TOMAS BATA
Tomas Bata
Born: 3 April 1876 Austria-Hungary
Died: 12 July 1932 Otrokovice, Czechoslovakia
Tomas Bata (April 3, 1876 - July 12, 1932) was the founder of Bata Shoes,
one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and
distributors of footwear and accessories.
Tomas Bata established the organization in Zlin on August 24, 1894. His brother
Jan Antonin Bata and sister later became partners in the firm. Though the
organization was newly established, the family had a long history of shoemaking,
spanning eight generations and over three hundred years. This heritage helped
boost the popularity of his new firm very quickly. With the introduction of
factory-style production and long distance retailing, Bata modernized the shoe-making
industry and the company surged ahead in production and profits right from its
nascent years.
Eventually, Bata obtained sole control over the company. World War I created a
booming demand for military shoes, and the company quickly became one of the
prime brands. Tomas also exhibited his business acumen, with his initiatives
towards producing low-cost shoes for the general public, whose purchasing power
had been significantly reduced in the aftermath of the war. He also set up
factories and companies in other countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, India, the
Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. These factories
were made self-sufficient and autonomous in their design, production and
distribution strategies, in a move to focus them towards catering to the local
population. By the early 1930s, the Bata enterprise and Czechoslovakia were the
world's leading footwear exporters.
Bata is also widely regarded as a businessman with an acute sense of social
consciousness. He is quoted by many as one of the first pioneers of employee
welfare and social advancement programs. He is credited with efforts to
modernize his hometown providing the people with employment, and housing
facilities, making him a very popular citizen in the town. He also became the
mayor of Zlin.
Tomas Bata
Born: 3 April 1876 Austria-Hungary
Died: 12 July 1932 Otrokovice, Czechoslovakia
Tomas Bata (April 3, 1876 - July 12, 1932) was the founder of Bata Shoes,
one of the world's biggest multinational retailers, manufacturers and
distributors of footwear and accessories.
Tomas Bata established the organization in Zlin on August 24, 1894. His brother
Jan Antonin Bata and sister later became partners in the firm. Though the
organization was newly established, the family had a long history of shoemaking,
spanning eight generations and over three hundred years. This heritage helped
boost the popularity of his new firm very quickly. With the introduction of
factory-style production and long distance retailing, Bata modernized the shoe-making
industry and the company surged ahead in production and profits right from its
nascent years.
Eventually, Bata obtained sole control over the company. World War I created a
booming demand for military shoes, and the company quickly became one of the
prime brands. Tomas also exhibited his business acumen, with his initiatives
towards producing low-cost shoes for the general public, whose purchasing power
had been significantly reduced in the aftermath of the war. He also set up
factories and companies in other countries like Poland, Yugoslavia, India, the
Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the United States. These factories
were made self-sufficient and autonomous in their design, production and
distribution strategies, in a move to focus them towards catering to the local
population. By the early 1930s, the Bata enterprise and Czechoslovakia were the
world's leading footwear exporters.
Bata is also widely regarded as a businessman with an acute sense of social
consciousness. He is quoted by many as one of the first pioneers of employee
welfare and social advancement programs. He is credited with efforts to
modernize his hometown providing the people with employment, and housing
facilities, making him a very popular citizen in the town. He also became the
mayor of Zlin.