Linet Group
| Type | Societas Europaea |
|---|---|
| Industry | Medical technology |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | , Netherlands |
| Key people | Tomáš Kolář (managing director) |
| Products | Hospital and nursing-care beds, stretchers, mattresses and healthcare equipment |
| Revenue | €367 million (2024/25) |
Number of employees | c. 2,000 (2025) |
Linet Group SE (stylised as LINET) is a medical technology company headquartered in Dordrecht, Netherlands. It manufactures hospital and nursing-care beds and related equipment under the Linet and wissner-bosserhoff brands. The group was formed in 2011 by bringing together the Czech hospital-bed manufacturer Linet and the German nursing-care equipment manufacturer Wissner-Bosserhoff.[1]
Linet dates back to 1990, when Czech entrepreneur Zbyněk Frolík founded the company in Slaný-Želevčice. It later became one of Europe's largest manufacturers of hospital beds.[2] Linet Group reported revenue of €367 million in the 2024/25 financial year.[3]
History
[edit]Linet was founded in 1990 by Zbyněk Frolík, who had previously worked with hospital technology at Motol University Hospital in Prague. The business began in former agricultural buildings in Želevčice, a part of Slaný. It initially carried out general metalworking before specialising in hospital equipment.[4]
In 1991, Linet began working with the German hospital- and nursing-bed manufacturer Wissner-Bosserhoff. By 1995, Linet supplied around 60 to 70 percent of the Czech market and was represented in more than 50 countries.[5]
The two businesses were brought together under Linet Group SE in 2011. The new group was based in Dordrecht and was owned equally by the Czech Linet Holding and the German WiBo Holding. Manufacturing remained centred in the Czech Republic and Germany.[1]
In 2016, Linet Group acquired a majority stake in Czech medical-equipment manufacturer Borcad Medical, adding birthing beds, gynaecological chairs and dialysis chairs to its product range.[6]
The same year, Tomáš Kolář took over the management of the group from Frolík. Linet also increased its focus on connected medical equipment, including beds fitted with sensors and digital systems that provide information to healthcare staff.[7]
Demand for Linet beds increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, the company was increasing production as the Czech government ordered additional hospital and intensive-care beds.[8]
In 2024, Linet Group acquired the French company Domalys, which produces healthcare furniture and technology for preventing falls. The acquisition expanded the group's activities in nursing and home care.[9]
Operations and products
[edit]Linet Group's main brands are Linet and wissner-bosserhoff. Linet mainly supplies equipment for hospitals and acute and intensive care, while wissner-bosserhoff specialises in beds and furniture for nursing and long-term care.[7]
The group produces hospital and nursing-care beds, patient stretchers and chairs, mattresses and pressure-care systems. Its product range also includes equipment for obstetric, gynaecological and paediatric care, as well as connected systems used to monitor beds and patients.
Linet's main Czech production facilities are in Slaný. The group also has manufacturing, sales and service operations in other countries and employs around 2,000 people.
In the 2024/25 financial year, Linet Group reported revenue of €367 million and operating profit of more than €60 million. Growth was particularly strong in the United States and Latin America.[3]
In 2024, Linet's Essenza 300 LT hospital bed won the Industry Award at the DesignEuropa Awards, organised by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The bed was designed by Linet's in-house team together with the Prague-based Divan Design studio.[10]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Honsová, Marcela (14 September 2011). "Ekonom.cz: Linet se přestěhoval do Nizozemska". Ekonom (in Czech).
- ↑ Zenkner, Petr (12 February 2016). "Výrobci zdravotnických lůžek Linet se dařilo nejlépe v historii. Utržil skoro šest miliard korun". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech).
- 1 2 Hodková, Zuzana (22 August 2025). "Rekordní rok pro Linet. Daří se v USA, rozjíždí se obnova Ukrajiny". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech).
- ↑ Friedmannová, Silvie (8 July 2022). "Sídlo v kravíně? Tři investoři utekli, když to tam viděli, vzpomíná Frolík". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech).
- ↑ "LINET pokrývá téměř 70 procent trhu v ČR". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). 14 February 1995.
- ↑ "Výrobce zdravotnických lůžek Linet koupil firmu Borcad Medical. Vyvíjí gynekologická křesla i porodní postele". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). 3 October 2016.
- 1 2 Miler, Marek; Aliapulios, Janis (7 December 2016). "Jdeme naproti internetu, říká nový šéf Linetu Tomáš Kolář". Ekonom (in Czech).
- ↑ Janíček, Karel (19 October 2020). "Czech hospital bed maker rushes to meet government order". Associated Press.
- ↑ "Frolíkův Linet kupuje francouzský Domalys, který vyvíjí technologie pro prevenci pádů". Forbes Česko (in Czech). 12 November 2024.
- ↑ "Essenza 300 LT – LINET". European Union Intellectual Property Office. 2024. Retrieved 24 September 2026.