Škoda Works
Encyclopedia
Škoda Works was the largest industrial enterprise in Austro-Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia
, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century. The current successor Škoda Holding is focused on transport vehicle manufacturing; some companies no longer connected with it use the brand Škoda in other industries.
in 1859 and was bought by Emil Škoda
in Plzeň during 1869. It soon established itself as Austro-Hungary's leading arms manufacturer producing heavy guns for the navy
, mountain gun
s or mortar
s along with the Škoda M1909 machine gun
as one of its noted products. Besides producing arms for the Austro-Hungarian military, Škoda also manufactured locomotive
s, aircraft
, ship
s, machine tool
s, steam turbine
s and equipment for power utilities
and still do so to this day. In 1859, Count Wallenstein-Vartenberk set up a branch of his foundry and engineering works in Plzeň. The output of the plant, employing over a hundred workers, included machinery and equipment for sugar mills, breweries, mines, steam engines, boilers, iron bridge structures, and railway facilities. In 1869, the plant was taken over by Emil Škoda, an industrious engineer and dynamic entrepreneur.
Škoda was quick to expand business, and in the 1880s founded what was then a very modern steelworks capable of delivering castings weighing dozens of tons. Steel castings and, later, forgings for larger passenger liners and warships went on to rank alongside the sugar mills as the top export branches of Škoda's factory.
In 1899, the ever expanding business was transformed into a joint-stock company, and before the First World War Škoda Works became the largest arms manufacturer in Austria-Hungary. It was a navy and army contractor, mainly supplying heavy guns and ammunition.
Exports included castings, such as part of the piping for the Niagara Falls power plant or for the Suez Canal sluices, as well as machinery for sugar mills in Turkey, breweries throughout Europe, and guns for the Far East and South America.
The First World War brought a drop in the output of peacetime products. Huge sums were invested into expanding production capacities. By this time, Škoda Works already held majorities in a number of companies in the Czech lands and abroad that were not involved in arms manufacture. In 1917, the company had 35,000 employees in Plzeň alone.
Following the emergence of the Czecho-Slovak Republic in 1918, in the complex economic conditions of post-war Europe the company was transformed from what was exclusively an arms manufacturer into a multi-sector concern. In addition to traditional branches, the production programme embraced a number of new concepts, such as steam (and later electric) locomotives, freight and passenger vehicles, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, power-engineering equipment, etc.
In 1923, the company's world-famous registered trademark—the winged arrow in a circle—was entered in the Companies Register. The deteriorating political situation in Europe saw arms production rise again in the mid-thirties.
Škoda manufactured the world's first triple-barrelled gun turrets for the Tegetthoff
class of battleships of the Austro-Hungarian
navy. Prior to World War II
Škoda also produced LT-35 and LT-38 tank
s, which are better known under their German labels Panzer 35(t)
and Panzer 38(t)
. These tanks were originally produced for the Czechoslovak army and their production continued during the occupation by Nazi Germany
. They were used extensively by the Wehrmacht
in the Polish campaign
, the Battle of France
and also in German invasion of the Soviet Union
.
In 1924, Škoda Works acquired the Laurin-Klement car manufacturer, later known as Škoda Auto
. Both companies became separated after 1945, when the entire Czechoslovak economy
came under government control
.
| Mountain guns produced by Škoda: >
Other weapons produced by Škoda:
* Škoda 75 mm Model 15
Škoda M1909 machine gun
Škoda 37 mm Model 1934
Škoda 37 mm Model 1937
Škoda 37 mm A7
Škoda 149 mm K-series
Škoda 305 mm Model 1911
>-
), the aircraft plant in Prague, some factories in Slovakia
, and other plants producing food-industry equipment). The company was renamed Závody Vladimíra Iljiče Lenina (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Plants) in 1951, but since the new name caused losses of sales abroad, the name was changed back to Škoda in 1953. The factory concentrated on markets in the Soviet Union
and the Eastern Bloc
. The company produced a wide range of heavy machinery such as nuclear reactor
s and locomotive
s. A lack of updates to its product designs and infrastructure considerably weakened the company's competitive position and its brand.
