The first-ever town hall meeting at NOBO AUTO
On Friday, we did something at NOBO AUTO that would have seemed completely absurd to me just two years ago. We held our first proper town hall meeting with all our staff.
When I say „everyone“, I really do mean everyone. And when I say „absurd“, I mean it literally. Because two years ago, I was sitting here all on my own. The company didn’t exist, the building existed only on paper, and most of the people standing on the shop floor today had never heard of NOBO in their lives. And those who did know were employed at our plants in China, but most likely had no idea where exactly the Czech Republic was.
And today? Today there were almost 200.
People from production, quality control, logistics, the project team from China, local managers, engineers, maintenance staff, and the admin team. All together. For the first time. And I have to say, it was a more powerful experience than I expected. The moment you see the entire workforce of the company you’re literally building from scratch right in front of you, it hits you that this isn’t just a „project“ anymore. It’s a real organisation. A real, living company.
What was our first town hall meeting about?
We had two main objectives:
1) HR news – remuneration, salaries and benefits
We might be a new business. We might be a greenfield project. We might be in the investment phase. But honestly, employees don’t care how closely we’re sticking to the schedule or what stage the company is currently at. What they care about is whether the company will pay a fair price.
That is why I am pleased that, after months of discussions, debates, Excel spreadsheets and several really tough meetings, we have managed to agree on four key points:
Annual bonus 2025 amounting to 60 % of the monthly basic salary (All local employees with at least six months’ service are eligible.) And we will pay it out now in December, along with the November pay – at a time when people usually have plenty of end-of-year expenses.
Pay rise from 1 January 2026 based on performance, seniority, market positioning and internal fairness. Exactly as it works at most local companies.
New benefits. From January, we’re launching a canteen (one free meal a day), the Multisport card, and this year, for the first time, we’re organising a Christmas party for all staff.
Reduction in the team bonus percentage. 10 We are transferring the variable components of the % scheme into the basic salary. Next year, we can expect massive growth (estimated at around 400 new employees) and we want to offer candidates the security of a stable income. Shifting part of the variable component into the base pay brings us much closer to the market and boosts our competitiveness in a region where unemployment is very low.
In South Bohemia, we simply have to be top of the league. And with this move, we have made a significant mark on the regional employer landscape raised their profile.
2) Thanks for VS0 – the first major milestone
The second area was expressions of gratitude. And they were thoroughly deserved.
- We have completed VS0.
- We have produced a pilot batch of seats.
- We have submitted all the requirements to BMW.
- And we managed it without any major hiccups.
Of course, not everything is running like clockwork. We’re a new organisation; we’re learning as we go, fine-tuning new machinery, technologies and processes. We have new teams and new roles. But our customers have given us positive feedback. And that’s what matters most to us at this stage.
And we wanted our staff to know that we really value their work. That’s why we’ve prepared a small but symbolic gift for everyone – Victorinox Swiss Army knife with the company logo and text engraved on it „VS0 delivery“. It’s a reminder of our first milestone together. Something that no one can ever take away from us.
And here’s the moment that really got to me personally:
Our fellow managers from China – people who, just a year ago, could barely manage a greeting in English – were today standing in front of 200 employees and gave a presentation in English the results in their field. Perhaps with a touch of nerves. But without shying away. And with respect.
This is exactly the kind of situation where you see that, if you really want something, you can achieve things that seem impossible at first. Just like the rest of us – we’re building a new plant, new processes, a new team. Something that nobody here has ever done before.
And that’s the best thing about it all.
David Havelec
HR Manager in Nobo Automotive Czech Republic
1 December 2025