History

BRANO GROUP a.s. (stock company) emerged when the company BRANO a.s. entered the stock company ATESO in 2000. The foundation stones of BRANO GROUP are now the companies BRANO a.s.,BRANOROS a.s. operating in Russian Federation, and minor members of the group – AFTERMARKET s.r.o., BRANOMARKET, s.r.o., BRANO SLOVAKIA, s.r.o. and DELTACOL CZ, s.r.o.

History BRANO GROUP, a.s.

The BRANO a.s. history goes back to 28 October 1862 when a factory for small ironmongery was established. The most important milestones in the further company’s history were the following:

1867 – The factory transformed its statute to public trading company, owned by C.R.O.Schüller and Co., Opava.

1869 – On 30 December the company was transformed to stock company Branka Factory on Wire, Tinwork and Nails located in Opava. Along with the growth of the company the production assortment was enlarged from nails and heel tips to metal sheet and cast iron ware and iron structures of windows, roofs, railings and bridges. This expansion was supported by the newly built foundry.

1927 – The factory was taken over by the American company YALE and Town Manufacturing Co., Stampford. The mass production of various types of locks, hydraulic door closing devices, rack-and lever jacks and other products of advanced technology has been introduced.

1939-45 – The production programme was adjusted for the purposes of German Army.

1946 – The company was nationalised under the name Branka Ironworks n.p. (national enterprise), Branka u Opavy. The factory produced padlocks and mortise locks, construction fittings, and castings made of grey and malleable cast iron.

1948 – Further plants from all over the republic were integrated into the company structure.

1950 – The production was expanded for furniture and construction fittings, closing devices, cast iron and car locks.

1951 – The production of hand-operated pulley blocks started.

1965 – The boards of management of industrial enterprises are being established according to production lines. Branka Ironworks are incorporated into the consumer goods trust PRAGO-UNION Prague.

1970 – The production for automotive industry was enlarged for further components.

1972 – Licence for car safety locks BOMORO I and BOMORO II was purchased. The production for automotive industry and that of lifting and door closing devices is being developed and enlarged.

1988 – On 1 July was established BRANO - Branka Ironworks and Engineering Works, state enterprise located in Hradec nad Moravicí.

1991 – Repartition of subordinate plants in Horní Benešov and Opava-Komárov that became independent.

1992 – On the basis of the privatisation project accredited by the resolution of the government of the Czech Republic from 15 April 1992 was established BRANO a.s. on 1 May, business location Hradec nad Moravicí. The same date was the company registered in the Commercial Register at the District Court Ostrava.

1999 – BRANO a.s. entered the stock company ATESO.

2004 – Fusion of stock companies BRANO and BRANO-ATESO.

History of ATESO a.s.

The history of ATESO a.s. does not go so deep into the past as the history of BRANO a.s., but is more various.

1952 – The establishing document of the company AUTOBRZDY JABLONEC was signed on 17 July, the activity started on 1 January 1953.

1953 – Plant 02-HODKOVICE comes into existence – production of direction indicators and shock absorbers.

1953 – Plant 03-RAKOVNÍK, specialised in the production of dependent and independent heating systems for cars, trucks,tractors and buses, is affiliated to AUTOBRZDY.

1954 – Established plant 04-JILEMNICE, producing air distributors, lever shock absorbers and air power steering. At present the plant produces telescopic shock absorbers for trucks and automatic load regulators.

1957 – Plant 05-HEJNICE is annexed to AUTOBRZDY. This plant took over the majority of the air-pressure brake production and partly the production of the hot-water heating systems.

1958 – Affiliated plant 07-KRASLICE, specialised in producing oil fuel filters, air-pressure brakes and hot-water heating systems.

1966 and 1968 – Established plants 08-PREŠOV and 09-VRÁBLE that in the 1990s became independent due to political and economic changes.

1990 – The production programme of six plants of the company AUTOBRZDY included 210 devices and accessories in many modifications. The state enterprise AUTOBRZDY produced hydraulic brakes for cars and utility vehicles, air-pressure brake systems for trucks, tractors, buses and utility vehicles, telescopic shock absorbers for cars, trucks and utility vehicles, air suspension,hot-water, petrol and oil heating, fuel and oil filters, audio signalling and direction indicators for all kinds of vehicles. AUTOBRZDY flexibly reacted on competitive environment and exploited foreign licences to increase the utility value of own products. AUTOBRZDY bought the licence for disk brake for the vehicle Š-781 Favorit from the company Lucas-Girling, the air-pressure brake accessories licence from the company Westinghouse. The production of some of the independent heating systems was realised by means of licences from the company Eberspächer.

1992 – The company ATESO, which was transformed from the company AUTOBRZDY Jablonec, was registered in the Commercial Register on 1 May. The transformation was enforced by the pressure of economic changes in the country. The inner company structure remained unchanged.

1993 – The company ATESO established two daughter companies. The plant 01-JABLONEC in cooperation with the company LUCAS formed the company AUTOBRZDY s.r.o. The plant 05-HEJNICE was transformed into KNORR-AUTOBRZDY s.r.o., with famous foreign business partner Knorr-Bremse from Munich. The plants 02-HODKOVICE, 03-RAKOVNÍK,04-JILEMNICE and 07-KRASLICE were left without foreign business partner.

1998 – Both daughter companies established in 1993 were sold to foreign partners.

1999 – BRANO a.s. entered the stock company ATESO.

2004 – Fusion of stock companies BRANO and BRANO-ATESO.

History of BRANOROS a.s.

The history of BRANOROS a.s., the third largest member of BRANO GROUP is rather short.

The company BRANOROS was established on 28 July 1999 as a joint venture of BRANO a.s. and the state enterprise of the Russian Federation GAZ. Since 27 July 2005 the 100% stocks owner of the company is BRANO GROUP. BRANOROS assembles car locks and other components for GAZ vehicles from parts supplied by BRANO. For future the company is expected to produce complete car accessories without subdelivery.