Kofola canceled the contract for the corporate headquarters from Pleskot due to the coronavirus

Ostrava – Beverage producer Kofola canceled a public contract worth 179 million koruna at the end of March, in which it was selecting a company to build a new corporate headquarters. The reason is the epidemic of the new type of coronavirus and government measures against the spread of the infection, which among other things closed restaurants. Kofola planned to renovate one of the buildings on the site of the former Hlubina Mine in the Lower Vítkovice area in Ostrava for its headquarters.

"During the procurement procedure, objective economic reasons emerged, for which it is not fair to demand that the client continue with this procurement process," explained Kofola's Deputy Chairman of the Board René Musila in the document announcing the cancellation of the contract. "The client did not cause these reasons and could not foresee them before the start of the procurement procedure," he added.

The building was supposed to open for Kofola employees and visitors in 2022. It is unclear when the company will return to the project. "We have decided to change our plans regarding the construction of a new headquarters and postpone the implementation date," the spokesperson for Kofola, Jana Ptačinská Jirátová, was quoted by the server.

The company obtained a grant of nearly 71 million koruna from the Integrated Regional Operational Program for the project, which is why it had to tender a public contract. According to the Ministry for Regional Development, the grant remains valid if Kofola can complete the project by the end of September next year. "If the recipient had serious reasons for extending the project and these reasons were in accordance with the support rules, it would be possible to extend the project," added the ministry spokesperson Veronika Vároši.

For its headquarters, Kofola wanted to refurbish the New Baths building, which it already owns, in the former Hlubina Mine area. The building was to receive a glass extension according to the design by architect Josef Pleskot and was to include a visitor path.

Due to the closure of restaurants, Kofola temporarily stopped producing products intended primarily for the gastronomy sector, such as drinks in glass or barrels, at the end of March. It also began delivering drinks free of charge to senior homes, healthcare facilities, or rescuers.

Kofola has nine production plants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Poland. Kofola's product range includes beverages under the same name, as well as brands like Rajec, Jupí, Vinea, Jupík, Semtex, and Top Topic. Kofola employs nearly 2,000 people, about 700 of whom are in the Czech Republic. The company currently resides in the Ostrava district of Poruba.