After 1962, Škoda became well known in the USSR and other countries as a trolley bus manufacturer, beginning to export Škoda 9 Tr, one of its most successful models. The successor, Škoda 14 Tr, manufactured between 1982 and 1997, is still widely used, for example, in post-Soviet states.
In 1978 the company was turned into the government-owned group of companies ("koncern") Škoda. It was based in Plzeň and consisted of the companies: První brněnská strojírna [First Machine Works of Brno], ČKD
Blansko, ČKD
Dukla Praha-Karlín in Prague, Slovenské energetické strojárne S. M. Kirova [Slovak S. M. Kirov Energy Machine Works] in Tlmače
, and Výzkumný ústav energetických zařízení [Energy Facilities Research Institute] in Brno.
in late 1989, the company was privatized into the hands of management. Mismanagement and asset-stripping led to a collapse—the company was restructured and some factories closed. Except for some smaller companies named Škoda and Škoda Auto
, after the chaotic 1990s period, the Czech Škoda companies were again regrouped within the holding company
Škoda Holding a.s. in 2000. In 2010, holding company changed name to Škoda Investment, a.s..
Following the change in the political climate in 1989, Škoda started along a path of privatization, and used this time to come up with an optimal production programme, making new business contacts, and looking for markets other than those that had so far been its priority markets, i.e. the Communist Bloc countries and the Soviet Union, which collapsed after 1989.
In 1991, a foreign partner for the passenger car works Škoda Auto a.s. was sought by the Czech government. Volkswagen
was chosen, and the German firm initially took a 30% stake, rising to 100% ownership by 1999. Škoda Auto is now a completely independent entity from other companies bearing the Škoda name.
In 1992, the company was privatized by the so-called Czech method. It began expanding its production activities, acquiring the TATRA and LIAZ vehicle works and constructing a plant to produce aluminum soft drink cans. This expansion put the company's financial stability in jeopardy. In 1999, it concluded an agreement with creditor banks, and restructuring of the entire capital structure of the Škoda group was undertaken. The result was legal and financial stability at the company. Currently a sectoral restructuring of production companies in the group is under way. In April 2000, Škoda Holding, a.s. took over the helm, controlling nineteen primary subsidiaries and most product lines.
In 2003, the Czech government sold its 49% stake to the Appian Group for 350 CZK million, later that year the Appian Group acquired the rest of its stake in a liquidation
of the previous owner. The Appian Group is a holding company
incorporated
in the Netherlands
and controlled through a screen of shell companies. The real owner or owners are unknown, despite investigations by the Czech police
. In September 2010, a group of 4 managers (current or former Škoda or Appian managers) announced that they would acquire Škoda from Appian for an undisclosed price. The Czech media speculated that the acquisition was only a formality, as the managers probably owned the parent company Appian.
Škoda has recently focussed solely on the transport sector. Other divisions have been sold, a large part of them to the Russian company OMZ (the price was not published, estimated at around 1 CZK billion). Simultaneously some smaller transport companies were acquired, for example a part of the Hungarian
company Ganz
, VÚKV (owner of the Velim railway test circuit) and some transport-related assets of the former ČKD
, now called Škoda Vagonka. Finally, in 2009, Škoda holding announced that the South Korea
n conglomerate Doosan will acquire its power section for 11,5 CZK billion ($656 million).
s, heat exchanger
s and condensers.
The transportation division produces trolleybus
es, tramcar
s, electric locomotive
s, electric multiple unit
s and rapid transit
train systems.
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, one of its successor states. It was also one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century. The current successor Škoda Holding is focused on transport vehicle manufacturing; some companies no longer connected with it use the brand Škoda in other industries.
