Tradition more than a century of production of bent metal furniture Slezákovy Závody, ranks among the unique and traditional Czech brand. Read the story, which began in 1908 in Bystřice pod Hostýnem, and successfully continues to those days. History and figures
Kovonax based in Bystřice pod Hostýnem is a leading Czech producer of metal furniture: chairs, swivel chairs, armchairs, dining and commun
al tables, racks and hospital beds, school furniture. In its field among the main businesses in our country: two years ago, With honour we re-established traditional brand Slezákovy závody with a complete offer of the original bending metal furniture. From history
In the early of 20th the company bore the name by the founder Robert Slezak. Trained locksmith originally from Bystřice pod Hostýnem founded in his hometown in 1908, a small machine shop on a regular locksmith products, furniture and building hardware. The workshop quickly grew, production was extended first by popular brass fittings, the new premises were he introduced new technology, electroplating: one of the first manufacturers began Slezak in 1911 to procure goods galvanic surface layer composed of copper, nickel and chromium. Followed by manufacture of metal chairs and brass furniture (since 1913), especially beds, tables and chairs according to their own designs, often in combination with a metal and wood. Emerging manufacturing activity suspended II World War, after its completion, the company refresh the earlier production, which expanded to the furniture from iron and nickel and later. For increasing production, on which participated in 1928, as more than a hundred workers, adapted by Robert Slezak. It was established there a chrome section and in 1931 was introduced licensed production of elastic seating of steel tubes. In the thirties of the 20th century Slezak belonged with hundreds of models of seatings and tables furnitures for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, gardens, public and residential interiors in design chromed tubular steel, nickel and brass. Leading manufacturers of metal furniture in our country (made even upholstered furniture which has been since 1937 finishing in new upholstery workshop). Its products are offered through catalogs (for each type of furniture was given a special multi-page catalog with price list) and sold in a network of own shops in Brno (1927), Olomouc (1933), Bratislava (1934) and Ostrava (1937). Proposals for new designs were created as a part of internal development and collaboration with architects. Great attention to the design firm and furniture design for healthcare facilities. Besides the usual assortment of tables, trolleys, chairs, benches, chairs and beds could also produce operating table and equipment according to doctors. Major partners found in Brno, where he rebuild the hospital of st. Anna Children’s Hospital, House of consolation for the treatment of cancer and other objects. Since 1935, he has focused on simple, practical, height-adjustable school furniture, which meet hygienic and ergonomic principles, and also expanded its production of comfortable, durable shape interesting pieces of garden furniture. Like Michael Thonet or Tomas Bata, also Rober Slezak eded good working conditions for its employees. The spacious rooms were centrally heated, air conditioning and dust extraction system, the company has a canteen, showers, bath spa, employees have a special room reserved for them to rest. During II World War, the company produced the ammunition for heavy machine guns and anti-aircraft guns and parts for optical sights Zeiss. In 1945, the factory of Robert Slezak could revert to the original production – lacquered, chrome metal furniture – and until 1948 worked under the leadership of its owner; at that time, a new plant in High Kysucou of Slovak Republic. After the nationalization, the company became a national enterprise of Slezak Kovona Bystřice pod Hostýnem. The
company was incorporated into the national enterprise Kovona Karvina and in 1958 classified under KOVONA Lysa nad Labem. In the postwar years in the production program although some patterns have remained springing chair of steel pipes (range was not changed). Chairs with plywood seat and backrest made in the swiveling version is exported to many countries transversal to the whole of Europe. Present
Company Kovonax, spol. (Ltd)., which was established by privatization in 1992 is owned by Czech owners. It focuses on seating, tables and accessories, manufactures furniture for the health and care (beds), laboratory chairs, school (chairs, tables, benches), “retro” and military furniture (beds, chairs, stretchers), and focuses on also custom manufacturing (metallurgy, galvanisation, powder coating, welding, grinding). The advantage of all the products are the safety and practical design, reliability, quality of workmanship, simple handling and easy maintenance. Specially designed for schools or hospitals, moreover, requires primarily security and resilience of products: desktop tables, chairs and benches have a surface resistant to abrasion and scratching, rounded edges for public spaces designed furniture with a certificate of non-flammability and conformity. For machining of pipes, profiles, round bars and plates, which are supplemented by plastics, wood and upholstery materials used by the enterprise of traditional and modern technology: fully automated saws for cutting, pressing, rolling machines, programmable bending machines, lathes, milling machines, welding machines, galvanic line for plating and two automatic lines for powder coating finishing. r. o. supplies its products to European Union countries, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria. Guarantee good business, quality and reliability. Their design is indeed compared to their foreign competitors rather conservative, but even in this area, the firm seeks a path to the future – for example, an elegant model Nova.
