Ray Service Among the Largest Family Businesses in the Czech Republic – We Moved Up Nearly 30 Spots This Year!

We are proud and excited to announce that Ray Service, a.s. has once again been ranked in the prestigious list of the largest family businesses in the Czech Republic, compiled annually by Forbes magazine. This ranking highlights companies where the family plays a key role – whether in ownership or management – and evaluates them based on a wide range of criteria, including performance, investment activity, growth rate, long-term stability, and succession planning.

While in 2024 we held the 95th position, this year we’ve made a significant leap – moving up to 66th place. That’s a jump of almost 30 spots, confirming that our long-term efforts, innovation, and focus on quality are delivering real results.

Technology, Tradition, and Family Values
Ray Service has long combined technological precision with a family-driven approach that emphasizes fair relationships, stability, and responsibility. This combination has proven to be exceptionally strong – not only in business results but also in how our brand is perceived across the industry. We are proud to be seen as a reliable partner.

The Forbes ranking isn’t just about numbers. It also reflects the stories, visions, and values behind each company. In our case, it’s a belief in meaningful business that blends innovation, stability, and care for people – whether they are customers, employees, or the wider community.

Thank You!
This achievement belongs to everyone who is part of our journey – our customers, business partners, and every member of our team. We wouldn’t have made such great progress without you.

We are ready to continue growing and improving – with the same passion and values. Thank you for your trust and support. We’re glad you’re with us on this journey.

📈 You can find the full ranking and more information here:

When Ray Service, a tiny company with two partners and three employees, spun off in 1994 in Old Town, few would have guessed that it would one day supply cutting-edge technology to Boeing, Airbus or the Swedish CV90 armoured vehicles. Today, Ray Service is a respected name in the world of defence and aerospace, yet it has not forgotten its roots. In an exclusive interview, the company’s founder Petr Gabriel recalls the beginnings, talks about the family business, the future of Slovácko and what opened the company’s doors to the world.

Read more about our company at:

Ray Service, a truly family-owned company, is involved in supporting the Mýtina Community Centre in Uherské Hradiště. This centre is a major project that focuses on supporting families and children, and offers a wide range of activities including educational programmes, leisure activities and a children’s playroom with elements of Montessori pedagogy.

Our company shares the same values and goals as the Mýtina Community Centre – to support families and create an environment where they can grow and develop. That is why we decided to become part of this important project and contribute to its success.

Supporting the Mýtina Community Centre is a natural step for us because we believe in the importance of community projects and their positive impact on society. We are convinced that together we can achieve great results and benefit the whole community.

We look forward to continuing to work together and supporting families and children in our region.

Last Saturday we had a sporting morning on the ice with our colleagues from Ray Service. Our company booked the rink for employees and their families to enjoy a day of fun and exercise together. The event was called “Ray on Ice” and it was a great opportunity to spend time with colleagues and their loved ones outside of the work environment.

The first enthusiasts started to gather at the rink early in the morning. The children were looking forward to skating and the adults were looking forward to spending time with family and friends. It was lovely to see everyone having fun, whether on the ice or chatting over hot tea.

It was great to see colleagues and their families bonding and making new memories. The “Ray on Ice” event was not only about skating, but also about strengthening team spirit and building friendships.

Everyone who landed on Saturday thoroughly enjoyed the event. We hope that “Ray on Ice” will become a new tradition for Ray Service and that next year we will meet again at the rink in even greater numbers

The first year was a success and we are already looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to everyone who participated and we look forward to more events together!

And another event together is behind us! An afternoon full of mulled wine, punch, and delicious food was truly magical! 🎄 The Christmas atmosphere was all around us. ♥️ Carols were sung, dancing took place, and everyone had a great time. We are very happy that so many of us gathered. So, Merry Christmas, colleagues, you are amazing! 🎅✨

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy New Year and many more successes.
PF 2025

An unforgettable sports day was held at Ray Service, attracting more than 100 athletes (our employees) and an equal number of enthusiastic fans. This day was full of competitions, laughter, and team spirit, offering a wide range of disciplines where everyone could find something they enjoyed. It included five main disciplines: darts, bowling, disc golf, archery, and biathlon. Each of these disciplines brought its own challenges and fun, and the participants eagerly engaged in the competitions.

Darts were the first discipline of the day, where athletes tried to score as high as possible. The atmosphere was tense yet friendly, and every throw was accompanied by encouraging cheers from the fans.

Next was bowling, where teams competed to knock down as many pins as possible.

Disc golf was an unconventional discipline, with most athletes trying it for the first time. It wasn’t as easy as it seemed, but everyone had a great time.

Archery was another discipline that required precision and a steady hand. Athletes aimed to hit the targets as close to the center as possible, and several succeeded.

The final discipline was target shooting. The one who shot down five targets the fastest won the round. It was a real shootout, but everyone was excited to try such an interesting discipline.

The entire sports day was a great opportunity for Ray Service employees to meet outside the work environment, strengthen team spirit, and enjoy a day full of fun and competitions. The fans created an amazing atmosphere and supported their favorites throughout the day.

