Cycling has always been and remains everything to Čestmír Kalaš. At the beginning of the 1990s, when the Tábor cycling team lacked financial support, he made a risky decision. Without any previous experience, he set up a factory to produce cycling clothing, from which some profits ensured the survival of the team. It is has been 30 years since Čestmír Kalaš began to build a company that has now over 200 employees and sells to more than 50 countries. We bring you a unique story to follow up on how one determined cyclist embarked on an uncertain business and managed to build his production into world-class cycling apparel that is recognized at the very top of the world peloton.
Chapter 3
It takes two
Kalaš expanded his production in Veselí nad Lužnicí (a town not far from Tábor) in the former Lidové družstvo Blata (People's Cooperative Blata), which manufactured knitted products for the army and police. It was a reliable cooperation from which both parties mutually benefited. However, over time it became clear that the production of custom designed cycle wear was much more complicated than it first seemed, and to maintain the quality of the products and ensure the smooth running of production, Kalaš decided to shift the production all under one roof in nearby Tábor. This meant he had to hire new employees and purchase additional machinery.
"I was very grateful for the help I received at the Lidové družstvo Blata at that time. Although all the logistics between Tábor and Veselí nad Lužnicí were sometimes complicated, I am glad that they helped us out with the production at that time."
One of the first seamstresses who was at the birth of the expanding Tábor cycle wear workshop.
As orders increased, so did the frequency of regular trips across the Czech border. When Kalaš took the finished clothes to Switzerland, he had to go through customs on every trip. As it is the case with successful people, those who are blessed with unique qualities (in Čestmír Kalas' case, diligence, and tenacity), usually they have weaknesses in other areas.
"I've always been rather sloppy with paperwork. A lady from customs told me one day during an inspection: ‘Mr. Kalaš, get your papers together or you'll end up being arrested!’ I replied: ‘Would you like to work for me?’"
Since the customs office was downsizing, Petra Filipová accepted Kalaš' offer. She had no idea, however, that she would not just be in charge of checking the documents needed to export clothes abroad. As the production prospered, she gradually started to do the bookkeeping, order processing, and even organizing the production. On days when the seamstresses were under time pressure to hit deadlines, she also sat down at the sewing machine to make sure that the promised orders could be finished in time.
"After a few years, when I realised how important she was to the whole running of the production, I offered her a share in the company, and to this day she is one of the important and leading figures in the company."
Petra Filipová, whom Kalaš offered a job at customs control, held several positions in the emerging company. She took care of accounting, order processing, production organisation and recruitment of new employees.
The Tábor workshop was thus managed equally by two people of different natures who complemented each other in the business and thus ensured its smooth running. Petra Filipová formed an important counterbalance to Kalaš' sometimes unrealistic visions and steered him back to earth.
Orders from Switzerland to produce the Swiss brand were normally very regular, but even so, there came a period when the Tábor workshop had nothing to sew. The uncertainty caused Kalaš and Filipová to fear this could be the end. With several employees to pay and little work coming in, the business was at risk. They needed to find additional opportunities, so agreed with Toni Maier that they would start selling cycling clothes in Czechoslovakia under his Swiss brand. Thanks to Kalaš' extensive connections in the world of Czechoslovak cycling, he quickly saturated the demand for custom clothing and was able to secure the extra work for his employees.
"Word quickly got out that we were making quality custom clothing in Tábor, so there was no shortage of new orders from domestic customers."
In the days before the internet, orders were sent by post or handled by telephone.
Customers had to rely on their own artistic skills and imagination to convey their idea for production.
Before Kalas even started making cycle wear, the clothing for the Czechoslovak national team was already supplied by the Swiss brand (for which the Tábor coach later set up a workshop in Tábor). At the beginning of the 1990’s, the national team was growing, which increased the demand for more clothing. The then secretary of the union, engineer Houba, picked up the phone to arrange more clothes for the Czechoslovak national team in Switzerland.
"The sponsorship at that time was handled by Toni's wife, who, after hearing the request for more kit uttered the historic sentence: ‘Monsieur Ýba, genug!’ (Mr Ýba, enough!). And with that she ended the sponsorship from Switzerland and decided that the Czechoslovak national team would receive clothing from Kalaš at our expense."
The moment Kalaš could sell cycling clothing domestically, all the equipment for the national team began to be made entirely in Tábor. (PHOTO: Archive of Luboš Lom)
To be continued...