* recorded in the personal card:
He spent the years 1916-1918 as a soldier; that was the first time he visited Zlín, when he came to visit his sister, who was employed by the Bata company. After the First World War, Josef Hlavnička moved to Zlín and joined the company as a balance sheet accountant in the sales department. This is how he described his first meeting with Tomas Bata: "The footwear industry was something new for me, because I studied at a textile school. Therefore, I had a cut-up shoe on the table, on which I learned to identify the individual parts. One day, Tomas Bata was standing behind my back without me knowing and was looking over my shoulder at what I was doing with the shoe. Suddenly I heard him asking my superior: "And what does this man do here?" My superior answered that he was an accountant. Tomas Bata then told him to look at what I did, that I was probably in the wrong position and that I was not interested in accounting work, when my focus was on the shoe itself. "Put him in a job where he should have something to do with shoes," said Bata, "put him in charge of the warehouse accounting and the warehouse."
And so it happened. Later, Josef Hlavnička married Tomas Bata’s half-sister and advanced to the position of purchasing manager. At the beginning of the 1930s, the Bata company developed textile production, i.e. a field that was Hlavnička’s own. Bata sent him to England for two years to learn the language and buy cotton on the stock exchange. When he came back, he got the entire textile production under his control. In the early 1930s, Hlavnička was put in charge of the construction of hosiery, wool spinning and felt buildings in Bata complex. After the construction of the Bata factory complex, Mr. Hlavnička already moved into the leading circles of the company and in 1939 he reached the highest positions. After the departure of J. A. Bata, he joined Čipera and Vavrečka in the company's top management. During the occupation, plant management was concentrated in Hlavnička’s hands. Josef Hlavnička died in a tragic car accident on 5/24/1943.
Josef Hlavnička, 1939 (SOkA Zlin, o. č. 3603, p. č. 1)
Tomas Bata through the eyes of Josef Hlavnička: When the money was being stamped, Tomas Bata called Hlavnička to go to town Napajedla with the money and have it stamped. The money was in several suitcases. Bata told him: "It is about 2 million crowns." Hlavnička replied: "Thank you for your trust. I won't manage it myself.” So Bata offered him that a young lady would go with him, who would help him count the money. When they returned, Hlavnička said to Bata: "There was 10,000 CZK more than you said." Bata gave him the 10,000 CZK as a reward. It was Hlavnička's first reward, Bata added: "For you to know that the honest work pays off."
Josef Hlavnička at the castle in Napajedla, 1939 (SOkA Zlin, o. č. 3594, p. č. 2)
In Bata town while discusing with the reporters, 1934 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3577, p. č. 1)
Portrait from 1938 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3589, p. č. 5)
When visiting the advertising department, 1939 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3601, p. č. 1)
In his factory study, 1940 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3630, p. č. 1)
Mr. and Mrs. Hlavnička in Luhačovice, 1940 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3642 p. č. 2)
With Berty Ženatý at Baťov, 1933 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3571, p. č. 2)
With Dominik Čipera, 1939 (SokA Zlin, o. č. 3419, p. č. 1)
