On Friday, 23 August, the ceremonial opening of a new production line for filling ammunition, ranging from 81 mm to 122 mm, took place at VOP Nováky with the participation of distinguished guests, led by the Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic, Robert Kaliňák, and the owner of the Czechoslovak Group, Michal Strnad. The so-called screw machine, a filling line with automatic feeding, is an important part of the production program of the company, which is one of the leading and strategically important manufacturers of large-calibre ammunition. VOP Nováky has invested more than EUR 10 million in the new line.
Photos: Czechoslovak Group
In the first stage, the new auger will be used to produce 122 mm and 120 mm ammunition for tanks and mortars. The production line will contribute to the completion and expansion of the production capabilities of VOP Nováky, which has been leased from the Ministry of Defence of the Slovak Republic since 2013 by MSM Group, which is part of the Czechoslovak Group, an industrial technology group. Along with other operations in Slovakia, but also in Spain and Serbia, the Czechoslovak Group and its CSG Defence division are among the most important European producers of large-calibre ammunition.
Since 2013, when the Czechoslovak Group started operating our business, 25 million euros have been gradually invested in the company’s facilities. Among other things, a new automatic robotic production line, equipment for the production of training ammunition and a physico-chemical laboratory were purchased, because our company is also engaged in research and development in addition to production, says Zuzana Helbichová, CEO of VOP Nováky, adding: The current investment in the new screw has expanded the production capacity of our company with unique equipment, not only in Slovakia but across the entire CSG Group.
VOP Nováky has focused on exports since 2013. It supplies its products to seventy countries around the world. Due to the current security situation, when there is great interest in large-calibre ammunition around the world and production capacities are insufficient, VOP Nováky is growing. This year, it expects revenues of almost €280 million, more than double that of 2023.
VOP Nováky is an important company in the ammunition industry not only in Slovakia or Central Europe, but on the entire continent. We are a strategic capacity within the European Union and NATO. Our production strengthens safety in Europe. Our know-how is important for other European countries that are interested in becoming independent in the production of large-calibre ammunition and thus strengthening their defence capability. Thanks to the fact that we are part of a dynamic private group, we were able to respond immediately to the events of 2022 and develop our business to meet the strategic needs of NATO and its member countries, adds Zuzana Helbichová.
Thanks to the growing interest in the company’s products, the number of employees is also increasing, reaching three hundred this year. Thanks to this, VOP Nováky contributed to the economic transformation of Upper Nitra, where the mining industry declined. Ten percent of the company’s employees are former miners from the local coal mines. The average salary in the company has increased by more than 11 percent year-on-year and is well above the average both in the Trenčín region and in Slovakia as a whole. Thanks to massive investments and expansion of the production program, the company expects further growth.
About VOP Nováky
VOP Nováky was founded in 2013 and its activities are a continuation of the former state enterprise operating in the town of Nováky since the 1950s. It is engaged in the production of artillery ammunition in calibres from 122 to 155 mm, the production of initiating components for artillery ammunition, the production of training ammunition and the production of mortar projectiles of 60, 81, 98 and 120 mm calibre. In addition to the production of large-calibre ammunition, it also carries out inspections, modernizations and extends the life cycle of ammunition.
About CSG Group
The global industrial and technology group CSG, owned by Czech entrepreneur Michal Strnad, has key manufacturing facilities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, India, Great Britain and the USA and exports its products all over the world. CSG has been continuously investing in the development of its companies while expanding in its core businesses. The group includes, for example, the Czech car manufacturer Tatra Trucks, the world’s major manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition Fiocchi and the Czech radar manufacturer Eldis. More than 10,000 employees work in the companies incorporated into the CSG Group and in the connected companies. In 2022, the group’s consolidated sales reached CZK 25 billion. The main fields of CSG are engineering, automotive, railway, aerospace, defence industry and production of small calibre ammunition. Thanks to its strong pro-export orientation, CSG products can be found on all continents.
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