4 minute read
We build good relationships
Strojmetal has been based in Kamenice near Prague for over 200 years. We know that being neighbors with a factory stands on good relations – and we care deeply about them. After all, many of our employees live in Kamenice or the surrounding areas, and it is our primary goal to behave responsibly, to constantly improve and to participate proactively in municipal projects.
The inhabitants of Kamenice and its surroundings told us about excessive noise from our area. We immediately measured the noise levels with an accredited company. The results showed that all parts of our production are actually below the legal noise limit. Nevertheless, we take this development as a challenge for continuous improvement and have taken measures to reduce noise level even further, and we still plan to reduce more.
Constantly decreasing noise levels
The CFO of MTX Group and the Executive Director of Strojmetal, Miroslav Záhorec, has made noise pollution reduction his personal mission. “The new Strojmetal owner has already spent millions of Czech crowns to reduce noise pollution and will continue to do so,” he revealed. Most of the investments went to the older part of the production hall at the back. “For example, we have turned all air vents away from the residential area. The air conditioning engines are equipped with shock absorbers and we have also stopped loading and unloading trucks at night,” the executive director describes. Thanks to these measures, noise from the back of the plant has been reduced to 33-38 decibels (which is 2 dB below the legal limit). The new forge hall, the ”339”, is designed to respect the current requirements for noise level reduction. “The hall is clad with extra thick noise suppression panels. They allowed us to reduce the overall noise level by up to 30%,” he explains. “But our plans were thwarted for a while by a bug. Seriously. Because of a bark beetle invasion, the national forest management authority, had to clear a large part of the forest right next to us, which used to absorb noise from our operation. Unfortunately, there was no way to prevent this. We immediately began to negotiate with the representatives of Kamenice. A special task force was set up to find ways to further reduce noise pollution. Thanks to this body, the company plans to further invest over 25 million Czech crowns. We are also considering replacing the air conditioning unit and building a shelter roof,” Záhorec adds.
Restoring the chateau park in Kamenice
We helped revive the park adjoining the chateau in Kamenice. Strojmetal Aluminium Forging a.s. (SAF) is involved in improving public spaces in Kamenice, both in terms of construction and financing. In cooperation with Jana Kohlová, a municipal councilor, and Aleš Rudl of the National Heritage Institute, a project was created to restore the chateau park and save the chateau (facade and roof frames). You can already see the first results. “We have repaired the chateau walls and the fence around the park (according to the conservationists’ requirements). Also, the chateau gate had a facelift and the surroundings of the Church of St. Francis Seraph were cultivated. We are involved mostly in growing flowers in the park by the chateau,” Miroslav Záhorec says. He himself is very fond of the park and cares about it very much. More than 1.6 million Czech crowns from SAF funds were invested in making the municipality more attractive, and we are planning to invest more. “We are pleased that the beautiful magnolia tree is flourishing, after being damaged by the former owner of the chateau through his inconsiderate interventions. It now has deep roots and will embellish the park for several decades to come,” says the company representative.
Plans for the future
Cooperation with the municipality is ongoing. We agreed that the company’s parking lot (next to the existing new machining hall) can also be used by visitors to the sports complex and the church on weekends in a controlled, safe way. Financially and organizationally, SAF will support cultural, sporting and educational events in Kamenice. “We are planning ahead and are already thinking about Christmas, so we have agreed to organize a Christmas concert in the church next to our company,” Záhorec reveals.
