Current difficulties caused by the spread of COVID-19 have a major impact not only on individuals and households, but also on operation of many domestic companies, some of which, including manufacturing companies, had to significantly reduce their activity. In the premises in Polička, which the STV Group company shares, among other things, with its sister company Poličské strojírny, there are hundreds of people around. This is a high risk because of high infectivity of the new type of Coronavirus which underestimation could negatively influence the operation of companies.

Therefore, immediately after declaration of emergency by the Government of the Czech Republic, the owner of the company took strict preventive measures concerning not only employees working here, but also a wide network of suppliers who are used to entering the premises on daily basis. Employees, whose work is not directly related to the physical activity in manufacturing, were allowed to work from home, and concerning the workers in production, the measures to minimize to possibility of spreading the COVID-19 were taken.

Picture: Sewing face masks in the premises of the STV GROUP company in Hajniště | STV GROUP

In other part of our country, in the North Bohemia near Nové Město pod Smrkem, there is another large complex of the STV GROUP company.  Even here, due to timely and consistent prevention, employees are still healthy and the production runs in a standard mode. However, the employees of the STV GRROUP company used additional equipment that they have at disposal and began to sew scarce face masks which, afterwards, they distribute nearby where they are most needed. So far, they handed over dozens of face masks to the Retirement Home in Jindřichovice pod Smrken and the Deputy Mayor of Nové Město pod Smrkem. “The current situation is unprecedented and complicated for everybody.

Picture: Handing over the face masks in the Retirement Home in Jindřichovice pod Smrkem | STV GROUP

The most important thing is, of course, to protect health of our employees and their families. Therefore, they have enough protective equipment, masks and respirators to reduce the risk of infection to minimum, so that our employees can normally go to work and receive wages at the same time. However, we still see that there are many people outside our company who suffer from a shortage of this basic protective equipment. That is why we have decided, as good neighbours, to use part of our capacity to sew hundreds of face masks that we distribute in the region of our business,” said Martin Vondráček, the Director of the Ammunition, Explosives and Delaboration Division of the STV GROUP company.

Picture: Handing over the face masks to the Deputy of Mayor of Nové Město pod Smrkem | STV GROUP

Thanks to timely action, the STV GROUP company and its affiliated companies can still carry out production activities as usual, secure work for their employees and fulfil their obligations to the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and other partners in the country and abroad. 

The group of companies belonging to the STV InVEST, which also covers the STV GROUP company, STV TECHNOLOGY or Poličské strojírny, belongs among the most important employers in Polička and surroundings. The STV GROUP company is one of the key suppliers of the Department of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, the acquisition agency NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), and other government organizations and private entities in NATO, the European Union and outside it.  

The STV GROUP company produces all from small arms cartridges to large size ammunition, engineer cartridges, plastic explosives and small arms. It also operates modern service halls where various types of military equipment are repaired and modernised, such as the main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles or artillery systems. The STV GROUP company currently ensures repairing of BVP-2 vehicles, supplies of ammunition of the 125 mm calibre or supplies of military uniforms.  The STV GROUP company, which is the largest manufacturer of large-size ammunition in the Czech Republic, is celebrating an important historical milestone this year, i.e. one hundred years since the start of production of large-size ammunition in Polička.  

Picture: Repairing technology of the Army of the Czech Republic in Polička | STV GROUP

In the future, the company wants to adjust and expand its production programme and used technologies so that it could meet the need of the Army of the Czech Republic that will result from its planned modernisation.  The STV GROUP company is ready to offer its experience and capabilities, for example, for the successful introduction of a new weapon system as upcoming infantry combat vehicles or guns of the calibre 155 mm NATO, including the production of ammunition for them. In cooperation with an American manufacturer Oshkosh Defence, the STV GROUP company offers modern lightweight tactical vehicles JLTV to the Ministry of Defence. They could replace the outdated IVECO. At the same time, the company will be ready to ensure the expected replacement of outdated off-road vehicles Land Rover Defender and UAZ.