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Jiří Hlavatý of JUTA has been named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 in the Czech Republic

Jiří Hlavatý, owner of the largest Czech textile company JUTA, has been awarded the prestigious prize for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 Czech Republic. He accepted the winner’s trophy on Tuesday at the Žofín Palace in Prague from Andrej Babiš, Minister of Finance of the Czech Republic, and Magdalena Soucek, Country Managing Partner, EY. The contest has been organised by EY in the Czech Republic since 2000. The EY Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year award went to František and Robert Kudela of Chropyňská strojírna. The prize for EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 was awarded to Veronika Mouchová and Filip Říha of YesFresh. This year also saw a prize awarded for EY Social Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 Czech Republic, which was won by Jan Školník of the Broumov Region Development Agency.

“I believe that Jiří Hlavatý will successfully represent Czech entrepreneurs at the world finals in Monte Carlo and that his business story will impress the judges there as much as it impressed us,” says Magdalena Soucek, Country Managing Partner, EY in the Czech Republic, adding: “Thanks to the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award we have again discovered outstanding personalities who do not decide Olympic races, but are representatives in more important disciplines, those of professional honesty, humility, willingness to work hard, responsibility to their employees and customers, and the ability to succeed in the face of stiff competition. On the path to today’s success they had to overcome many hurdles and deal breaking situations. Be they entrepreneurs who built a factory on a greenfield site, processed a privatisation project or launched an internet startup, all invested a huge amount of hard work in their business activities. I believe that they will set an example that will inspire and motivate others to realise their business dream.”


Winner profile:
Jiří Hlavatý – JUTA a.s.
Jiří Hlavatý joined JUTA in Dvůr Králové as a machine engineer straight from school in 1972. He has now been working forty years for the JUTA brand, and before becoming director and then owner occupied many different positions in the firm. Today he manages 14 factories and 2,000 employees. The history of the traditional Czech firm JUTA goes back to the second half of the 19th century, when the factories in private ownership manufactured yarn, fabrics, bags and ropes from natural materials. After the Velvet Revolution, under the leadership of Jiří Hlavatý JUTA became the largest textile company in the Czech Republic, with an annual turnover of almost CZK 6 billion. More than 80% of the firm’s production is exported to 65 different countries. These days JUTA is mostly involved in the production of geo-textiles, hydro-insulation films and membranes for the construction industry. In Great Britain, where it owns a production plant, it is no. 1 on the market for hydro-insulation films. In the owner’s opinion the outstanding quality of its products, its flexibility, investment in technology, customer care and ongoing innovation are responsible for the good name of the firm. At present JUTA owns 51 registered trademarks and patents in the Czech Republic and other European countries. Jiří Hlavatý is a proud native of the City of Dvůr Králové and the entire region. Good news at work is often enough to recharge his batteries. He is an active sportsman and is happy to employ other sportspeople because they have a strong will and a desire to win. He is the proud sponsor of the football club FC Slovan Liberec.

Other EY Entrepreneur Of The Year finalists:
Jaroslava Valová, SIKO KOUPELNY a.s.
Libor Bittner, Bioveta, a.s.
Cyril Svozil, FENIX Trading, s. r. o.
František Kudela and Robert Kudela, Chropyňská strojírna, a.s.

The prize for EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 was awarded to Veronika Mouchová and Filip Říha of YesFresh s.r.o. Veronika Mouchová and Filip Říha supply boxes of delicious food of organic quality, i.e. grown and kept in harmony with nature. They destroy the myth that organic means simply wholegrain, healthy and vegetarian food for advocates of alternative lifestyles. For them organic means fresh, tasty and quality food with an added extra – the idea of preserving a healthy planet. In three to four years’ time they would like to be delivering food to school canteens around the Czech Republic.

The prize for EY Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 was awarded to František and Robert Kudela of Chropyňská strojírna, a.s., an important supplier of automated welding, assembly and transport lines. The company supplies mainly car manufacturers such as VW, Škoda and BMW, and is one of the ten top players in Europe in its sphere.

