Omnipol

OMNIPOL was founded in October 1934 as trading company focusing mainly on barter operations related to export of products manufactured by the Škodovy závody (Skoda Works) trust in Pilsen. An extensive network of representations abroad operating in more than 60 countries of all continents successfully traded at the end of the 1930´s also in other commodities of a quickly developing Czechoslovak economy.

The World War II interrupted the activities of the company and after a short restart after the war and subsequent reduction at the end of the 1940´s, their continuing revival began in the second half of the 1950´s when the world-known trade mark has been brought back to life. The new business activities of the company were concentrated on export and import of all commodities of the emerging civil aerospace industry and air traffic equipment as well as hunting and sporting rifles. Consecutively OMNIPOL was also authorized by the government to perform state-controlled deals with defence and security systems.

Since the beginning of 1990´s the scope of business has been progressively extending with the essential part currently being export and import of defence and aerospace systems and equipment, export of food processing and mechanical engineering equipment and technologies, financial leasing of vehicles and technological equipment, financing of construction of biogas facilities and environment-related projects etc.

Seventy five years of experience and professional workmanship and know-how enable OMNIPOL to be a reliable business partner for several dozens companies from the Czech Republic representing their commercial interests on international markets. OMNIPOL is traditional supplier of high-quality defence, police and public security related products and services to government agencies and contractors abroad, OMNIPOL is also a long-term independent partner to the Czech Army, Air Force and Police and is involved in many of their purchase and modernisation programmes.

OMNIPOL is one of the founding members of the Association of the Defence and Security Industry of the Czech Republic (AOBP). The company is further a member of the Chamber of Commerce of the Czech Republic, Mixed Chamber of Commerce „East“, Czech-Arab Chamber of Commerce and Czech-Arab Business Council as well as a registered supplier for NAMSA – NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency.

Long record of deliveries of various military equipment established a strong position of Czech military products on the world market. High demand for low-cost training and education solution can be successfully met by simulation and training equipment which includes full mission simulators for tanks and other military vehicles, gunnery and driving trainers, small arms simulators and other systems for quick and cheap training of land force and special operation troops.

Upgrading and modernisation of T-72 MBTs, BVP-1 and BVP-2 APCs represent a low-cost solution for many armed forces. A wide range of special purpose vehicles with excellent off-road mobility as special carriers of weapon and reconnaissance systems, UAVs and various containers can be delivered as a part of a whole systems or separately as supporting logistic vehicles. Permanent supplies of spare parts and provision of technical services and full logistic support make the company a reliable business partner of the armed forces and police corps of the Czech Republic and many countries worldwide. And last but not least, a wide range of security and police equipment form also an important part of the OMNIPOL´s export program. OMNIPOL, with its licence for foreign trading with all products from the internationally accepted military material list, is capable to meet any other requirements for new or used equipment.

A wide range of equipment originally developed for the military operations is more and more being used for protection of civil population. This equipment featuring excellent parameters in very hard operational conditions is fully capable to protect civillians against different dangers of current world including terrorist attacks and affects of industrial and natural disasters as floods, earthquakes etc.

Current worldwide problem of quick transfer of highly dangerous microorganisms (viruses and bacteria) lead to the idea of the mobile protection system against biological threat designed especially for airports and other border checkpoints. The protection system against chemical and radioactive substances and materials for the protection of individuals and larger groups of people contains monitoring, detection, analysis and decontamination equipment in stationary and mobile versions. Its modular design is capable to cover any area size from a defined object up to a whole country. Equipment temporary replacing damaged infrastructure includes floating bridging systems (MLC 50 – 80) delivered with multi-purpose tug/tow boats, recovery and other supporting vehicles for water and fuel transportation, further special purpose vehicles are fire-fighters, medical assistance units, carriers of communication stations and others.

• 30th October 1916 Foundation of AUTOPOL, limited liability company, dealing in secondhand cars, with the seat in Prague. The exclusive partner was „Spojené strojírny, dríve Škoda, Ruston, Bromovský a Ringhoffer“.
• 22nd October 1934 Change of company‘s name from AUTOPOL into OMNIPOL Limited Company with new partners „Škodovy závody Plzen“ holding 90% share and „Akciová spolecnost pro automobilový prumysl v Praze“ holding 10% share. The scope of business was extended into trade (i. e. purchase and sale of all commodities not liable to special licence) and freight-forwarding.
• 15th September 1938 General assembly of OMNIPOL approved conversion into a joint-stock company with the main shareholder „Škodovy závody Plzen“ holding 99% share. The trade with second-hand cars was terminated.
• 1940 – 1945 Incorporation into the German „Waffen-Union Skoda Brün“ military production trust resulting in interruption of OMNIPOL pre-war activities.
• 24th October 1945 The trust „Škodovy závody Plzen“ was nationalized and divided into autonomous production units, OMNIPOL remained a part of it.
• 1946 – 1948 Revival of trading activities, their subsequent reduction with respect to the domestic and international post-war political situation.
• 17th January 1948 The joint-stock participation in OMNIPOL a. s. was transferred from the assets of the nationalized company „Škodovy závody Plzen“ to Czechoslovak Metal and Machinery Works, national company, Prague.
• 1948 – 1956 Activities were concentrated only on running out trade cases from the past, development of new businesses was not required.
• 12th April 1956 OMNIPOL joint-stock company was authorised for exclusive export and import of sporting and hunting rifles and civil aircraft in accordance by the Decree of the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
• 12th March 1959 Transformation of the joint-stock company into a foreign trade company and the change of the name to PZO OMNIPOL, a foreign trade company for export and import of sporting and hunting rifles and ammunition and civil aircraft.
• 1st January 1966 Change of the name to OMNIPOL, Foreign Trade Corporation. By a government decision the company was authorised also to trade goods serving for state defence and security.
• 15th August 1979 Opening of the new company´s seat Nekázanka St. 11.
• November 1989 End of the foreign trade monopoly with specified commodities, scope of business gradually extended to new activities and commodities.
• 1st October 1991 Transformation of OMNIPOL, Foreign Trade Corporation, into OMNIPOL a. s. (joint-stock company) with 75 % of shares subscribed for a state-owned financial institution, the rest was offered to private investors.
• September 1996 Transfer of the complete state-owned stake to a private investor resulting in completion of company‘s privatisation.
• 10th May 2001 Award of the ISO 9001 Certificate for trading with defence materials and civil commodities for machine and food-processing industry.
• 8th September 2004 Takeover of all the assets of OMNIPOL a. s. by its majority shareholder OMNYX, a. s., accompanied by the change of the company´s trade name to OMNIPOL a. s.