MORIS design celebrates its 25th anniversary
On May 7, 1997, Radomír Klofáč decided to start a business. With minimal experience but maximum ambition and enthusiasm, he embarked on his entrepreneurial journey. On the very same day, he found his first premises, an older plotter, and graphics, and began producing advertisements. Since then, everything has changed. The company has become a leading expert in in-store design, has grown to almost 150 employees, has won numerous awards for its concepts, and its services are used by the biggest brands in global retail.
"When I founded the company, post-revolutionary euphoria still prevailed, and the only thing that motivated you was enthusiasm. No one had time for the future, and few people thought about it. At that time, you decided on something and immediately started to implement it," recalls the company's founder, Radomír Klofáč, about the company's beginnings.
His enthusiasm and rapid start kept him so busy that he didn't even have time to think about the future. In short, he set a goal and went for it. "Back then, I made a decision and went for it. When you start from scratch, you have so many things to deal with that the future is so distant that you can't worry about it." His enthusiasm soon manifested itself in an increasing number of orders.
The company began designing sales stands, which were in high demand among retailers at the time. This meant expanding production. So he built a production hall, which kick-started the company's expansion. However, even he did not avoid obstacles on the way to his dream. Such a difficult moment came with the economic crisis in 2008–2009. "We didn't do anything wrong, but suddenly the phones stopped ringing and business came to a standstill worldwide. The only things that remained were costs and salaries," he says, describing the beginning of the crisis. At that time, however, Radomír Klofáč acted differently than other companies. He kept all his employees and began investing in their training and new technologies. He gradually reoriented the entire company towards in-store design, to a professional level that was unparalleled in Czechia. "Everyone tried to talk me out of it, the accountants scolded me, the bank threatened me, and reasonable people shook their heads. The competition laid off most of their employees to streamline costs and maintain profitability. But then one day, the crisis ended. Companies began to breathe again and look for suppliers who were ready to go." The economic crisis thus became a turning point for the company. At a time when the competition was decimated, MORIS design appeared with resources, know-how, and trained employees.
From that moment on, the company began to grow and gradually became a respected expert in in-store design, enjoying a number of successes. These include, for example, winning a key contract for more than 800 Teta drugstores. However, the successes were not limited to contracts. MORIS design has already collected over 70 awards from industry competitions for its projects. One such prestigious achievement was last year's victory at the prestigious POPAI AWARDS Paris, where the company was the only one in history to win three awards: gold, silver, and bronze. However, the founder considers something else to be the company's greatest success: "The greatest success and treasure of the company is that I have started to hand it over to my sons, who continue with the same dedication as I once did, and we have kept the company as a family business."
Building a company from scratch requires a lot of time and effort. As Radomír himself says, the much-talked-about work-life balance was a dirty word in the beginning. Twenty-five years ago, new companies were being created every day, and they all wanted to be successful. Those who wanted to stand out and stay ahead of the competition spent most of their time at work and had to find their own balance between work and family. "No one cared that you had a family or children at home. Those who spent all day at work were the biggest heroes. For many years, I didn't spend as much time with my children and wife as I should have, but what comforts me is the fact that today we have a great company that supports us and about 150 other families." When asked if he would join the MORIS project again, even knowing what awaited him, founder Radomír Klofáč answers without hesitation: "Sure, 107%!"
Today, as he gradually hands over the management of the company to his sons, Radomír enjoys more free time, which allows him to devote himself fully to his hobbies. "From my childhood to my 'grandchildhood', I have loved adventure. That's why I'm often in nature, most often in the forest. I love nature for its wildness and find humility in it. I like to travel the world, and most of all I love sailing. I take part in various expeditions, which fulfills me greatly." His love of yachting is reflected in MORIS design itself, which has been organizing the May Regatta—a sea race in Croatia—since 2013.
MORIS design is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. During that time, it has won numerous awards, gained new employees, and gained experience in the Czech Republic and abroad. It can boast successful projects for major companies such as Sportisimo, O2, Super Zoo, Tesco, and CK Fischer. And what will MORIS design look like in another 25 years, according to its founder?
"It will be a strong, great family business with an international presence. It will supply perfect products that are in high demand, serve people well, and make them happy. People will work for the company because they want to work for this particular company, and there will be waiting lists to work for us. The company will have high morale, a perfect management system, and will not destroy nature in any way. Does that sound like nonsense? Twenty-five years ago, it seemed like nonsense that we would have a company with 150 employees on 6,677 m2, which has over 70 international awards, manages to open several stores a day, operates in several EU countries, and is the leader in its field.
And MORIS design's birthday wish? "Better every day, my friend!"
