center in Pribor, Czech Republic. At the same time, the spotlight was put on 25 years of activity in Czech Republic, as Primus – one of the leading brands of Alliance Laundry Systems – started its first joint venture there in 1991.
An audience of over 300 guests gathered in Pribor to celebrate, in the presence of Rick Pyle, President – Alliance International, the official opening of the STAR Center. With the new STAR Center, Alliance Laundry Systems confirms its commitment to raising research, technology, innovation and customer service to the next level. The company’s goal is to create an environment where creativity and open-mindedness are encouraged, so that new developments will continue.
First, Eddy Coppieters, executive director of Alliance Laundry Systems Europe, opened the day by looking back on the accomplishments of starting the Primus activities in Czech Republic; first in Fulnek, then moving to Pribor seven years later. He praised the technical knowledge of the highly skilled Czech workers and engineers, now with more than 700 employees in Pribor. The continuous effort of the management team to make people feel a part of the Primus family has paid off in a steady growth of the labour force and little personnel turnover.
Next, Mrs. Lucie Orgonikova, the Czech Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation reminded everyone that the Czech Republic must develop a competitive advantage; not with cheap labour, but with a high level of technical competence and innovative research activities. The Pribor plant is thus a great example of the ambition of the Czech Prime Minister, further focusing on what the Czech Republic does best: innovation, research & development in highly technical programs and production quality.
Mr. Noah Woodiwiss, the Economic Officer of the US Embassy, praised the quality of the technical workforce in Pribor and for being an example of a great personal relationship the US Embassy wishes to build with its economic partners. Being part of a US-based company, the Pribor factory represents the values of the US government in the way quality is reached and labour conditions are respected.
The fourth speaker, Mr. Bohuslav Majer, the major of Pribor, welcomed the continuous investments of Alliance Laundry Systems in Pribor, on the premises where the once leading Czech car brand, Tatra, was built. He spoke not only of the economic investments, but also of the social participation in the region and the sponsoring of a wide range of activities, including local soccer and basketball teams.
Finally, Rick Pyle, President – Alliance International, was very positive about the opening of the STAR Center. The STAR Center will allow Alliance Laundry Systems to further develop market-shifting innovations to remain the world’s leader in commercial laundry. The very focus of Alliance Laundry Systems on the commercial laundry industry allows them to stay ahead of competition with great products and innovative solutions. The extended research team in Pribor’s STAR Center is one of the steps to fulfil that ambition.
After the ribbon ceremony, Rick Pyle welcomed the attendees to visit the STAR Center and the very clean and modern Pribor factory.
This day has, after a very successful presence at Texcare (the world’s leading trade fair for the laundry, cleaning and textile rental sectors), proven again that Alliance Laundry Systems is growing and investing in order to continue being a leader in the commercial laundry industry.