It focussed on the approximately 70 employees of MCZ who made successful development possible over the past ten years. Around 35 per cent of all Mayer & Cie. machines are now assembled at the Czech Mayer works. They include S and D line machines and knitting heads for the factory in China. Benjamin Mayer congratulated his team on this success, saying: “You all do an outstanding job every day and we are proud of employees of your calibre!”

“Something of a risk”

In his anniversary speech Managing Director Mayer described the Czech subsidiary as a “showpiece enterprise that makes a substantial contribution to the success of Mayer & Cie.” In this connection he emphasised the work of Stanislav Stastny, who managed MCZ from 2011 until 2018, and Production Manager Rainer Müller. In 2011 the early days had been anything but easy. Back then Mayer & Cie. itself was in heavy weather after the economic crisis and scheduled insolvency in 2009. “2011 was a time of departure for us, of positioning the company soundly for the future,” Benjamin Mayer recalled. The challenges were to face up to competitive pressure from Asia and cater for burgeoning demand. When in 2011 the opportunity arose to take over Amtek, an insolvent company in Czechia, Mayer & Cie. grasped the initiative. The company had a payroll of around 25 employees and an empty order book. Yet the takeover, Mayer said, was “nevertheless something of a risk.”