Clear values help us stay on track

Many of MTX Group subsidiaries have a long history. METALIMEX has been operating for over 70 years, Strojmetal Aluminium Forging will soon celebrate 200 years, and AL INVEST Břidličná has been processing aluminum for almost 90 years. OKK Koksovny has been making coke for 180 years, and Měď Povrly has been working with copper and brass for over 120 years. History and tradition are an important value of our group, just like those many other values central to our everyday operation. It might seem values are clearly based on habits and that there is no point in talking about them. We do consider values based on tradition to be important, but we have also decided to define new and modern values that represent who we are and what we do. All key group managers were involved in defining these values, and they were finalized by the owner, Petr Otava, himself. We designed them to support our vision as a group. “We consider teamwork particularly important for setting these values, because we as managers need to stand by them before we communicate them to the employees. Ideally, we want the values to be reflected in the everyday lives of our employees. In addition, managers should lead by example and show no tolerance when someone doesn‘t respect our values. We believe clear values determine our behavior, the way we conduct business, the people we recruit and the partners we choose to work with. They also make our business stronger for the future,” describes Jana Zimová, Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Human Resources Officer of MTX Group. When you have defined values for the whole group, it may turn out difficult to implement them in the individual companies. The group management strongly emphasizes the importance of decentralization, when the subsidiaries have authority and responsibility in their own operations. Therefore, the group values serve mostly as the main principles of operation and they are complemented by the values of each individual company, which are based on unique work cultures. We can’t just apply the work culture of one subsidiary to another. Management style also can’t be dictated from above. To visualize MTX Group values , here is an acrostic, or Scrabble, if you will. It helps us highlight how the six key values are connected and how they affect one another. The way they are connected makes them stronger. By connecting the names of our values, we get the word FUTURE. In other words, if we follow our values every day, we do not have to worry about what will happen in a year or in five years or even in twenty years. We will have a stable job. “They say if you look at your financial statements, you see how you did in the past. And if you look at your work culture, you see how you will do in the future. Implementing group values in the individual work cultures is the main pillar of successful operation. Priorities change, but fixed values stay and help us stay on track,” Jana Zimová concludes.

Profitability

Making sure each company makes a profit is a key part of our strategy. Profit makes the companies grow and allows us to invest in people, machines, processes, and stability. It also allows the group to expand. However, I am talking about profitability in the broad sense of the word, not just in terms of achieving high revenues and low expenses. It is important for us to find meaning or purpose in what we do. The answer to the question “What can we gain from this?” should be the first step. “Many of our colleagues, myself included, came to us after having worked in big corporations, where the answer to this question is often unclear. In MTX, you will not see someone spending long hours on a presentation that will eventually be canceled or working on pointless projects. We constantly evaluate our actions and are not afraid to step away from something that no longer makes sense,” Jana Zimová says.

Sustainability

We want to be sustainable when it comes to environmental impact and following long-term values, in our material development, production, choice of suppliers, corporate culture, and care for our employees. Our strength is processing and recycling scrap and making lightened materials. We invest in lowering the energy demand of our production and logistical changes to gradually lower our environmental impact. That includes more environmentally friendly technology. We also want to provide a sustainable workplace for our employees. “We want our companies to have a clear direction and long-term perspective. We are working on a safe, healthy and respectful workplace that cares about the health of everyone in it. In terms of sustainability, we also support events in the cities and regions where we are located,” adds the HR Director.

Innovation

Innovation and modernization are the things that move us forward, the things that help us turn our plans into reality and give us an advantage over our competitors. We innovate our products thanks to our own research and development team. In AL INVEST Břidličná, we are developing new materials for flat rolled products made from aluminum or for packaging materials. At Měď Povrly, our colleagues are designing and developing brass cups for our clients. Strojmetal Aluminium Forging designs and constructs aluminum car chassis parts. We also try to maximize the innovative potential of our employees by using feedback loops. We look at all constructive ideas because they can really help us innovate. Improving workflows in manufacturing companies as well as in business or administration, or in the approach to leadership and communication, is another important innovation. We are constantly looking for new, simpler and more modern ways to do our jobs.

Jana Zimová

Photo: Barbora Mráčková

Focus

We believe that when we focus our energy and resources on one thing, we will be more successful than when we focus on more things simultaneously. We also try to make the most of our know-how and develop it further. “For example, METAL- IMEX is a company that focuses on a specific market and specific clients. They have seven sales divisions, each of which focuses on a specific segment,” says Jana Zimová. Employees of the division have particular expertise and can be professional partners to their customers. Another example is Strojmetal Aluminium Forging, where we fully devote ourselves to the process of forging aluminum parts for the automotive segment because that is something we do best, and we further expand it with machining and assembly. Continuous evaluation of our activities and fast reaction to changes are especially important for MTX Group.

Teamwork

Teamwork is the foundation of our success, and we are convinced that a well-coordinated team can do much more than its individual members in total. Everything that happens in our companies takes place in teams, whether formal or informal. We create diversified teams whose strength lies not only in sharing experience and knowledge but also in inspiring others, building a relaxed working atmosphere and creating a team mentality that helps meet goals. “A good example of teamwork is sharing experience in traditional industries such as rolling or aluminum casting. Unfortunately, these fields are no longer taught in schools, so we need to pass these skills from generation to generation. Another example of a diversified team is METALIMEX, with women representing 56% of its workforce, including in management positions and senior sales posts. Most companies have teams composed of both “old bards” and young people who want to be part of a manufacturing group and see a tangible result behind their work, i.e., a manufactured product. Efficient, decent and professional cooperation is a key pillar of our work culture. And not only within the companies, but also between them,” Jana Zimová says.

Safety

Safety is another foundation we build our work environment on. Improving the working conditions is important for us, and all of our subsidiaries are working on it. Following the law, designing safety measures and accident prevention are a matter of course. But we want to have a working environment where everyone returns home to their loved ones safe and healthy. This is a never-ending journey, and the primary goal is for the employees to take personal responsibility for their health and report what needs to be changed and fixed.

Jana Zimová

Photo: Barbora Mráčková