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Bratri Janouškové - the "Brothers Janoušek" - was established in Prague on 23 October 1883 by Josef Janoušek. It was one of the first companies of the time to work in the field of herbal extracts and flavourings, and it gave a decisive boost to a sector that in the following decades was to enjoy constant evolution, becoming a focal point of intensive science and technology.
The intuition of the farsighted founder and his brothers immediately gave the company an international feel: branch offices were opened in Barcelona, Vienna and Italy (initially in Prato, near Florence), with an abundance of agents elsewhere. Josef himself not only supervised the procurement of raw materials personally, but also acquired plantations, both local and foreign (Fiji Islands).
The company grew rapidly and it was not long before major international awards came its way, including prizes at the 1893 Chicago Expo and the 1900 Paris Expo. Amazingly, even back then the company was taking part in events at this level, despite the difficulties of reaching places as remote as Chicago.
The Austrian Empire spread over a large part of Europe and the company, thanks to its growing prestige, was officially authorized to use the Imperial coat of arms, the double-headed eagle. At that time Trieste was the only port of any size in the Kingdom of Austria and was thus the focal point for goods arriving from and departing for the Mediterranean basin and Asia; in the early 1900s, therefore, the factory was moved from Prato to Trieste. Ladislav, an Austrian cavalry officer and the founder Josef's son, was sent to manage the new branch, while the head office in Prague was managed by his brothers.
Corporate organization at that time already boasted impressive production tools and advanced marketing techniques, which can be seen in period photos of equipment and packaging, as well as in price lists and brochures.
The Trieste branch handled the Mediterranean area and enjoyed a certain independence, gradually expanding its operations to Italy and neighbouring countries. During the 1930s world crisis a stern telegram, now kept in the company museum, arrived from Prague ordering the dismissal of all staff. Ladislav Janoušek decided not to comply with this decision and assumed full responsibility for the Trieste branch, which then separated from the parent company in Prague, although the two continued to cooperate. In 1943, aged 58, Ladislav died unexpectedly and his son Ladislao, who was only 23, took over the company. Despite the tough times, Ladislao and his wife Zaira Maschio, from Conegliano Veneto, made great sacrifices to keep the company afloat. In 1946, post-war political events led to the nationalization of the Prague company and thus the Trieste branch was all that survived of the original enterprise.
In the years that followed, Fratelli Janoušek of Trieste, sustained by the experience and know-how developed over many years in business, expanded its Italian and overseas operations, particularly in the alcohol products sector. In 1986, 38-year-old Alessandro, who was Ladislao and Zaira's eldest child and much more than (merely?) the company's technical expert, lost his life in a tragic accident. Another blow to the family, they yet closed ranks and carried on, thanks to the precious help of their staff.
A new plant, whose modern equipment was certainly state-of-the-art, was inaugurated in 1992, thereby finally combining on one site the three different locations that the company had opened locally in the course of its expansion.
A few months after the inauguration, war broke out in neighbouring Yugoslavia and the impact on Fratelli Janoušek was considerable. However, thanks to the strength of its traditions and its solidity, the company was able to overcome the economic damage caused by the loss of major customers, as well as to deal successfully with the major difficulties encountered in this important market.
Such a long history, rich in momentous events, reveals the strength and vitality of a family business which has spanned two centuries, sustained by its strong traditions and respectful attitude to the work of its components and employees. Despite the transformations in international markets and new geopolitical frameworks, Janoušek has remained firmly anchored to its historical values, while at the same time renewing its corporate mission and investing in new technologies and systems.
Now in its fourth generation, the company today is led by Vladislav Janoušek, the third son of Ladislao and Zaira. Italian by birth, he is a pharmacy graduate of the University of Milan and a member of the Order of Pharmacists.
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