Thomas J. Bata
Thomas J. Bata | |
---|---|
Born | Tomáš Jan Baťa 17 September 1914 |
Died | 1 September 2008 | (aged 93)
Nationality | Czech |
Occupation(s) | Businessman and philanthropist |
Spouse | Sonja Wettstein |
Children | 4 |
Parent(s) | Tomáš Baťa Marie Menšíková |
Tomáš Jan Baťa,
Life and career
Baťa was born in the city of Prague, in what is now the Czech Republic, the son of Czech industrialist Tomáš Baťa. As a boy he apprenticed under his father, who began the T. & A. Bata Shoe Company in 1894 in Zlín (now in the Czech Republic). Baťa's father, however, was killed in a plane crash in 1932, when young Baťa was only 17.
One of the reasons for Tomáš Baťa's success was his vision to introduce new technologies to his company, taking production to massive levels worldwide. Another factor was World War I, which ended the market that the company had under the
In the mid-1930s, in the throes of the
Tomáš Baťa was the equivalent of Henry Ford in breakthrough technology for his time. The company's warehouse in the then Czechoslovakia was the first automated installation in Europe (designed by Peter Behrens, architect). In the company headquarters in Zlín, the central shaft of the building was an elevator with a personal office that could move from one floor to another. Like Ford, he established a repetitive mechanical system of production, which he called "work factor". Tomáš Baťa had a social concern for his employees, paying fair wages and contributing to their welfare with social programs and sports facilities sponsored and financially supported by the company.
Baťa attended school in Czechoslovakia, England and Switzerland. Anticipating the
Baťa successfully established and ran the new Canadian operations and during the war years, he sought to maintain the necessary coordination with as many of the overseas Bata operations as was possible. During this period, the Canadian engineering plant manufactured strategic components for the Allies, and Baťa worked together with the government in exile of President Beneš and other democratic powers. With the end of the war, the Bata company in Czechoslovak territory was nationalized and the communists began to take control and to eliminate anything even remotely reminding people of Baťa's system.
In 1945, it was clear that Zlín was lost and could no longer act as headquarters. Baťa held a meeting in East Tilbury near London, and the decision was taken that Bata Development Limited in England would become the service headquarters of the Bata Shoe Organization. In 1946, Bata operated 38 factories and 2,168 company shops; they produced 34 million pairs of shoes and employed 34,000 people. In 1948, however, Czechoslovakia was fully seized by the communist powers, and Bata enterprises in Poland, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria were lost.
The Bata Shoe Organization then expanded around the world. Between 1946 and 1960, 25 new factories were built and 1,700 company shops opened. In 1962, the Organization had production and sales activities in 79 countries – there were 66 factories and 4,100 company shops. Yearly output was 175 million pairs of shoes and the organization employed 80,000 people. Bata moved the headquarters of the organization to
In December 1989, after the communist government fell in Czechoslovakia, Baťa made a triumphant return to his hometown. Václav Havel, the Czech dissident leader and playwright turned president, asked Baťa to return. Baťa and his wife Sonja were greeted warmly in the main square in Zlín by thousands of cheering people. Baťa immediately initiated plans for the return of the organization to the place where it all started. By 2008, Bata's Czech subsidiary operated 93 shops in the Czech Republic, 25 in Slovakia and 43 in Poland.
By 2000, the Bata company was struggling in Canada. In 2000, the original Batawa factory was closed. In 2001, the Bata stores in Canada were closed and the Bata Organization relocated its headquarters to Switzerland. Baťa remained in Toronto with his wife, Sonja. Despite his age, Baťa continued to take an active role in the business. He continued to travel extensively and to visit many of the Bata operations around the world. He also maintained his extensive contacts with world political and business leaders.
Baťa died on September 1, 2008, at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. A cause of death was not announced. He was survived by his wife Sonja (née Wettstein), whom he had married in 1946, their son and three daughters.[2]
Legacy
Baťa was invested in 1972 as a Companion of the
Baťa worked with numerous charitable organizations. He was chairman of the Bata Shoe Foundation. His dedication to
Baťa participated in several leading business organizations. In Canada, he had been a director of
In 1969 the Bata Library was officially opened and after some reconstructions it was re-opened in 2018.[5]
Awards
- 1972 – Invested as a Companion of the Order of Canada[3]
- 1991 – Awarded the Czech Republic's top decoration, the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
- 2003 – Awarded the Retail Council of Canada's Lifetime Achievement Award
See also
- Bata shoe factory (East Tilbury)
- Bata Shoe Museum
- Tomas Bata Memorial (Zlín)
References
- ^ Meisel John, A Life of Learning and Other Pleasures, Wintergreen Studio Press, p. 34
- ^ "Thomas Bata, 93, dies in Toronto hospital". CTV News. September 2, 2008. Archived from the original on September 6, 2008.
- ^ a b Office of the Governor General of Canada. Order of Canada citation. Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 24 May 2010
- ^ "The FIRST International Award for Responsible Capitalism - Lifetime Achievement Medal".
- ^ "Thomas J. Bata Library | Trent University Library & Archives". www.trentu.ca. Retrieved 2021-07-19.