Škoda Works
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The Škoda Works (
History
1859–1899: establishment of Škoda
The noble
In 1859, Count Wallenstein-Vartenberk set up a branch of his foundry and engineering works in Plzeň. The output of the plant, employing over 100 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 soon expanded the firm, and in the 1880s, he 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.
1899–1945: before and during World War II
In 1899, the ever-expanding business was transformed into a joint-stock company, and before World War I, Škoda Works had become 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 and 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.
World War I brought a drop in the output of peacetime products. Huge sums were invested into expanding production capacities. By then, Škoda Works 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 Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, the complex economic conditions of postwar Europe caused the company to be 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-1930s.
Škoda manufactured the triple-barreled gun turrets for the
In 1924, Škoda Works acquired the
- Mountain guns produced by Škoda
- Škoda 75 mm Model 15
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1928
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1936
- Škoda 75 mm Model 1939
- Škoda 100 mm Model 1916
- Škoda 100 mm Model 16/19
- Škoda 105 mm Model 1939
- Škoda 150 mm Model 1918
- Other weapons produced by Škoda
- Škoda M1909 machine gun
- 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 34 - anti-tank gun
- 3,7cm KPÚV vz. 37 - anti-tank gun
- 3,7cm ÚV vz. 38( A7) - used on LT vz. 38 light tank
- Skoda 47mm SFK L/33 H
- Skoda 47mm SFK L/44 S
- Škoda 7 cm K10
- Škoda 7.5 cm d/29 Model 1911
- Škoda 76.5 mm L/50
- Škoda 10 cm K10
- Škoda 10 cm vz. 38 howitzer
- 85 mm vz. 52
- Škoda 10 cm vz. 53
- Škoda 14 cm/56
- Škoda 15 cm K10
- Škoda 149 mm K-series
- Škoda 149 mm K1 / Model 1933
- Škoda 149 mm K4 / Model 1937
- Škoda 19 cm vz. 1904
- 21 cm Kanone 39
- 210 mm gun M1939 (Br-17)
- 24 cm Haubitze 39
- Škoda 24 cm L/40 K97
- Škoda 305 mm Model 1911
- Škoda 30.5 cm /45 K10
- 305 mm howitzer M1939 (Br-18)
- 42 cm Haubitze M. 14/16
1945–1989: after World War II
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In 1945, the year that nationalisation efforts began in
The company was renamed Závody Vladimíra Iljiče Lenina (
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 reactors and locomotives. 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 Soviet Union and other countries as a
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.
1989–2011: after fall of communism
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After the Communist Party lost power 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, the holding company changed its name to Škoda Investment, a.s..
Following the change in the political climate in 1989, Škoda started along a path of
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 privatised by the so-called Czech method. It began expanding its production activities, acquiring the
In 2003, the Czech government sold its 49% stake to the
Škoda was then focused solely on the transport sector. Other divisions have been sold, a large part of them to the Russian company
As of 2012, Škoda Investment still owns the Škoda brand and some real estate but does not perform any industrial activity. Between 2007 and 2012, the company paid dividends to Appian, a sum of 32 billion CZK (1.18 billion euro or US$1.6 billion).[13]
Škoda products
Škoda Transportation produces various types of trolleybuses, tramcars, locomotives and rapid transit train systems.[citation needed] More can be found at: List of Škoda Transportation products.
Former subsidiaries
- Power division sold to Doosan produces as Doosan Škoda Power (former Škoda Power) steam turbines, heat exchangers and condensers
- Metallurgy division held by United Group produces as Pilsen Steel (former Škoda, Hutě, Plzeň) crankshafts, turbine components or ingots
- Nuclear division sold to nuclear plantsor oil refining, petrochemical and gas industry
- Transportation division produces as train systems.
- Škoda Praha sold to ČEZ Group is supplier of power generation projects and their technological parts.
- Former Škoda Vyzkum research institute now operating as VZÚ Plzeň
- TS Plzeň a.s. (former Škoda TS) is active in heavy engineering, doing curing presses, hydraulic presses, equipment for rolling-mill plants and equipment for sugar-cane refineries.
- Brush SEM, owned by UK based FKI, manufactures generators.
- Pilsen Tools s.r.o. and Škoda Machine Tool a.s. are active in the machine tool sector.
- Czech Precision Forge a.s. does open- die and closed-die forging of steel and non-ferrous alloys.
- MKV Ozubená kola s.r.o. and Wikov Gear s.r.o. produce gearboxes and gear wheels.
See also
- Category:Škoda locomotives
- Category:Škoda trams
- Electric Transit, Inc.
- List of the largest artificial non-nuclear explosions
References
- ISSN 1613-1606.
- ^ "Výpis z rejstříku ochranných známek" [Extract from the Register of Trademarks, file 8440, entry no. 111109] (in Czech). Prague, Czech Republic: Úřad průmyslového vlastnictví [Office of Industrial Property]. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2017-08-15. Archived 2014-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Vláda schválila prodej Škody Holding americké Appian Machinery".
- ^ "Rozhodnutí OF/S264/02-215/03". Compet.cz. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ all: Economia, a.s. (30 July 2009). "Janoušek - stopa, které se mnozí bojí". Hn.ihned.cz. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "Police amass damning evidence over Škoda Plzeň sale, no prosecutions likely: report". Radio Prague International. 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-06-18.
- ^ lidovky.cz (2010-09-20). "lidovky.cz: Velké tajemství českého byznysu odhaleno: plzeňská Škoda odkryla majitele". Byznys.lidovky.cz. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ a b "ihned.cz: Plzeňskou Škodu koupili čtyři manažeři. Appian v pozadí ale dál zůstává v mlze". Ekonomika.ihned.cz. 2010-09-21. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "Krsek, Korecký, Čmejla a Diviš koupili firmu, která byla už dávno jejich". motejlek.com. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ a b "Jihokorejský Doosan smí převzít Škodu Power". Magazin.ceskenoviny.cz. 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ Park, Kyunghee (2009-09-14). "Doosan Buys Škoda Power, its Biggest Purchase Abroad (Update1)". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "E15: Skoda Industry může převzít Škodu Transportation". Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
- ^ "Ze Škody odteklo 32 miliard. Neznámo kam". Lidové noviny. 2 February 2012.
Further reading
- Grant, Jonathan A. (2018). Between Depression and Disarmament: The International Armaments Business, 1919–1939. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. OCLC 1010995486. Online review. Focus on munitions production in the interwar period.
External links
- Official website
- History of Škoda in photos: part 1, part 2, part 3 (photo descriptions in Czech)
- List of existing steam locomotives built by Skoda
- History of Škoda from corporate website
- Documents and clippings about Škoda Works in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW