2/7/2026 |Articles are machine translated
From the left: Michal Nosek (PLASTIKA a.s.), Martin Jahn (Škoda Auto a.s.), Luca Silvioni (Tiberina Automotive Bělá s.r.o.), David Kříž (Iveco Czech Republic, a. s.), Filip Valenta (Toyota Tsusho Europe SA Czech Republic Branch) and Ján Krivda (RETEX a.s.) | Photo: Hana Görlichová
The Automotive Industry Association has announced the winners of the Automotive Industry Company of the Year competition for the 28th time. As in previous years, this year, in which the basic economic results of companies in 2025 were assessed, a total of 6 most successful companies were announced, divided into two categories according to the number of employees – up to 250 and over 250 people. The ceremony of announcing and handing over the iconic glass horse sculptures to the winners took place during the Automotive Leaders Forum 2026 social evening in Prague.
PLASTIKA a.s. continues the more than seventy-year tradition of plastics processing. The original cooperative, which established itself by producing keyboards, has transformed into a joint-stock company and developed into a modern company focused on development and supplies for the automotive industry. PLASTIKA a.s. today has a turnover of around one billion crowns and is one of the leading companies in its segment.
RETEX a.s. is a Czech technology company with a long tradition in the production of nonwoven textiles. In Moravský Krumlov, it develops and produces materials from recycled fibers that are used in the automotive and other industrial sectors. RETEX textiles help to dampen noise, improve thermal comfort, protect parts and meet demanding technical requirements. The company builds on development, experience and the ability to design materials for specific applications. RETEX cooperates with customers in the Czech Republic and abroad, with technical universities and research institutes. It is one of the major employers in the region.
Tiberina Automotive Bělá s.r.o., based in Bělá pod Bezdězem, is a major supplier of pressed and welded metal parts for the automotive industry. Thanks to several new domestic and international orders last year, the company’s components will appear in upcoming Škoda and Stellantis cars. To support this growth, Tiberina has invested significantly in its production technologies and facilities. The company places great emphasis on continuous process improvement to ensure maximum safety and efficiency, while its main strategy remains the acquisition, retention and motivation of talent in a satisfying working environment.
Iveco Czech Republic, a. s. is a company with a 130-year tradition in the development and production of buses in Vysoké Mýto. Thanks to its long-term know-how, it has become one of the key players in the global automotive industry in the bus transport segment. The plant in Vysoké Mýto represents the largest production unit of Iveco Bus and specializes in the production of intercity buses, especially the successful CROSSWAY model series, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The CROSSWAY model is currently the most successful intercity bus on the market, with more than 70,000 units produced. The company, with 4,500 employees, is also one of the major employers in the Czech Republic.
Škoda Auto a.s. is the largest Czech car manufacturer and has been part of the Volkswagen Group for more than 30 years. It is one of the most successful car brands in Europe and is striving to become one of the three best-selling brands on the European market by the end of this decade. It offers customers a broad portfolio of 14 model lines with fully electric, hybrid and combustion engine power units and is simultaneously strengthening its position in promising non-European markets, especially in India, the ASEAN region, North Africa and the Middle East. In 2025, it delivered more than 1.04 million cars to customers worldwide. The company operates three production plants in the Czech Republic and other production capacities in Spain, Slovakia, Kazakhstan, India, Vietnam and Ukraine. In addition to producing cars, it also develops and manufactures battery systems, engines and transmissions for other brands of the Volkswagen Group. It employs around 40,000 people worldwide and operates in almost 100 markets.
Toyota Tsusho Europe Czech Republic celebrated a significant jubilee this May – 25 years of operation in the Czech Republic. Since opening the first office in Prague in 2001 and building a service center in Kolín in 2004, we have gradually grown to five locations across the country – Prague, Pilsen, Liberec, Jiren and Kolín. As a proud part of the global Toyota Tsusho Corporation group, we provide our customers with a wide range of services from comprehensive logistics solutions, parts and components supply, overseas delivery coordination and machinery installation to insurance, risk management and just-in-time sequential delivery. For a quarter of a century, we have built a stable and respected company based on quality, responsibility, partnership and sustainable development. The ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications confirm our emphasis on quality and the environment, and the “Company of the Year” award, which we received for the tenth time from the Association of the Automotive Industry, is a significant recognition for us.
The Enterprise of the Year in the Automotive Industry competition evaluated the basic economic results of companies for 2025. It was assessed according to three equally weighted criteria: economic result before tax (in million CZK), added value per employee (in million CZK/employee) and a composite criterion of sales, which included the year-on-year change in sales for the sale of own products and services (in %), as well as sales for the sale of own products and services converted to one employee (in million CZK/employee). The final ranking was determined based on the sum of the positions in the individual criteria. A total of 73 companies participated in this year’s competition.