History
The company was founded by the noble Waldstein familyWaldstein family
The House of Waldstein is a Bohemian noble family. It acquired large properties in Bohemia and Moravia and produced many statesmen and civil servants. In 1628 the family was one of the first among the Bohemian nobility to be promoted to graf status, then to Reichsgraf two years later...
in 1859 and was bought by Emil Škoda
Emil Škoda
Emil Ritter von Škoda was a Bohemian engineer and industrialist, working during the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.-Biography:...
in Plzeň during 1869. It soon established itself as Austro-Hungary's leading arms manufacturer producing heavy guns for the navy
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, mountain gun
Mountain gun
Mountain guns are artillery pieces designed for use in mountain warfare and areas where usual wheeled transport is not possible. They are similar to infantry support guns, and are generally capable of being broken down into smaller loads .Due to their ability to be broken down into smaller...
s or mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s along with the Škoda M1909 machine gun
Skoda M1909 Machine gun
The Skoda M1909 is a Machine gun of Austro-Hungarian origin and was manufactured by the Škoda Works in Plzeň. Although it was unable to compete with the more reliable Schwarzlose m/07, it was used in the same period, albeit mostly with reserve and home guard battalions within the Austro-Hungarian...
as one of its noted products. Besides producing arms for the Austro-Hungarian military, Škoda also manufactured locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s, machine tool
Machine tool
A machine tool is a machine, typically powered other than by human muscle , used to make manufactured parts in various ways that include cutting or certain other kinds of deformation...
s, steam turbine
Steam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s and equipment for power utilities
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
and still do so to this day. In 1859, Count Wallenstein-Vartenberk set up a branch of his foundry and engineering works in Plzeň. The output of the plant, employing over a hundred workers, included machinery and equipment for sugar mills, breweries, mines, steam engines, boilers, iron bridge structures, and railway facilities. In 1869, the plant was taken over by Emil Škoda, an industrious engineer and dynamic entrepreneur.
Škoda was quick to expand business, and in the 1880s founded what was then a very modern steelworks capable of delivering castings weighing dozens of tons. Steel castings and, later, forgings for larger passenger liners and warships went on to rank alongside the sugar mills as the top export branches of Škoda's factory.
Before and during WWII
Exports included castings, such as part of the piping for the Niagara Falls power plant or for the Suez Canal sluices, as well as machinery for sugar mills in Turkey, breweries throughout Europe, and guns for the Far East and South America.
The First World War brought a drop in the output of peacetime products. Huge sums were invested into expanding production capacities. By this time, Škoda Works already held majorities in a number of companies in the Czech lands and abroad that were not involved in arms manufacture. In 1917, the company had 35,000 employees in Plzeň alone.
Following the emergence of the Czecho-Slovak Republic in 1918, in the complex economic conditions of post-war Europe the company was transformed from what was exclusively an arms manufacturer into a multi-sector concern. In addition to traditional branches, the production programme embraced a number of new concepts, such as steam (and later electric) locomotives, freight and passenger vehicles, aircraft, ships, machine tools, steam turbines, power-engineering equipment, etc.
In 1923, the company's world-famous registered trademark—the winged arrow in a circle—was entered in the Companies Register. The deteriorating political situation in Europe saw arms production rise again in the mid-thirties.
Škoda manufactured the world's first triple-barrelled gun turrets for the Tegetthoff
Tegetthoff class battleship
The Tegetthoff-class was the sole class of dreadnought battleship built for the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Four ships were built, SMS Viribus Unitis, SMS Tegetthoff, SMS Prinz Eugen and SMS Szent Istvan...
class of battleships of the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
navy. Prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Škoda also produced LT-35 and LT-38 tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, which are better known under their German labels Panzer 35(t)
Panzer 35(t)
The Panzerkampfwagen 35, commonly shortened to Panzer 35 or abbreviated as Pz.Kpfw. 35, was a Czechoslovak-designed light tank used mainly by Nazi Germany during World War II. The letter stood for tschechisch...
and Panzer 38(t)
Panzer 38(t)
The Panzerkampfwagen 38 was originally a Czech tank of pre-World War II design. After Czechoslovakia was taken over by Germany, it was adopted by the German Army, seeing service in the invasions of Poland and Russia. Production ended in 1942, when its armament was deemed inadequate. In all, over...
