Reconstructing and extending a large IKEA store in the Czech Republic without disrupting normal trading hours. That is a real challenge by any standard, and Tebodin recently brought it to a successful conclusion.
The world’s best-known furniture retailer keeps growing. With over 125,000 employees, IKEA sells its furniture, homemaking and housekeeping products in 38 countries, operating over 300 stores in Europe and Asia, all of them in the same efficient and familiar way.
In Prague, IKEA has currently two stores. One of them is on the eastern outskirts, right next door to the modern Cerny Most shopping center. Measuring 24,000 m2, IKEA Cerny Most was already a large store when the doors first opened.
‘In the project we have completed this summer, we extended the existing premises to 36,500 m2 without closing the store for customers even for one day’, says Tebodin project manager, Mr. Ivo Kejnovský. Together with construction manager Mr. Marek Šach and the whole team, they were responsible for coordinating the construction works, site supervision, organizing the logistics and also cost control and safety while reconstructing and extending the original store and building a new parking house.
‘We started working on the procurement phase in November 2010 and developed 21 separate tender packages for the project. Then all of us had to be very flexible in the construction phase, as the construction went on for 24 hours a day and there was for example in the peak time due to difficult conditions a new site logistics plan every day. Part by part, and without incidents, we reconstructed and extended the building while business went on as usual.’
Keeping all operations healthy and safe, Tebodin managed the work of 21 separate packages by 17 different companies, thus earning the praise of IKEA project manager Mr. Jaroslav Novotny. ‘Tebodin did a really good job on this challenging project because the team on site was able to adapt to problematic situations. They coordinated the works of all contractors and ensured the project was completed on time and within budget.’
