Cyril Svozil, founder of the FENIX Group, is one of the first post-revolutionary entrepreneurs. He based his business on solidity, obligingness and inventiveness. Since the beginning of his business, Western Europe has been one of his priorities. He sees the energy crisis as an opportunity and has put his innovative thinking into the FENIX energy concept. His management and entrepreneurial skills have been recognised in numerous competitions.
This year, your company Fenix Trading s.r.o. received the award “The most stable company in the Czech Republic”, and this was not the only award this year. What does it mean for you personally and what are your managerial priorities?
This award from Dun & Bradstreet, the most renowned rating agency, is a true recognition of our corporate strategy and culture! The company‘s values are contained in the so-called Ten Commandments, which were created 32 years go, and I would not change anything about them today. It espouses traditional values with a clear focus on the customers and meeting their needs, seriousness in business and personal relationships, and a focus on long-term development! Nowadays, it sounds a bit archaic, because in these strange current times, customers are more and more removed from the decision-making process, with state and supranational regulations determining what is and is not good and appropriate for them! The focus of large corporations, in particular, is completely different from meeting the needs of customers! However, good old capitalism is still alive in our company, and I believe that the EU will return to it in time!
You offer a comprehensive range of electric heating and claim that “only the sun can do it better”. What makes it comprehensive?
With almost 33 years of history, we are a truly traditional manufacturer of electric radiant heating systems, and we export these products to 72 countries on all continents! Since 2013, we have also been working on the so-called comprehensive solution summarised under the name “Fenix Energy Concept”! Ever since then, a problem has been looming which dominates the present day, especially in Europe: the energy crisis caused by the absolutely insane EU policy (i.e. the Green Deal) coupled with the behaviour of the largest EU country – Germany (i.e. with Energiewende, or “energy turnaround”). It was clear that not only would energy in Europe be significantly more expensive, but also that there will be a critical shortage (which I already expect this winter).
That is why we came up with the concept of a fully electrified, energy-efficient building equipped with its own power generation (PV) and battery storage allowing 100% use of its own energy and smooth survival even during power outages. We have now adapted this system to the six-fold increase in electricity prices and by actively using the so-called daily spot electricity market, where the system not only automatically buys energy at the most favourable hours, but even sells energy to the grid at the highest tariffs! In this way, we are able to provide our customers with very favourable electricity prices practically at the level of the 90s for the whole house, including their electric heating!
You are essentially a European company. This year, you opened a new production and sales plant in Slovakia. How is business in Slovakia?
We established a branch in Slovakia in 1993, when it became clear that after the division of the Federation, it would not be possible to serve the important Slovak market from the Czech Republic. In the course of Dzurinda’s significant reforms, which created a very good environment for business activities in Slovakia, we decided to expand the original business part with our own production. This part grew over the years and eventually started to supply its products to the Fenix holding network, which has production and sales branches in nine European countries and sells its products on all continents. The decision to build a new plant was made three years ago, when we purchased a suitable site, and construction was completed in June of this year. Consequently, the production capacity in Slovakia has increased more than fivefold.
Thank you for the interview.