. These tanks were originally produced for the Czechoslovak army and their production continued during the occupation by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. They were used extensively by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
in the Polish campaign
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and also in German invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
.
In 1924, Škoda Works acquired the Laurin-Klement car manufacturer, later known as Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
. Both companies became separated after 1945, when the entire Czechoslovak economy
Economy of Communist Czechoslovakia
In the mid-1980s, Czechoslovakia was the most prosperous country in the Eastern Bloc. Although levels of consumption were well below those common in Western Europe, inhabitants of Czechoslovakia enjoyed a standard of living generally higher than that found in most other East European countries...
came under government control
Planned economy
A planned economy is an economic system in which decisions regarding production and investment are embodied in a plan formulated by a central authority, usually by a government agency...
.
Skoda 75 mm Model 15
The Skoda 7.5 cm Gebirgskanone M. 15 was a mountain gun used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. In German service it was known as the 7.5 cm GebK 15...
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1928Skoda 75 mm Model 1928The Skoda 75 mm Model 1928 was a mountain gun manufactured by Skoda Works and exported to Yugoslavia. It was a modernized version of the Skoda 75 mm Model 15. The gun typically had a 75 mm barrel; however, it could be fitted with a 90 mm barrel...
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1936Skoda 75 mm Model 1936The Skoda 75 mm Model 1936 was a mountain gun manufactured by Skoda Works, in Czechoslovakia, and a variant was produced in Russia . Skoda also produced a handful of the 76.2 mm variant. For transport, the gun could be broken down into 3 sections, and further broken down into ten loads...
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1939Skoda 75 mm Model 1939The Skoda 75 mm Model 1939 was a mountain gun manufactured in by Skoda Works and exported in small numbers to Romania and Iran. The design was related to the Bofors L/22 sold to Switzerland. For transport, the gun could be broken into eight sections and carried by mule. The gun crew was...
- Škoda 100 mm Model 1916Skoda 100 mm Model 1916The Skoda 100 mm Model 1916 was a mountain howitzer used by Austria-Hungary during World War I. The Turks used a 105 mm variant, the M.16. The Wehrmacht redesignated this as the 10 cm GebH 16 or 16...
- Škoda 100 mm Model 16/19Skoda 100 mm Model 16/19The Skoda 100 mm Model 16/19 was a mountain howitzer modified by Skoda Works from the design of the M.16, and its most notable difference was the longer barrel. It is unclear if they were newly-built, or rebuilt from older howitzers. The Czech Army used this gun in both its 100 mm and...
- Škoda 105 mm Model 1939Skoda 105 mm Model 1939The Skoda 105 mm Model 1939 was a mountain gun, manufactured by Skoda Works as a companion piece for the 75 mm M.39. This was a revised version of the 100 mm M.16 and 100 mm M.16/19. Like them it was broken down into three loads, each towed by a pair of horses, for transport.-References:*...
- Škoda 150 mm Model 1918Skoda 150 mm Model 1918The Skoda 150 mm Model 1918 was a heavy mountain howitzer, manufactured by Skoda Works. The design was begun during World War I, but the first prototype was completed as the war ended. After 1938, the Wehrmacht designated the few built as 15 cm GebH 18, although it's uncertain if they...
Skoda M1909 Machine gun
The Skoda M1909 is a Machine gun of Austro-Hungarian origin and was manufactured by the Škoda Works in Plzeň. Although it was unable to compete with the more reliable Schwarzlose m/07, it was used in the same period, albeit mostly with reserve and home guard battalions within the Austro-Hungarian...
Skoda 37 mm Model 1934
The 3.7 cm kanon P.Ú.V. vz. 34 was a anti-tank gun produced by the Škoda Works in Czechoslovakia. Škoda's own designation for it was A3. It is not known if guns seized by German after the occupation of Bohemia-Moravia saw service in World War II. Slovakia acquired 113 when it declared independence...
