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Prihoda around the World: A Production Director’s Trip to Mexico

Irapuato, located in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, is known as the strawberry capital of the world. For Prihoda, however, it has another important meaning — this is where Prihoda México SA de CV, the company’s Mexican production plant, has been operating since 2017. Textile ducting and diffusers are manufactured here for customers in a region thousands of kilometres away from Hlinsko, yet highly important for the company’s global presence.

Irapuato as Prihoda’s production base for the Americas

The Mexican branch is part of Prihoda’s international production network. The company has its roots in Hlinsko, Czech Republic, but today its textile air distribution systems help distribute air in many different types of buildings and operations around the world.

The plant in Irapuato helps the company serve customers across the American continent. Local production brings Prihoda closer to projects in Mexico and other countries in the Americas, allowing it to respond more effectively to specific project requirements. For the Production Director, visits like this are also important because of the personal contact with the team and the opportunity to see the plant’s everyday operation first-hand.

At the same time, Irapuato is a city with a strong identity of its own. Strawberries are so closely linked to the city that even the local football team is nicknamed Los Freseros — the Strawberry Growers. The wider region is also known for leatherwork. Riding boots, belts and leather hats are not just tourist souvenirs here, but part of the local craft tradition. “You can buy them for a fraction of the price you would pay in the Czech Republic. Or for a similar price, but in a luxury finish,” says Production Director Jiří Štangler.

Above the region, on the hill of El Cubilete, stands a massive bronze statue of Christ the King. Around twenty metres tall, it is one of the most striking symbols of the area.

Guanajuato: a city of colour, silver and narrow streets

Not far from Irapuato lies Guanajuato, the capital of the Mexican state of the same name. It is often described as one of the most beautiful and colourful cities in all of Mexico.

The city sits in the higher regions of central Mexico, in a mountain valley protected by the slopes of the Bajío region. Its colourful houses cling to steep hillsides, narrow streets wind between them, and colonial architecture contrasts with the dry landscape around it.

What began as a small settlement was transformed during the silver rush into an important mining city. Much of the colonial architecture that still defines the historic centre today dates back to this period. Guanajuato feels compact, lively and full of hidden corners. Most of its landmarks are within walking distance of the centre, making it a city best explored on foot.

Thanks to its mining past, Guanajuato also has one unusual feature. Part of the traffic runs outside the regular streets, through former mining tunnels beneath the city. This leaves more space above ground for pedestrians, students, street food and everyday life.

Guanajuato is also a university city. Locals jokingly say that if you look down at the rooftops from the hill by the El Pípila monument, wherever you see a parasol, there are students sitting underneath it with a beer.

Mexico like the film Coco

When people imagine Mexico through films, they may have very different images in mind. Some think of a darker picture of the country connected with violence and drug cartels; others imagine the colourful animated world of Coco. According to Jiří Štangler, Guanajuato is much closer to the second image. “From Sicario, an American thriller set in the world of drug cartels, you really only see the police and military patrols. Otherwise, it is simply Coco,” he says.

The film Coco was inspired by Mexican culture, folklore, architecture and family traditions. In Guanajuato, a similar atmosphere can be felt directly in the streets — in the colourful houses, music, street food, churches, crafts and everyday bustle.

Guanajuato is also connected with an important period of Mexican history. The state played an essential role during the Mexican War of Independence between 1810 and 1821. The city is home to the former granary Alhóndiga, which served as an improvised fortress during the fighting. Later, the severed heads of four main leaders of the 1810 uprising were displayed on its corners.

It is a harsh detail that stands in contrast to the city’s colour and charm. But that, too, is part of Guanajuato — beauty, movement, history and powerful stories all meet here at every step.

Tacos, Bohemia and a return to work

According to Jiří Štangler, Mexico also has to be tasted. It is not just about spicy food, as people in Europe often imagine. Mexican cuisine is varied, differs from region to region, and its flavour is strongly shaped by the environment in which it is experienced.

“Eventually you realise that even very well-prepared Mexican food back home is only an approximation of what you taste directly in Mexico,” he adds.

And if a Czech visitor starts missing beer, they may come across the Bohemia brand. It has been brewed in Monterrey since 1905, and its Pilsner lager tastes exactly as one might expect from the name.

Jiří Štangler’s trip to Mexico was therefore not only a visit to the production plant in Irapuato. It also revealed the environment in which Příhoda’s Mexican branch operates — a region of strawberries, leatherwork, silver history, colourful cities and a strong local atmosphere.

Textile ducting and diffusers are technical products, but behind their production are real people and real places. In Hlinsko, in Mexico, and everywhere Prihoda operates through its branches and partners.