A new training centre for 30 people and accommodation for 25 employees is offered by the renovated building opened on May 18th by CZ LOKO in the historic centre of Česká Třebová.
“This mainly solved our own needs, as we lacked sufficient training and accommodation capacities. But I am equally pleased that we have helped to improve the appearance of the town, with which we have been associated since the mid-19th century, when locomotive repairs began here,” said Josef Bárta, majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board of CZ LOKO.
The neglected and long unused building, which once housed a bank, was acquired by the company in 2020.
According to Magdalena Peterková, the mayor of the town, the new use of the building is a very good achievement. “I know that the building modifications were not easy, as the building is located in the city’s conservation area and it was necessary to meet the conditions of the conservation authorities. I very much welcome the full use of the building in the Old Square and I believe it will help revitalise the town centre,” says the mayor.
“It was a radical modernisation, but also very respectful of the surroundings. The result of the cooperation with the building authority is a sensitive integration into the character of the whole square," adds Jiří Kutálek, HR and Administrative Director of CZ LOKO.
There are two entrances from the square. The first leads to the training centre and the residential area with five rooms and a shared kitchen. The second one leads to spaces whose use has not yet been decided. It may be a pharmacy or a doctor’s office. From a side street there is an entrance to a hostel with nine rooms on two floors. There is a changing room, kitchen, lounge and several sanitary facilities. The building has a permanent caretaker and security.
CZ LOKO has thus significantly expanded the possibilities for employee training, as the training facilities in the factory itself were already hitting capacity limits. In addition to larger training events, it will also be used for customer meetings, conferences and corporate events.
“We have not had any accommodation facilities of our own so far. This is a strategic investment because it expands our possibilities of recruiting employees from all over the Czech Republic and abroad. We cannot do without it. The capacity has also filled up very quickly,” explains Jiří Kutálek. The company wants to continue to focus on the accommodation or housing of its employees because, according to the demographic curve, in eight to ten years the strongest year group will retire and the weakest year group will be of working age.
“Then there will be no choice but to bring in the missing professions such as welders or electricians from abroad. That is why we will have to continue to expand our accommodation capacities,” he added. In addition to Česká Třebová, Jihlava is also under consideration, where the company has a second plant specialising in the production of new locomotives.
