Stanislav Martinec: We do business to help people and enrich the world

"I would not like the world to return to pre-covid ways. We don’t mind if there’s a drop in production and we make smaller sales. Let’s produce less, but with higher quality and with an attractive design, so our products last longer and we don't have to change them every year. Let’s enjoy our work. If we don’t use this time to our advantage, we are wasting a unique opportunity," says Stanislav Martinec, founder and director of the Vizovice-based company KOMA Modular, a leader in modular construction.

It has been a rather long time since Stanislav Martinec, then a high school student, got inspired by Tomáš Baťa and his legacy in what was then the city of Gottwaldov. "I still regard Baťa as the biggest entrepreneur in the world. I am fascinated not only by the way he built his companies, but also by his demanding and at the same time fair approach to his employees. He used the principle of modularity when designing cities. I still haven’t figured out what his basic 6.15m by 6.15m module was derived from. The entire concept of Baťa buildings was based on this module, and it allowed for massive savings in resources and materials. Decades later, KOMA followed up on his ideas and, thanks to today’s technological development and know-how, the company has enriched the modules in terms of both materials and space, and set them in motion. I see our pavilion at Expo 2015 in Milan as a modest tribute to this brilliant entrepreneur," says the director.

When the world is looking for a solution, it's good to be there

Tomáš Baťa reportedly used to say that whoever has not gone bankrupt at least three times cannot become a good businessman. KOMA Modular, the largest Czech manufacturer of modular buildings, have also been through crises and losses. But over time, modular buildings as a field became a growing trend, and with the covid pandemic, customer demand from individuals, businesses, public institutions and NGOs has further increased significantly both in the Czech Republic and abroad.

Komerční banka as the main financial partner of KOMA Modular also appreciates its innovation and development potential. According to the company’s CFO Jiřina Grygarová, KB's supportive approach using a range of financial instruments – current, operating and investment loans – has also allowed the company to do large, unique and innovative projects in Czechia as well as overseas. These include, for example, the modular construction of halls, hangars and facilities at regional airports in Senegal, carried out in cooperation with the project's main contractor, Transcon Electronic Systems based in Frýdek-Místek. It is the largest Czech investment in Africa in the last few decades.

In the 21st century, new technologies have made it possible for modular buildings to become a popular alternative to traditional construction. KOMA Modular has managed to establish itself in the developed markets of Western Europe five years after it was founded, and Benelux customers are already among its strong traditional customers. "For example, we supply our long-term partner in the Netherlands with modular buildings mainly in the vicinity of Amsterdam. They serve as temporary kindergartens while their permanent buildings are being renovated. When this is done, it’s possible to rebuild or convert the modular object, transport it and change its purpose. If the building owner is interested, we also provide these services related to further modifications of our buildings. In recent years, KOMA's activities have expanded to very remote territories, and our experience with the specifics of doing business there has helped our employees successfully manage unexpected situations," the company’s marketing director Marie Schüller points out, adding that off-site construction projects have proved their great potential and benefits all over the world.

Last year, KOMA Modular won the prestigious international Red Dot Award for design of the prefabricated residential module Fashion Line Relax

Empathy will be a key issue for the future

Some time ago, Stanislav Martinec was asked a question what makes KOMA a human company. "My mother always led me to empathy, and I have had it 'under my skin' all my life. When I saw the locals suffering during the war in Chechnya, without a roof over their head, it immediately occurred to me that we could help them with our products. The mission of KOMA is to 'help people and enrich the world'. We have embraced this mission, all of us who work for the company. These projects are not in conflict with business principles and I am happy that we can do this," the CEO says.

One of the turning points for the company was an architecturally interesting solidarity hotel in Paris. The modules were manufactured in two months and assembled over the next two months. It was the first time when the company supplied modules for a four-storey building, and for the first time, the entire building was made of large 11-metre modules. The hotel-type accommodation for the homeless for the international humanitarian organization Aurore provides shelter and assistance to people in need since 2018. It has served people of various destinies and social backgrounds, from lawyers and businessmen to immigrants, so that they can return to a full life as soon as possible.

Visionary with his head in the clouds and his feet on the ground

Besides being the founder of a successful company with a turnover of nearly 1 billion CZK and holder of many prestigious awards, Mr. Martinec has recently become increasingly known for a flexible city of the future project which uses the principle of modularity. A great admirer of Tomáš Baťa and supporter of circular economy, Mr. Martinec has a strong vision for the future. "Modularity is a response to a new era of change. It makes people's lives easier, and modular buildings are relocatable and save money as well as the environment," he points out.

Construction is one of the most polluting sectors, plus it uses natural resources which are increasingly scarce. KOMA Modular manufactures all modules on its production line using modern methods and, unlike construction companies, they rigorously sort, recycle and bring the materials back to life.

Stanislav Martinec founded KOMA Modular thirty years ago and is still full of unique ideas

"I imagine that in the near future, modular houses will appear, which will grow or shrink based on the actual number of family members. They will be carefully anchored to the cultivated ground, which means almost no disruption to the environment. On top, it will eliminate unused space and brownfields. We can design new factory concepts that will move with people, or we can design a model of a modular factory for rent, in which new entrepreneurs could test the feasibility of their business plan. The application of modularity goes across fields," the CEO envisions. KOMA Modular is already planning the production of vertical agricultural farms, saving water and energy, and has designed projects for mobile factories that could be supplied across the EMEA region for example.

Modularity is becoming increasingly common in the Czech Republic as well. For example, the Vizovice-based company sells modular kindergartens – two of them are even leased to local municipalities. Stanislav Martinec got inspired in the Nordic countries, where local administrations respond flexibly to baby booms and the needs of employed mothers by renting children's facilities.

Written by Věra Vortelová

Photo credits: KOMA Modular