Skoda 37 mm Model 1937
The 37 mm kanon P.U.V. vz. 37 was a anti-tank gun produced by the Škoda Works that saw service in World War II. Originally designed for the Czech Army, some were also sold to Yugoslavia. A number were appropriated by the Germans after German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 and used under the...
Skoda 37 mm A7
The Škoda A7 was a 37 mm tank gun designed by the Skoda Works in Czechoslovakia prior to World War II.The gun was the primary armament of the Czech TNH-PS light tank design, known in service with Germany as the Panzer 38....
Skoda K-series
The Škoda 149 mm K-series was a heavy howitzer design which served with Germany, Turkey, Romania, Slovakia, and Yugoslavia during World War II.-Description:...
- Škoda 149 mm K1 / Model 1933
- Škoda 149 mm K4 / Model 1937
Skoda 305 mm Model 1911
The Škoda 30.5 cm Mörser M. 11 was a siege howitzer produced by Škoda Works and used by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.-Development:...
>-
After WWII
After WWII, in 1945 (the year when nationalisation efforts began in Czechoslovakia and when the Communists started to come to power) Škoda was nationalized and many sections were split from the company (e.g. the car works in Mladá Boleslav (Škoda AutoŠkoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
), the aircraft plant in Prague, some factories in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, and other plants producing food-industry equipment). The company was renamed Závody Vladimíra Iljiče Lenina (Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Plants) in 1951, but since the new name caused losses of sales abroad, the name was changed back to Škoda in 1953. The factory concentrated on markets in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. The company produced a wide range of heavy machinery such as nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
s and locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s. A lack of updates to its product designs and infrastructure considerably weakened the company's competitive position and its brand.
After 1962, Škoda became well known in the USSR and other countries as a trolley bus manufacturer, beginning to export Škoda 9 Tr, one of its most successful models. The successor, Škoda 14 Tr, manufactured between 1982 and 1997, is still widely used, for example, in post-Soviet states.
In 1978 the company was turned into the government-owned group of companies ("koncern") Škoda. It was based in Plzeň and consisted of the companies: První brněnská strojírna [First Machine Works of Brno], ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
Blansko, ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
Dukla Praha-Karlín in Prague, Slovenské energetické strojárne S. M. Kirova [Slovak S. M. Kirov Energy Machine Works] in Tlmače
Tlmace
Tlmače is a town and municipality in the Levice District in the Nitra Region of Slovakia.- History :In historical records the town was first mentioned in 1075 as Talmach. It has town status since 1986. From 1970 to 1994 the villages of Malé Kozmálovce and Veľké Kozmálovce were part of the town.-...
, and Výzkumný ústav energetických zařízení [Energy Facilities Research Institute] in Brno.
After 1989
After the Communist Party lost powerVelvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in late 1989, the company was privatized into the hands of management. Mismanagement and asset-stripping led to a collapse—the company was restructured and some factories closed. Except for some smaller companies named Škoda and Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
, after the chaotic 1990s period, the Czech Škoda companies were again regrouped within the holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
Škoda Holding a.s. in 2000. In 2010, holding company changed name to Škoda Investment, a.s..
Following the change in the political climate in 1989, Škoda started along a path of privatization, and used this time to come up with an optimal production programme, making new business contacts, and looking for markets other than those that had so far been its priority markets, i.e. the Communist Bloc countries and the Soviet Union, which collapsed after 1989.
In 1991, a foreign partner for the passenger car works Škoda Auto a.s. was sought by the Czech government. Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
was chosen, and the German firm initially took a 30% stake, rising to 100% ownership by 1999. Škoda Auto is now a completely independent entity from other companies bearing the Škoda name.
