History

The ŠKODA company was founded in 1859. By the turn of the centuries it ranked among the leading engineering enterprises in Europe.

The dynamic development of the company at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries and the general need for new and often unique machine tools gave rise to a new product line within the existing Škoda product portfolio: machine tool design and manufacturing. The very first machine tools of proprietary Škoda design were manufactured for the own company purposes in 1911. Machine tools for other domestic and foreign customers started to be made only after World War I. With the growing exports the types of machine tools manufactured had become more and more specific. During World War II the machine tool production declined to be revived and thoroughly modernised in and after 1945. The post-war boom resulted in development and manufacture of a number of machine tools whose user-value and the originality of solution brought them among the leading world products of the period. In particular, horizontal milling and boring machines of the type series W 160, W 200 and W 250 were noted for excellent cutting parameters and part unification. These machines were later modernised to include CNC systems. The Škoda Machine Tool division was one of the first companies in the world to design and manufacture complex production centres including horizontal work-piece transport systems using technological palettes on a centrally-controlled rail vehicle with a loading capacity of 40t.

The 1990s brought privatisation, company transformation and new markets. The joint venture company ŠKODA MACHINE TOOL – DÖRRIES SCHARMANN GROUP, s.r.o. formed at that time continued the product line of special machining centres, while the development of a brand new lathe series started.

In 1996, the parent company ŠKODA a.s. became the majority owner of the joint venture company. The development and manufacturing programmes oriented at advanced machine tools marketed at competitive prices continued.

In 2005 - 98% of the ŠKODA MACHINE TOOL shares sold to TELONIA TRADING LIMITED of the SIG Group.

In 2006 - transformation to joint-stock company.

In 2007 - foundation of EASTERN SKODA (SHENYANG) MACHINE TOOL MODERNIZATION CO., LTD.

In March 2011 - entry into the ALTA Group.