REGION–KOPŘIVNICE

Family Silver of Czech

Motoring from Kopřivnice

Building a good name for a brand is one of the pillars of business

success. The Tatra Trucks a.s. car manufacturing company can be

considered a  Czech heritage. We spoke to marketing manager

Ing. Kamil Košťal, MBA about the company‘s vision for the future

and their activities in the Moravian-Silesian Region.

The Kopřivnice based truck manufacturer,

Tatra, belongs to the oldest car producers in

the world, having been created in 1850. How

is the company influencing the automotive

industry in the Czech Republic and also

abroad?

Throughout its existence on the market, Tatra

has produced a variety of products, from

carriages and buggies through locomotives

and railway wagons to cars and trucks. Even

though Tatra has a famous tradition in the

production of cars, the company’s current

and future efforts are focused on commercial

vehicles that incorporate the usage of the Tatra

central load-carrying tube with independently

suspended swinging half-axles. These vehicles

enable efficient operation even in the most

difficult terrains, mainly at construction sites,

in mines and in forests. They are therefore

an appropriate choice for fire engines,

ambulances and, of course, the Army.

You mentioned that one of the company’s

conceptions is to strengthen its position as

a one-of-a-kind manufacturer of commercial

vehicles. How is fulfilling this vision coming

along?

Nowadays, Tatra is solely focused on custom

production. Each vehicle is basically an original;

only a handful of projects concern vehicle

numbers that exceed a number of several

dozen. We focus on clients that operate their

vehicles in mixed and difficult terrains, where

Tatra’s chassis conception has no competition

and cannot be easily replaced. We are thereby

managing to successfully fulfill our vision.

The Tatra Trucks company was successfully

restructured in 2013. Can you describe the

changes that occurred?

Two new owners entered Tatra, two Czech

businessmen, which hold Tatra dearly in

their hearts and consider it a prestigious

project, and their actions match this

sentiment. In cooperation with company

management, they defined a realistic and

successful business strategy that focuses on

providing specialized vehicles for special

customers, for which Tatra is very desirable as

a unique supplier. They invest in technological

development, company modernization, and

even the company’s historical legacy. Thanks

to their efforts, projects like the revitalization

of the national technological monument,

the Slovenská Strela motor railway engine,

or construction of a new Tatra museum, are

made a reality. Building up a positive image

of Tatra has also helped in gaining support of,

for example, The Moravian-Silesian Region

and the Czech government for the projects.

by our employees, not only financially, but

also through other means. The opening of

the new truck museum is being facilitated

in collaboration with the Moravian-Silesian

Region and the city of Kopřivnice.

You export Tatra vehicles to more than

100 countries globally. That is a really big

portfolio. What are some places with high

demand for the vehicles of this famous

brand?

The domestic market of the Czech and Slovak

Republics remains a key customer. Excluding

those, Tatra Trucks has been successful in

the markets of Central and Western Europe,

the Middle East, Central and South Asia,

and South America. Countries without

a high quality infrastructure logically hold

more potential for all-wheel-drive vehicles

with multiple axles. This includes third-world

countries, but also remote places with low

population density.

The Tatra brand represents the Czech

automotive tradition. How do you

personally perceive it?

Tatra was always special, it always subverted

established trends, whether in technical

solutions or its individual approach to

customers. Currently, it is probably the only

custom truck manufacturer that has such

a diverse customer base without being part

of a multinational group--civilian vehicles,

Army and fire fighting specials. I therefore

hope that Tatra is able to maintain this singular

position in the future, and that it is continually

able to show this facet to customers.

Tatra is a significant employer in the

Kopřivnice region. Do you also support

some organizations or projects that help

regional development?

Yes, we try to support local cultural and

sporting activities, including ones held

An inseparable part of company

development is innovation: what are your

commercial and financial advancements in

this field?

One recent trend is the effort to finalize

production of products in regions where they

are later sold, used, and serviced. Currently,

we are working in various parts of the world

on projects concerning the construction

of assembly and service plants that would

assemble our vehicles meant for local

operation.

Thank you for the interview.

Text: Kamil Košťál

Foto: archiv TATRA TRUCKS, a. s.

www.tatra.cz

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