Petrof Piano maker records highest sales in nine years

The world-renowned Czech piano maker Petrof last year recorded a turnover to the tune of 245 million crowns, which is an increase by nine percent on the previous year.

Photo: Jiřina Mužíková / Czech Radio

The company, which had to overcome a major crisis in the first decade of the new millennium, has posted a growth for four consecutive years and last year’s sales were the highest over the past nine years. Its profit increased by 50 percent in 2017, to 12.6 million crowns.

“The year 2017 was definitely the most successful one since 2004, when I took over the leadership of the company,” Petrof’s president Zuzana Ceralová Petrofová, said in a press release.

The family-owned company from Hradec Králové, which started producing pianos in 1860s, was seriously hit by the global financial crisis. As a result, it was forced to lay off about half of its workforce in 2009 and switch to producing luxury kitchen furniture to survive the crisis.

The company sells its pianos in 65 countries worldwide. The main destination markets include China, Russia and Japan as well as Germany, France and Great Britain.

Last year, Petrof opened a cultural and business centre called Petrof Gallery on its premises, including a music hall for 500 people and a museum documenting the history of Petrof piano making.

“We would like to profile ourselves not only as piano makers, but also as supporters of culture and music education in the Hradec Králové region,” Ceralová Petrofová said in the company’s press release.