PREFA ONV has significantly expanded its product range and isn’t afraid to take on unusual projects

Over the past year, the subsidiary PrefaONV has undergone significant modernization. It has increased its production capacity and expanded its product range. But that’s not all. It has further plans for the future; for example, it intends to focus on the sale of 3D-printed concrete components.

“We can already produce almost anything from concrete, including custom-made products,” says Ilja Nikolov, director of Prefa in Ostrožská Nová Ves, in an interview, revealing the direction PrefaONV should take next.

What exactly did the modernization of PrefaONV entail?

Two-thirds of the production hall now features a brand-new floor, a new roof cladding, and a completely new electrical system, which is connected to more modern and energy-efficient machinery and equipment. The modernization thus affected virtually the entire production process. Over the past forty years that Prefa has been in operation, it was designed primarily for smaller order volumes. Once we became part of the PURPOSIA Group, we were able to purchase modern molds and other technologies—primarily molds for prestressed elements—which increased our production capacity approximately fourfold to the current 1,200 cubic meters per month. However, this is also closely linked to the need to increase our workforce. And not only in the production process, but also in project implementation and sales.

So you’ve also expanded your product range—is that correct?

Our product range has expanded to include prestressed elements, which our precast plant did not previously manufacture. This brings our product range to nearly 100 percent. At this point, we are capable of manufacturing almost anything out of concrete, including custom products. We can design, manufacture, and assemble complete reinforced concrete load-bearing structures not only for industrial buildings but, in fact, for anything built using precast concrete technology. We have also purchased a new rebar tying machine, which will speed up the production of rebar cages for precast elements. Increasing our production volume of bent rebar allows us to begin offering the production and supply of bent rebar for monolithic structures built directly on construction sites. We also plan to expand our production and sales of concrete “Lego” blocks, which we have so far been producing mainly for our own use.

Are you able to recruit qualified employees? Who are you looking for the most?

There are certain professions we’re constantly looking to fill—typically tensioners, machine mechanics, and other production workers, as well as production planners and site managers. However, filling some positions has been a long-standing challenge. We’re seeing higher turnover because, let’s say, blue-collar professions haven’t been very attractive in recent years, and companies are even poaching quality workers, assemblers, and tradespeople from one another. But we offer stability and the backing of a company within a holding structure, where our employees can be sure of good work. At the moment, we are one of the most important suppliers of prefabricated reinforced concrete structures for our sister company HSF System, both in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, so we do have orders, even though the construction market in the industrial and civil engineering segment has cooled somewhat over the past year.

That’s true; large logistics warehouses aren’t being built as much as in previous years. Where is your largest market right now?

There are significantly fewer large projects, but we’re also interested in smaller contracts, such as retail parks, sports arenas, and the like. We don’t need to produce a thousand cubic meters every month. We’re perfectly comfortable with the smaller segment of the market, where we have no problem manufacturing even very specific components or atypical shapes that large prefabrication companies don’t want to make because it’s unprofitable and production-intensive for them. It’s the same for us, but we don’t want to shy away from such challenges.

Do you supply and install structures based on the documentation provided, or do you design custom solutions for your customers’ projects?

We typically manufacture and install structures based on the project documentation provided; using that as a basis, we then prepare our own production documentation, in which we draw the individual components as they will appear in production so that our team can manufacture them precisely. However, if the client wishes, we are able to handle the project from the initial design through to its final implementation. Such a solution is, of course, more cost-effective for the client, because from the very beginning we are able to optimize the individual structural elements according to our molds, find the most suitable solution in terms of load-bearing capacity, and also the final price.

Are you considering further expansion of production and your product range in the future?

At this point, the space available in our current facility no longer allows for this. We are, of course, considering this in the long term, but everything depends on the economic situation and available space. In the future, we’d also like to build a smaller facility where we could house a 3D concrete printer from our sister company, Coral Construction Technologies, and print certain concrete components directly at Prefa. We’re currently involved in the construction of a church in Neratovice, whose tower will be produced using 3D printing technology, so we’re already gaining real-world experience with this technology. 3D printing would be more of a niche product line, and for now it’s really a long-term prospect—a direction in which we could potentially expand our production and offerings in the future. It would be a completely new type of product line, offering the possibility of producing unconventional—such as organic—shapes for concrete elements.