In Břeclav, a town of twenty-five thousand near the Slovak and Austrian borders, a business empire has grown in recent years that, without much exaggeration, is known across Europe. Radka Prokopová and František Fabičovic founded Alcadrain here in 1998, and soon after its inception, the company started challenging more established sanitary technology manufacturers. Both owners have left a mark of their unique skills on the company. In František Fabičovic’s case, it is primarily technical expertise and the ability to constantly innovate the product portfolio. For Radka Prokopová, it is an exceptional business drive and the art of negotiating excellent terms even with the largest partners, whether customers or developers.

Today, the Alca group achieves annual revenues in the high billions of Czech crowns. Just in the Břeclav region, it employs over 700 people and has long ceased to be “just” the Central European leader in sanitary technology. Its products are making their way into Saudi Arabia, North Africa, and the Middle East. At the same time, in recent years, they have established themselves in markets where Czech products were long viewed with some skepticism, such as France or Germany, which have traditionally strong local manufacturers.

How is this possible? Alca has a gift for “seeing around corners” and can not only recover quickly from every crisis but also find new opportunities in it. The company withstood not only COVID, when people could not be allowed near the machines, but also a tornado that damaged the homes of many employees. And, of course, the war in Ukraine, which cut off access to rapidly growing markets in Russia and Belarus. “We lost a significant part of our revenue and had to look for new territories. But we found them,” says František Fabičovic. Instead of slowing down, growth continued.

Growth also through automation

Growth is, of course, every company’s dream, but in Alca’s case, it also faces practical limits. There is not an unlimited labor pool in Břeclav, and manufacturing positions do not attract everyone. Therefore, the group continuously invests in new machines, halls, and production lines to make operations as efficient and sustainable as possible. “Today, we are in a situation where one team can produce what used to require three. Thanks to modern technologies, we can offer people more comfortable and safer work while remaining competitive even in the toughest markets,” explains František Fabičovic.Alca does not rely solely on its existing portfolio but is also developing its own solution, Alcasystem, which offers custom prefabricated bathroom walls for large-scale development projects.

For many years, the K2 enterprise system has also helped the Alca group grow. It has witnessed—and supported—the company’s transformation from a local leader into a multinational group capable of making large acquisitions (for example, FV-Plast), efficiently managing production of several hundred products, handling the logistics chain, and quickly opening new foreign markets.

“For me personally, this is one of the most inspiring stories of Czech companies. When we first arrived in Břeclav, we felt it was a company with incredible internal energy. But in recent years, we’ve had the chance to see several times that it can overcome complex obstacles with ease. They always see the way forward. We are thrilled that we can support this by ensuring the system always meets the company’s current ambitions,” concludes Michal Potrepčiak, who oversees K2’s collaboration with the Alca group.