The sports day at Ray Service was undoubtedly a successful event that brought joy and unforgettable experiences to all participants.

We showcase a unique Multispectral stationary camouflage system at the IDEB trade fair. This system includes a group of products designed to mask mobile and stationary objects in the static phase in the visible, infrared (near, middle, far), and microwave areas.

Camouflage nets have a modular structure, which enables the operator to achieve the required size by using different configurations.

They are delivered in three basic designs (summer, winter, desert), supplemented with a number of special alternatives. A complete set includes anchoring hardware, deforming, and supporting elements according to its size and purpose of use.

Principle of camouflage effect:

• visual region – three-dimensional assembly of the leaf structure,
• infrared region – reduction of thermal contrast to a background using a material with low thermal capacity and efficient assembly of the cover textile
• microwave region – absorption and diffusion of an incidence wave to a background level
• protection of the vehicle and the crew against overheating due to sunlight. Ability to reduce temperature by up to 8 degrees Celsius. Increasing crew protection and improving the working environment.

Rheinmetall and Ray Service sign LYNX IFV strategic co-operation agreement

Rheinmetall, the manufacturer of the LYNX infantry fighting vehicle in contention for the Czech Republic’s ongoing IFV renewal programme, has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Czech company Ray Service for current and future LYNX projects. The decade-long cooperation between the German and Czech companies has entered into a new phase expected to secure up to 50 jobs over the next five years.

The strategic cooperation agreement ensures region-wide support from Ray Service for Rheinmetall’s innovative LYNX IFV platform. Ray Service contributes to LYNX programmes through the supply of vitally important cable harnesses, electromechanical assemblies, and external lighting systems, as well as the supply of third-party equipment including Beth-El’s NBC system, Kidde Deugra’s fire extinguishing system, and tracks and road wheels from Defence Service Tracks.

Based in Staré Město, Ray Service started working with Rheinmetall in 2011. The company will support Rheinmetall through local content approaches in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.

“Taking our cooperation with Rheinmetall to the next level is fantastic news for Ray Service,” says Jakub Gabriel, Managing Director of Ray Service. “Working on the incredible LYNX platform has been an extremely rewarding experience, providing us with excellent challenges and opportunities for knowledge-sharing and research. Our new strategic cooperation with Rheinmetall for domestic and export projects will secure up to 50 jobs over the coming years while improving our R&D capabilities and opening up global export opportunities”.

Rheinmetall’s LYNX is a leading contender for the renewal of the Czech Republic’s IFV fleet with 210 next-generation vehicles. A fully modular platform, the LYNX can switch quickly between various battlefield and peace-keeping functions thanks to its high inherent degree of adaptability and flexibility. In 2020, the LYNX was chosen by the Hungarian Armed Forces for a similar IFV fleet renewal programme.

“LYNX is not only a lethal, modular vehicle for the modern battlefield and therefore the right choice for the Army, but also a huge opportunity for domestic industrial development and economic growth,” says Oliver Mittelsdorf, Senior Vice President Sales at Rheinmetall Defence. “Over the past 10 years, Ray Service have been an unfailingly reliable partner, delivering outstanding results time and time again. Their commitment to innovation makes them the perfect supplier for the LYNX, and we look forward to deepening our relationship through this new strategic cooperation agreement.”

Rheinmetall’s commitment to the localization of production includes a pledge to use Czech components for more 40% of the LYNX KF41 if it wins the IFV tender. Other Czech LYNX suppliers would include MEOPTA, Česká zbrojovka and VOP CZ. The LYNX’s crucial Lance 2.0 turret system would meanwhile be built at Rheinmetall’s production plant in the Ústí nad Labem region, where it employs more than a thousand people.

About Rheinmetall

Headquartered in Düsseldorf, the publicly traded Rheinmetall AG is a high-tech enterprise dedicated to the twin modern imperatives of mobility and security. Founded in 1889, the group today consists of two operational components: Rheinmetall Defence and Rheinmetall Automotive. One of the world’s leading suppliers of military systems and equipment, Rheinmetall’s Defence arm comprises three divisions: Vehicle Systems, Electronic Solutions and Weapon and Ammunition. The group’s 26,000-strong global workforce generated sales last year of $6.9 billion.

The year 2020 was absolutely crazy for all of us. We would like to thank our partners for your favor and our employees for your hard work and wish you all good health, happiness and success in 2021 both personally and professionally. We sincerely look forward to spending more time with you next year.

Experience this year through our Raybot’s eyes and light up Christmas with Ray Service. Please click here.

Dear business partners,
we are still monitoring and reviewing current situation about virus COVID-19.

We will get in touch with you about further progress. Meanwhile, you can find our current statement in the pdf file below.

Coronavirus statement download

See our corporate video. Ray Service’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb-W4QY-EGWf_8GcaUlIgSQ

Ray Service  was announced as one of the top 7 companies in the Czech Republic in the finals of the 12th annual business competition Vodafone Company of the Year 2017 which was held on Wednesday, December 6th at Žofín in Prague. Every year the “Hospodarske noviny” newspaper arranges this prestigious award. Fourteen regional winners then proceed to the national final and the jury decides on the overall winner.