History

In the European history, the 19th century was marked by a rapid industrial development. In that, Bohemia was no exception; industrialisation had changed the country's character and brought unprecedented economic growth.

As early as the mid 18th century, the nobility house of Waldstein owned a number of industrial enterprises including the ironworks in Sedlec near Plzeň that was, a hundred years later, to give rise to Škoda Works in Plzeň.

• Mid 18th century - the Waldsteins founded ironworks in Sedlec near Plzeň
• 1859 - iron production and processing operations were transferred to Plzeň
• 1865 - the plant employed 68 workers (the population of Plzeň was at that time 11 thousand)

• 1866 - Emil Škoda accepted the position of the company manager
• 12 June 1869 - Emil Škoda bought the Waldsteins engineering works

• 1871 - new metal foundry and production hall added to the existing company premises
• 1882 - new forging shop
• 1886 - new steelworks facility
• 1876 - the first company representation office abroad (in Kiev, Russia)
• 1886 - railway siding connected the plant with the trunk railway Vienna - Pilzen - Cheb facilitating transport of heavy castings to customers abroad
• 1889 - new production shops and halls erected alongside the railway siding
• 1909 - the premises of the original Waldstein plant definitely abandoned
• 1899 - foundation of a joint-stock company
• end of the 19th century - the company employed 3,211 workers and about 250 office workers

Emil Škoda's death in 1900 marked the end of one and beginning of another era of the company's history. Following the general trends of the period, the engineering industry in Bohemia had undergone thorough restructuring whereby metallurgical and engineering enterprises consolidated their capacities and became more product-specialised.

• beginning of the 20th century - Škoda Works acquired licences for production of steam turbines and gas engines
• 1900 - Small and Big forging shops started operation
• 1904 - the first steam turbine manufactured
• 1905 - crankshaft production started
• 1908/1909 - the company was divided into the following functions: arms manufacturing, Small and Big forging shops, shop manufacturing railway car wheels, steelworks, grey-iron foundry, pattern shop, machining shop, boiler shop, bridge construction shop, power plant and research and testing institute
• 1911 - new iron foundry and machining shop for heavy forged parts
• 1922 - forged rotor shafts manufactured for internal use
• 1923 - the Škoda "winged arrow" trade mark registration
• 1925 - acquisition of the car manufacturing company in Mladá Boleslav
• 1929 - new non-ferrous metal foundry started operation
• 1930 - Škoda Works employed nearly 30 thousand
• 1939 - incorporation of Škoda Works into a German arms manufacturing combine

During World War II the works sustained considerable damage.

• 1947 - new pattern shop started operation while the forging shops were subject to a thorough modernisation project

After World War II, Škoda Works was nationalised and the original group was divided into seven independent entities. Prior to division, the Škoda group employed over 80 thousand people and exported its products to 60 countries of the world.

• 1982 - new foundry shop erected
• 1987 - ASEA ladle operation started

Following the "velvet revolution" in 1989, the company went through substantial changes.

• 1990 - formation of the ŠKODA a.s. (joint-stock company)
• 1993 - company privatisation and formation of independent legal entities including ŠKODA, HUTĚ, Plzeň, s. r. o. and ŠKODA, KOVÁRNY, Plzeň, s.r.o. - subsidiaries of Škoda Holding
• 2004 - sale of both metallurgical companies and their incorporation into the Russia-based international group OMZ.
• 2007 - merger of both companies and rebranding of the successor company on PILSEN STEEL s.r.o.
• 2009 - modification of company's organization structure: divizion Steel & Castings and divizion Forgings was substituted by Steelmaking Shop, Forge Shop, Foundry Shop and Machining Shop.