In 1992, the company was privatized by the so-called Czech method. It began expanding its production activities, acquiring the TATRA and LIAZ vehicle works and constructing a plant to produce aluminum soft drink cans. This expansion put the company's financial stability in jeopardy. In 1999, it concluded an agreement with creditor banks, and restructuring of the entire capital structure of the Škoda group was undertaken. The result was legal and financial stability at the company. Currently a sectoral restructuring of production companies in the group is under way. In April 2000, Škoda Holding, a.s. took over the helm, controlling nineteen primary subsidiaries and most product lines.
In 2003, the Czech government sold its 49% stake to the Appian Group for 350 CZK million, later that year the Appian Group acquired the rest of its stake in a liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
of the previous owner. The Appian Group is a holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and controlled through a screen of shell companies. The real owner or owners are unknown, despite investigations by the Czech police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
. In September 2010, a group of 4 managers (current or former Škoda or Appian managers) announced that they would acquire Škoda from Appian for an undisclosed price. The Czech media speculated that the acquisition was only a formality, as the managers probably owned the parent company Appian.
Škoda has recently focussed solely on the transport sector. Other divisions have been sold, a large part of them to the Russian company OMZ (the price was not published, estimated at around 1 CZK billion). Simultaneously some smaller transport companies were acquired, for example a part of the Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
company Ganz
Ganz
The Ganz electric works in Budapest is probably best known for the manufacture of tramcars, but was also a pioneer in the application of three-phase alternating current to electric railways. Ganz also made / makes: ships , bridge steel structures , high voltage equipment...
, VÚKV (owner of the Velim railway test circuit) and some transport-related assets of the former ČKD
CKD
A knock-down kit is a kit containing the parts needed to assemble a product...
, now called Škoda Vagonka. Finally, in 2009, Škoda holding announced that the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n conglomerate Doosan will acquire its power section for 11,5 CZK billion ($656 million).
Present production
The power division (being sold to Doosan) produces steam turbineSteam turbine
A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Sir Charles Parsons in 1884....
s, heat exchanger
Heat exchanger
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact...
s and condensers.
The transportation division produces trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es, tramcar
Tramcar
The Tramcar is a trackless train service running on the Boardwalk in the Cape May County, New Jersey communities of Wildwood and North Wildwood. The service, which began on June 11, 1949, takes passengers along the two-mile long Wildwood boardwalk...
s, electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s, electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s and rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
train systems.
Products
- Škoda 109 EČD Class 380The Class 380 is Škoda's entry into the modern electric locomotive market. Internally designated Type 109E, the locomotives were originally conceived in 2004 and designed for operation in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia as well as the Czech Republic.The locomotives are equipped to...
(electric locomotiveElectric locomotiveAn electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
) - Škoda 71 Em (electric locomotive)
- ČD Class 471 (electric multiple unitElectric multiple unitAn electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
) - Škoda 14T - "Elektra"Škoda 14 TThe Škoda 14 T is a five carbody section low-floor uni-directional tram, developed by Škoda for the Prague tram system.The vehicle's body was designed by Porsche Design Group. The 14 T has six axles, and the low-floor area represents 50 % of the entire vehicle floor...
(tramTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
) - Škoda 15T - "ForCity"Škoda 15 TŠkoda 15T is a 100% low floor tram developed by Škoda for the Transport Company of Prague in the years 2005-2008. The order and subsequent construction was influenced by experiences with operation of the Škoda 14 T in the Prague tram network...
(tram)
See also
- :Category:Škoda locomotives
- :Category:Škoda trams
- Electric Transit, Inc.Electric Transit, Inc.Electric Transit, Inc. was a joint venture between the Škoda group in the Czech Republic and AAI Corporation in the United States which made trolleybuses for the Dayton and San Francisco trolleybus systems, constructing a total of 330 trolleybuses. ETI was formed in 1994, and ownership was divided...
External links
- Official website
- History of Škoda in photos: part 1, part 2, part 3 (photo descriptions in Czech)
- History of Škoda from corporate website: http://www.skoda.cz/en/skoda-holding/key-information/company-history