SKD’s history
Company’s History
One of the examples of Emil Kolben’s followers, who happens to follow the parallel of founding the Kolben’s Electrical Engineering Factory in Vysočany in 1896, is the establishment of a purely Czech company, SKD, in 1996, i.e. right one hundred years later.
Its history begins on November 15th, 1996 with the writing of the charter of SKD Praha spol. s.r.o. by Ing. Daniel Dušek. In February 1997, the company started running its business activities in the offices in Libeň in Ocelářská Street. The turnover in 1997 was 5 million CZK and the following year and with 7 employees, it increased to 25 million CZK. The year 1999 became a milestone in the company’s history, as SKD TRADE s.r.o. was founded as a result of INGES transformation led by Ing. Jiří Stádník. As of October 1st, 1999, the consignment warehouse activity was launched in the Brno Transport Company. From the original 33 items, the range was gradually expanded to 1,700 items.
2000 |
The announcement of bankruptcy of the joint-stock company ČKD Dopravní systémy a.s. in 2000, allowed SKD Praha spol. s.r.o. and SKD TRADE s.r.o. to strengthen their position in the market of spare parts. The sales volume has already exceeded 50 million CZK.
In April 2000, the health centre building in Kolbenova Street in Vysočany was purchased and its reconstruction began.
The following year, in September, negotiations were initiated with SIEMENS at the International Engineering Fair in Brno for a licence to manufacture and sell CKD products in the transport field.
Production Hall – Praha
2002 |
In March 2002, a decisive meeting was held with SIEMENS KOLEJOVÁ VOZIDLA (RAILWAY VEHICLES) (SKV), whereby the basic preconditions for the SKD for obtaining the licencing rights were set. One of them was to have our own production facility. In a public auction organised by the insolvency administrator of a.s. ČKD Elektrotechnika, an estate building known as “FARMA” was purchased for SKD TRADE s.r.o. on April 4th, 2002. The building is located in the Vysočany complex “Kolbenka”, approved as central maintenance in 1989. The building was revitalised and, at the end of the year, SKD TRADE was reorganised into a manufacturing and trading company.
After a year of negotiations, specifically on September 23rd, 2002, a Licence Agreement was signed with SKV. The takeover of some manual professions, purchase of inventories from the warehouse of finished and unfinished products, purchase of technological preparations and special equipment, created the preconditions for SKD’s further growth. The move to the new building took place together with the necessary repairs, which were completed with the launch of the gas boiler room in December 2002.
2003 |
Eight companies took part in the tender for the production of spare parts, announced by SIEMENS TS. Licence agreements were signed and concluded on the basis of the successful implementation of a quality management system, verification of references for the supply and sale of spare parts for rail vehicles, stabilization and economic performance of the company of future licensing partners.
Therefore, SKD TRADE s.r.o. obtained a licence agreement for the production and sale of devices from rail vehicle electrical equipment and their spare parts.
On April 1st, 2003, an amendment to the licence agreement for rotary machines was signed. This year, the company’s turnover was already 166 million CZK with 103 employees, including those who were taken over from SKV from the production, technology and trade department and in consignment warehouses further expanded in selected transport companies, where the largest already contained up to 1,700 spare parts. The expansion of the number of warehouse components continued in individual consignment warehouses.
Production sample
In 2004, at the discretion of the owner of SKD TRADE s.r.o., Ing. Jiří Stádník, the company was transformed into a joint-stock company and increased its registered capital to 20 million CZK, namely in the production, technology and trade site, as well as in consignment warehouses, further expanded in selected transport companies, where the largest already contained up to 1,700 spare parts. The expansion of warehouse components continued in individual consignment warehouses.
