Czech glassworks Květná wins contract to furnish Rolls-Royce cars
The Czech glassworks Květná has won a prestigious contract for furnishing Rolls-Royce car interiors. The company, based in the Uherské Hradiště region, will provide the cars with a set consisting of a bottle, a bourbon glass and a champagne glass.
The contract, worth hundreds of thousands of crowns, is valid for the whole of 2021. According to its director Marek Mikláš, the company can ship about a hundred sets a month.
“It’s an honour for us. We cooperate with a lot of carmakers, such as Volkswagen, Mercedes or Bugatti. But Rolls-Royce is really something special,” he told the Czech News Agency.
Handmade glasses from Květná will also appear at this year’s World Expo, which is due to start on October 1 in Dubai. “We are now equipping a restaurant in the Czech pavilion, so whoever goes to the exhibition will definitely drink from our glass,” Mr. Mikláš said.
The company, which supplies glass to the market under the Květná 1794 brand, recently launched e-shops in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as Austria and Germany.
“E-shops and associated advertising are absolutely crucial for the glassworks because they let the general public know that we produce exceptional, original glass.” Květná’s owner Lubor Cerva told the Czech News Agency.
The glassworks in Květná, which is located in the village of Strání at the Moravian-Slovak border, exports its products to more than 50 countries across the world. According to Mr. Mikláš, about 90 percent of their production is destined for abroad.
A substantial part of the production goes to Austria and Germany, but it is also available in other European countries and in the U.S.
Last year, the glassworks’ business was significantly reduced by the restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We were closed for almost four months. We used this time to build a new furnace and to fix all sorts of things. The situation turned around completely this year. The orders started coming and the demand for our hand-made glass has increased,” Mr. Mikláš told the Czech News Agency.
The glassworks in Květná was founded at the end of the 18th century by Prince Alois of Liechtenstein and during its heyday, it employed up to 550 people. Since 2018, the company has been owned by Cerva Bohemia and currently has some 85 employees.
