EK-INDUSTRY: A Czech company changing the way people see machine safety

Interview with Eduard Pidra, owner of EK-INDUSTRY, s.r.o.

What inspired the founding of the company?

We were established in 2010, while the effects of the economic crisis were still being felt. I bought part of the company where I had worked as a sales manager. The crisis gave me an opportunity that represented a life-changing challenge for me.

In the same year, our first division was established – electrical component sales. We became the exclusive distributor of a major European brand, which ranks among the most successful on the market thanks to its specialised products for the lift sector.

From the outset, I saw enormous potential for simplifying and improving the industrial world in Czechia and Slovakia. It just needed time and the right people to help me bring these visions to life.

The beginnings were fairly “punk”. In a single day, my wife and I moved the warehouse from Prague to Brno. My wife took over logistics, accounting and all the administration, while I handled sales. In this way, we smoothly took over all the commercial operations of my previous employer.

Company history and major milestones

I have spent my entire professional life in industry in various roles. Securing exclusive representation was the first step towards fulfilling my vision.

In 2015, we established a branch in Slovakia, which later became an independent limited liability company. The Czech and Slovak industrial markets are closely interconnected, and this step enabled us to significantly strengthen our market position.

In 2016, we established a project department, which today is the main pillar of our contribution to the industrial market.

In 2018, a third division was established – a production department that delivers turnkey customer projects.

In 2019, we joined the programmes of Jihomoravské inovační centrum (JIC), and thanks to this cooperation we successfully completed several projects, including the digitalisation of the company.

Since 2020, we have focused on developing our employees' professional skills and obtaining the necessary certifications, such as ISO, TÜV Rheinland and others.

The present

Today, our brand represents the idea of “turnkey industrial safety”. Through this, we want to show that Czech industry does not have to be full of old and dangerous machines.

In many cases, safety does not require investments in the hundreds of thousands or millions. All it takes is to create a comprehensive plan and implement the individual steps gradually.

However, Czechia still lacks companies that address machinery safety comprehensively. Many companies are therefore hesitant – they are accustomed to each specialist handling only one part of a project. Individual tasks often fail to connect, and the entire process of modernisation, adding safety measures or improving production efficiency is unnecessarily prolonged.

But it should not be this way. At EK-INDUSTRY, we therefore promote the concept of “turnkey safety”.

This year, we are preparing an information campaign on machinery safety in the form of podcasts and short videos. Although Czechia has many excellent specialists and training courses, awareness of this issue is still relatively low.

Every month, we receive more than twenty questions about the interpretation of standards and directives. It is great that people are interested in safety – and we want to accommodate them through videos they can watch in their free time as well.

Vision and future plans

Our goal is to continuously improve our services so that we contribute to reducing workplace accidents, increasing production efficiency and simplifying production.
We also place great emphasis on cybersecurity, which is becoming increasingly important in modern industry.
We want both Czech and Slovak industry to be safe. Hence our motto:

“With us, you are SAFE!”

The company and its employees

Over the course of our operations, we have clearly defined values that we will not compromise on. We are a company of passionate people. Our corporate culture is based on loyalty, professionalism and respect for every employee's contribution. If an idea is feasible, we will support it.

It is not enough to have values written on the wall – you need to live by them. Our first two employees, apart from my wife and me, still work with us today. They are people I can rely on at any time. And they know that I will stand by them.

That is the kind of company I want to build. Anyone who does not understand this principle will not succeed with us in the long term.
We are proud that most of our employees are growing professionally. At the same time, we also respect those who want to remain in their positions and devote more time to their families or hobbies.

I am particularly proud that we have created a number of part-time positions for students, mothers returning from parental leave and others. Our experience has confirmed that these people deliver exceptional performance – and we value that immensely. 

Eduard Pidra, owner of EK-INDUSTRY and EK-INDUSTRY SK