EY and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship again awarded a prize for EY Social Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013, this year to Jan Školník of the Broumov Region Development Agency (APRB), which among other things helps promote the idea that it makes sense to live in smaller towns and regions and support their development. Jan’s vision was that the border region of Broumov did not have to be marginalised, either for potential visitors and tourists or for its own population. The Broumov Region Development Agency has brought together partners from companies, municipalities and NGOs around this vision of a successful region, and shown that if the cooperation is there unexpected outcomes can be achieved. For instance, the APRB participates in the development of the Broumov Landscape Park, in which 40,000 live, and the project for the revitalisation of the Broumov Monastery educational and cultural centre, which is celebrating 800 years since the arrival of the Order of St Benedict in Broumov. A grant programme supporting active citizens and work with children and adolescents, the Treasures of Broumov Festival, and many other activities are proof not only of the vitality of the agency but of the region as a whole.

This year the judging panel decided to award a special prize. The prize was won by Gevorg Avetisyan of Marlenka international s.r.o. for his diligence and tenacity, which has seen the production and sale of his honey products almost double over the last three years.

The recipient of the MF DNES and iDNES.cz Readers’ Award for “Best Business Story” was Karel Nikl of Karel NIKL s.r.o. Karel Nikl is one of those lucky people whose hobby became his profession. He is a keen fisherman. He literally started his activities in a bath in a high-rise flat and today has a factory in Kolín for bait used to catch carp and a distribution warehouse of fishing requirements from which he supplies fishing shops in the Czech Republic and other European countries.

Regional winners

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Prague and Central Bohemia
Jaroslava Valová, SIKO KOUPELNY a.s.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Olomouc region
Cyril Svozil, FENIX Trading, s. r. o.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 South Moravia region
Libor Bittner, Bioveta, a.s.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Moravian Silesian region
Gevorg Avetisyan, Marlenka international s.r.o.

EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Hradec Králové region
Jiří Hlavatý, JUTA a.s.

EY Podnikatel roku 2013 Zlín region
František Kudela a Robert Kudela, Chropyňská strojírna, a.s.


When reaching its decisions the judging panel abides by international rules. The main evaluation criteria include strategic orientation, global reach, and of course a company’s financial results, which are a clear indicator of the health and future prospects of a firm. The evaluation process is complex and as well as financial data takes into account the personality of the competitor and their business story. The members of the judging panel also examine the business spirit of each nominee, their honesty and fairness, and their activities outside the company in society at large or the region.

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The competition is co-organised by the daily newspaper MF Dnes and iDNES.cz. The competition partners are Accredio and Raiffeisenbank. Support is also provided by the CzechInvest Agency, the TUESDAY Business Network, g82, and the US Business School Prague. The media partners are the magazine Forbes, the weekly Euro and Czech Radio 1 Radiožurnál.
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The EY Entrepreneur Of The Year competition is open to any company owner or manager who wields a deciding influence in its management and is an active member of its top management. The company must be at least two years old and employ at least 10 people. Anyone can nominate or suggest an entrepreneur for the competition, e.g. a colleague, customer, employee or relative.
Entrepreneurs may be nominated for the category EY Technology Entrepreneur Of The Year whose companies create technology or use it in an innovative way. The judging panel is chaired by Ivan Pilný, president of the TUESDAY Business Network, which is the guarantor of this category.
Entrepreneurs who have been in business at least two years and at most five years may be nominated for the EY Emerging Entrepreneur Of The Year.
For the eighth year running EY and the Schwab Foundation also awarded a prize for the EY Social Entrepreneur Of The Year (previously the Socially Beneficial Entrepreneur Of The Year). The competition is open to entrepreneurs who apply business principles in order to resolve social problems. They use their abilities and knowhow on projects that help needy groups of citizens, get involved in community projects, help the poor and employ the handicapped.