"Automobilova vyroba Cadca (AVC) - Cadca Automobile Manufacturing" was along with the whole engineering industry affected by the so called "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, which caused the disintegration of production programmes and a loss of traditional clients. Situation of the company as the only manufacturer of components for TATRA lorries has dramatically changed. The change can be illustrated by the production decrease of it's mother company, TATRA KOPRIVNICE: in 1989 TATRA produced 16000 automobiles, but this volume was reduced to 1400 and 1500 in the next two years. The Cadca factory was 100% bound with TATRA by it's production programme and TATRA's problems began to bring the question of survival for the technical engineers in Cadca. This was why they decided to promptly restructure their production line and search for their clients in Western Europe, so that they can avoid the prospect of a deep depression and a bad economic situation. With the first partner they found, well known car manufacturer CITROEN, they managed to agree on the licensing production of gear boxes. This cooperation has grown into the project delimitation of gear box production for PEUGEOT and CITROEN, that became reality on the 15-th of February 1997. Soon later that AVC gained three other partners: ZAHNRADFABRIK PASSAU, JOHN DEERE MANNHEIM and KESSLER. Even TATRA KOPRIVNICE does not miss in the list of the partner companies. But of course, now the former mother company places less orders then before. The whole product assortment was however renewed, and the deliveries of components for TATRA still represent 30% of the production structure. AVC delivers to the Czech Republic complete steering systems, differential gears, liquid clutches, supporting drives, air pressure steering mechanisms, ventilators, cogged wheels and shafts for gear boxes, and additive gears for TATRA 815 lorries. These components represent an amount of 280 mil. SK in the production profile of the company.

Slovak Trade FORUM