In 2004, under the leadership of Ing. Milan Šlitr, the technical development department was established, corresponding to SKD’s developing strategy. Shortly, it began to bring new projects of technical solutions for both mechanical and electrical production. For tram bogies with swinging arms, the systemic error of the double-sprung bogie was solved, resulting in the elimination of fatigue cracks of the bogie frame and improved running properties of tram bogies. The production of plastic doors for the modernisation of KT8D5 RN2P trams with a low-floor middle part was initiated. Diesel-electric locomotives for Serbian railways, supplied by CZ LOKO, were assembled with traction alternators TA 611 and traction motors TE 015 from SKD production. For the modernisation of the 709 series locomotives, also supplied by CZ LOKO, the TE 019 traction motors were reworked into roller bearings for the axles and functional samples of the new ATM 090 traction asynchronous motors were delivered to the Bratislava Transport Company.
The penetration of products and activities of the SKD TRADE joint-stock company has increased significantly and it can be objectively stated that soon all original markets where CKD rail vehicles are operated – from Manila, Philippines, Middle East, former CIS countries, European countries and some partial supplies to the USA – are in the SKD portfolio. The SKD trademark was established in June 2004. For the first time, SKD TRADE also participated with its stand at the INNOTRANS transport technology trade fair in Berlin.
2005 was a significant year from the point of view of supplies from consignment warehouses of the Prague Public Transit Company and the Brno Transport Company and only in these two, it accounts for a total of 61% of the SKD turnover.
2006 has become a turning point from the point of view of technical development, as the first new generation asynchronous motor of SKD’s own design was manufactured, designed for trams and trolleybuses. Their subsequent modifications also crossed the borders of our continent, for example, ATM 075 motors are used on trams in China.
In 2007, SKD’s revenues exceeded 258 million CZK and the number of employees exceeded 125. The joint-stock company SKD TRADE, including SKD Praha spol. s.r.o. became an indirect successor of the CKD railway industry and gained its position to further expand and participate in the modernisation of key nodes and the maintenance in already richly occupied consignment warehouses. At the same time, the development of an axle box for ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION 15T trams was initiated. This was then contributing significantly to the production volume for another 10 years. The elimination of the systemic defect of fatigue fractures on the TE 051 traction motor shafts on motor vehicles of Czech Railways (CD) series 843 has brought orders in the area of modernisation of these motors up to the present time.
The following years outline the period of the company’s production. The highest performances were achieved in 2008, namely 271.4 million CZK with 117 employees.
Since 2009, a Licence Agreement was also been concluded with ŠKODA TRANSPORTATION for selected product segments of older types of electric locomotives.
In 2011, the production of STRATOS minibuses was taken over and rotary machines testing was extended to locomotive rotary machines.
In 2012, the registered capital was increased to 40 million CZK and the ownership structure within the company was changed. In February, the complex in Dolní Bučice was purchased for the production of minibuses, and in August, the complex in Žleby was acquired with the aim of strengthening the production of components for assembly in the primary plant in Vysočany. An essential element was the modernisation of the impregnation station to a new insulation system N 210 SKD to achieve insulation class 210 ºC.
In 2014, the first large horizontal milling machine was installed in the facility in Žleby, including the expansion and certification of technologies for welding stainless steel and aluminium.
2017 was interesting in the supply of essential components for the tram modernisation project in Tallinn, specifically the modernisation of the TE 022 motor to a higher output of 54 kW, new modernised gearboxes, plastic doors, etc.
2018 was mainly marked by intensive preparation of a contract for the supply of necessary components for RT8D5M cars in Manila, where all 72 trams were to be revitalised. In the same year, the company ceases production of STRATOS minibuses. Nevertheless, the range of machined castings for other fields began to expand.
In 2019, the implementation of the Manila contract began, which also continues in 2020.
The company’s business activities
- active participation in tenders, public contracts and tenders announced by operators, repair companies and manufacturers of rail vehicles in the Czech Republic
- abroad membership in the Association of the Czech Railway Industry “ACRI”
- participation in projects of modernisation of tram cars and other rail vehicles in the Czech Republic and abroad
References
