Aweld – 30 Years of a Successful Company
In the spring of 1996, Jaroslav Jílek and Ladislav Holecek met. At that time, Mr. Holecek was concluding his tenure at the Maindl brickmaking group, while Mr. Jílek was conducting his first experiments with hardfacing wear-resistant layers onto screws for brick presses. They agreed to cooperate and founded the company Aweld s.r.o., where they could apply their experience in hardfacing and brick production.
The beginnings of czech company Aweld were modest: two welders, one machinist, and old, used conventional machines in a rented workshop. However, there was great market potential in Central and Eastern Europe, where the technology of protecting wear parts through hardfacing on brickmaking machinery was almost non-existent. Consequently, Aweld grew rapidly and soon gained a number of satisfied customers not only in the Czech Republic but also in Slovakia and Poland. A major milestone was the participation in the Ceramitec trade fair in Munich in 2000. There, the company succeeded in establishing contacts with customers in Western Europe and subsequently opening a representative office for that region.
As the customer portfolio was expanding, it became necessary to invest in production technology and capacity. The number of employees and production capabilities grew gradually. During this period, Aweld had not only renovated worn parts but began manufacturing them and simultaneously optimizing and reconstructing existing brickmaking technologies, particularly as far as pressing. Since 2008, Aweld has been manufacturing brickmaking preparation and pressing machines of its own design.
In 2014, Aweld built a new production hall for assembly and heavy machining. This significantly advanced the company’s manufacturing capabilities, and Aweld increasingly focused on the production of machines based on its own designs. The following year, expansion continued with the construction of a new welding hall.
In 2016, partner Mr. Jaroslav Jílek sold his share to Mr. Ladislav Holecek. By this time, the company was no longer active solely in the brick industry but was supplying machines and parts for other sectors such as technical ceramics, the food industry, biogas plants, energy, sugar production, waste processing, and other fields.
Aweld continues to develop its technological and manufacturing capabilities. Currently, it has 62 employees and possesses modern technologies in the field of hardfacing – automatic hardfacing of wear-resistant carbide layers, plasma hardfacing, and conventional flame hardfacing of tungsten carbide. Furthermore, it utilizes modern automatic welding equipment for welding screw shafts. The company also owns unique technology for manufacturing screw segments up to a diameter of 2,500 mm and a thickness of 40 mm. For the production of pan mill grates and screens for screen feeders, a plasma cutting system with a water table is used. Over the last three years, Aweld has invested nearly 1.5 million euros in machining technology, ensuring it possesses the most modern equipment available.
All company activities – from sales, technical, and technological aspects to production, quality control, and shipping – are managed through an ERP information system.
Aweld is capable of manufacturing and delivering complete equipment for preparation rooms and press shops, ranging from box feeders and belt conveyors to separators, pan mills, roller mills, screen mixers, and extruders.
The company has customers worldwide and currently supplies to 31 countries. Its clientele includes large multinational corporations, and not only from the brick industry.
As time passes, every company reaches a point where it is necessary to hand over leadership to the next generation. This naturally applies to Aweld as well, where Mr. Ladislav Holecek’s children have been active for several years – his son Martin Holecek as Production Director and his daughter Hana Holecková as Finance Director.
This is a guarantee of continuity, ensuring that Aweld will continue to develop and provide excellent service to its customers, both within and beyond the brick industry.
