umdasch The Store Makers opens expansion of the site in Litomyšl, Czech Republic

umdasch The Store Makers celebrated the opening of its expanded production and office space at its Czech site in Litomyšl on 23 April 2025 after a construction phase of around one and a half years. The investment in additional capacity is an important step for the shopfitting company to strengthen its own production and versatile service portfolio in Europe.

The ground-breaking ceremony on 7 November 2023 marked the official start of the construction phase, which extended over the entire year 2024 and represents another important milestone in the history of umdasch The Store Makers' Czech site. Originally founded as the shopfitting company Story Design, it has been part of the Umdasch Group's shopfitting division since 2015.

Historic milestone for the Litomyšl site

In the ten years or so since its acquisition, the Czech site with its wood, metal and plastic production has established itself as a strong partner for international customers with standardised and multipliable store concepts. These include renowned brands such as leading global car manufacturers, banks and companies in the system catering sector, which rely on the expertise of the shopfitting specialists, especially for the realisation of international rollout projects, some of which have hundreds of branches throughout Europe. The takeover has also enabled umdasch The Store Makers to consolidate its position as one of Europe's leading shopfitting companies. The recently completed expansion of capacity has now strengthened the company's own production and services in Central Europe.

Increased flexibility and better delivery times

The production area has been increased by a total of 5,000 square metres, which corresponds to a doubling of the previous timber production. By increasing the level of automation in production, the investment also represents an important step towards digitalisation, a core topic throughout the company. "The combination of newly created space and the acquisition of modern machines with a higher degree of automation will have a very positive impact on our production capacities. For us, this is a decisive step towards effective growth," says Silvio Kirchmair, CEO of umdasch The Store Makers, describing the investment. The site will be even more attractive for future rollout projects in various retail segments.

The increased in-house production also increases flexibility for customers in particular. Kirchmair sees this as a significant added value: "Following the expansion, we will be able to optimise our delivery times and handle major Europe-wide projects even better and faster as a result. We expect a further improvement in competitiveness and the already extraordinarily high level of customer satisfaction."

Modern working environment
In addition to the additional production units and a newly created shipping warehouse, new community spaces for the workers were built on a further 600 square metres, which were added with an additional floor. The office area was also expanded and modernised as part of the construction project. Around 30 workstations for project management, sales and administrative activities have been created on a total of 250 square metres. "With the expansion of our production area, we have also invested in modern premises for our employees in order to create a completely modernised working environment for our motivated team in Litomyšl," says Kirchmair. The company also wants to grow in other respects at the Czech location: umdasch The Store Makers' second-largest location after Leibnitz in Austria plans to create around 30 new jobs and thus employ 260 people. This makes it one of the most important employers in the region.

In the course of the construction project, various sustainability measures were also taken into account in order to support the goal of the entire Umdasch Group to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gases by 2040. A key step in the expansion of the production halls in Litomyšl is the installation of a photovoltaic system on the entire new building, which will be completed in the course of this year. The diversity of plants at the site is also being continuously expanded: with trees, shrubs and around 10,000 plants, the company premises will provide space for the biosphere.

Official opening and strategic importance of the investment
The official opening of the new production areas and premises took place on 23 April 2025 in the presence of representatives of the owner family, the Management Board of Umdasch Group AG and the management of umdasch The Store Makers in Litomyšl. The investment in the heart of Europe is important for umdasch The Store Makers in many respects, as CEO Silvio Kirchmair explained in his opening speech: "With the expanded production capacities, we are further strengthening our position among the leading shopfitting companies on the European market. On the one hand, production in Central Europe makes us more flexible and, on the other, it is also a commitment to Europe as a business location and to local value creation."

Grand opening ceremony on 17 May 2025

On Saturday, 17 May 2025, umdasch The Store Makers is inviting the local population and interested applicants to an open day in Litomyšl. Anyone interested will have the unique opportunity to experience the company up close and take a look behind the scenes. Visitors can look forward to interesting discussions and a varied supporting programme for the whole family.