DHL wins Czech Investor of the Year award for 2003
Logistics company DHL was the most beneficial foreign investor in the Czech economy last year, according to results of the Investor of the Year 2003 contest, which government agency CzechInvest spokeswoman Jana Viskova presented to CTK today.
DHL will build a European service centre in Prague for nearly Kc5.8bn and create 866 new jobs.
ExxonMobil, which employed 1,300 people in a Kc2.4bn services centre in Prague, ranked second. Next came air conditioning producer Daikin whose Kc3bn investment in Plzen, West Bohemia, created jobs for 430 people.
Important projects were also implemented by Continental HT Tyres in Zlin and Otrokovice, South Moravia, TG Safety Systems in Chomutov and Klasterec nad Ohri, North Bohemia, and by Panasonic in Plzen.
“The results confirm that the Czech Republic has become a Central European centre for strategic services and technology centers,” CzechInvest CEO Martin Jahn said.
Experts chose the project for development, innovations and construction of rail vehicles by Siemens Kolejova vozidla as an investment with the biggest innovation potential.
Carl Hahn, honorary supervisory board chairman at Czech car maker Skoda Auto and former chairman of the board of directors at Skoda Auto owner Volkswagen AG, has received a special award for Volkswagen’s extraordinary contribution to the development of foreign investment in the Czech Republic.
CzechInvest attracted direct investments worth a total of USD1.2bn (nearly Kc38bn) to the Czech economy last year, some Kc7bn more against 2002. Thanks to 60 investment projects, nearly 12,000 new jobs were created in the country.
