“I watched the announcement of the winners of the 2019 Village of the Year competition with great anticipation, and when Lipová won, I was absolutely delighted,” said Karel Ježek, who has been running a successful business in the village since 2003. At that time, he took over a local office equipment factory and, under the RON brand, expanded its products to virtually the entire world. Thanks to these business successes, he then purchased Mikov, a traditional Czech knife manufacturer, in 2017.
Lipová’s industrial tradition dates back to 1863, when Johann Hille founded a factory here to produce thin sheet metal (aluminum foil) and rolled wire. By the early 20th century, the company had become the largest manufacturer in its field in northern Bohemia. It later shifted its focus to the production of paper clips and small metal products.
The merger of the Lipová factory with Mikov in 2017 led to greater efficiency both in Lipová, which specializes in office equipment, and in Mikulášovice, where it manufactures cutlery. The company now employs more than a hundred people in Bohemian Switzerland. They are involved in a wide range of interesting projects, such as the “Rybička” made from recycled materials for Nespresso, or the production of sabers for high-ranking officers of the police and prison service.
“I’m a local patriot, and even though I live in nearby Mikulášovice, I believe that Bohemian Switzerland—which is sometimes portrayed as the rugged north—can offer people not only beautiful nature but also the prospect of good jobs. And the fact that Lipová was named Village of the Year 2019 confirms to me that this belief of mine is not just a naive dream,” added Karel Ježek.
Mikov is the largest Czech manufacturer of cutlery, office equipment, and industrial fasteners. Since 2019, it has also included another traditional Czech manufacturer of hand tools, Narex Bystřice.