SOLO SIRKÁRNA, a.s.

SOLO SIRKÁRNA celebrated its 165 anniversary in the year 2004 since production began. The fundamental of marketing strategy is based on Supply the maket by flame. Based on this strategy, SOLO SIRKÁRNA a. s. offers a wide range of safety matches, fire starters and lighters in order to fulfil the strategy.

History

The production of matches was started in a primitive workshop in 1939 by Vojtěch Scheinost, the local carpenter who returned from Vienna. He established a famous tradition that brought a prestige to Susice's matches. The quality products were soon well-known to the local market as well as to foreign markets. With support of Fürth's family the primitive workshop turned to an industrial production line in a few years. Pre-war joint stock company SOLO was a world producer known to the international market.

1839Vojtěch Scheinost produces the first hand made match in Sušice
1840Bernard Fürth, a local business man becomes Vojtěch's partner
1844Fürth Match Factory is founded at the lower suburbs of Sušice, and the first Production line started at the location of today's company headquarters.
1847Expansion of production facilities, so called wing of the old building is added to existing facilities.
1849The Old Building is expanded
1876First steam power engine is installed
1849B. Furth dies and Anežka Fürth takes over the company
1865V. Scheinost leaves the company to start a new match production in the upper suburbs
1895KEY the first trademark is registered
1903Austro-Hungarian Stock Company by the name of SOLO is started in Vienna.
1910The end of production of the igniting material made out of the dangerous white phosphor.
1921Foundation of the Czechoslovakian united match works and chemical factories with its headquarters in Prague.
1932The uptown match production founded by Vojtech Scheinost is closed down
1935Concentration of Czechoslovakian match production to four locations at Solo Sušice, Helios Lipník nad Bečvou, Banská Bystrica, and Cinadeva (Ukraine).
1938"SOLO" joint-stock company becomes a member of Association for chemicals and steel manufacturing.
1945The production line in Sušice is modernized and starts running to its fullest potential.
1946An independent state company is reestablished in Susice under the name of "Solo Sušice"
1958Merging of match production in Lipnik nad Becvou with Solo Sušice
1969The beginning of modernization of production with the emphases on "automatization"
1970Automated line Hering is installed and put to work
1980Older machines for the wooden box production are slowly being remodeled or replaced. A new era of paper boxes begins.
1982Automated line Arenco is installed and put to work.
1984An old era of wooden boxes is ended
1988The Lipník nad Bečvou production plant is being sold to Moragro Slušovice
1990Founding the SOLO SUŠICE, a.s.
1997Founding the Stock company SOLO SIRKÁRNA, a.s. with its headquarters in Sušice.
2001More automated lines ARENCO are being installed
2002Automated line SEITA for the production of household matches is installed

The hand-made match production by Vojtěch Scheinost from 1839 had a significant impact on the history of the small town Sušice. The hand-made production has turned to an industrial production through investments of businessman Bernard Fürth with headquaters in Vienna, afterwards in Prague and recently in Sušice. The match production in this company is still progressing, even though the company have changed its name, owners and headquaters many times. The twentieth century has been a marginal period in production development, automatization of the production and increase in demand for matches. It is a period of last inheritor Ernst Fürth, grandson of founder Bernard Fürth, who stood in the management of SOLO Company. Through Mr. Ernst Fürth's business strategy, matches from SOLO Sušice became world-known for their quality on all continents. Soon after the Second World War, SOLO Sušice, the national company, had extended its production of safety matches by production of fiberboards SOLOLIT, wood-working industry and machinery industry. SOLO Sušice have employed at that time more than 2000 employees from Sušice and surrounding area. The export policy has been a priority of the business strategy that led to a successful distribution to eastern and western markets of quality matches. Modern history began in SOLO Sušice by installing a German automated line, produced by the Hering company, to the production line in 1969 and 1970. In 1981, a new, improved, higher capacity automated line was installed, from the Swedish company ARENCO, to extend the production. Other machinery was installed to complement to the safety matches production in the same year. A major increase in production capacity occurred during 2002 and 2003 when another ARENCO line was installed for safety match production and SEITA production line for household matches. Parts of these investments were also investments to machinery that complemented match production in order to cover capacity of production. On behalf of these major investments to automatization of production, SOLO Susice produces quality matches in paper boxes with best quality prints according to tough requirements of European Union. The final products comply with all legal resolutions, norms and regulations of European and wold markets. The customers' satisfaction is fully quaranteed that they receive the best quality products.

SOLO today

Current production of matches is highly productive, economically effective, environmental friendly, and focused on high-quality of matches function. Matches produced by SOLO SIRKÁRNA a. s. are subject to continual inspection by national institutions and are environmental friendly as well as fully recycle product. Matches' heads are produced according to special formula that does not contain any brimstone or heavy metals - therefore SOLO matches are environmental friendly without any side effects to surroundings. The brand labels as THE SCISSORS, THE KEY, THE PIPE and others are registered trade marks that are recognized all over the world.

Export

About 85 % of current production is being exported on world markets. SOLO Susice matches are exported to European Union member countries, Middle East area and overseas to Africal, North and South America and to Carrebian.

Inland

Even though Czech market isn't attractive to SOLO SIRKÁRNA a.s. in means of quantities, the prestige is kept as a sole distributor and in customers' services. All the orders from Czech market are fulfilled in 24 hours from the initial order. SOLO SIRKÁRNA a.s. provides production and delivery of commercial matches and is flexible on variable market condition on the Czech market.

Our background

SOLO SIRKÁRNA, a.s. has a flexible, modern, technically developed production line that is able to fulfill all requirements of any customer. The international trade network and brand name prestige of independent manufacturer of safety matches are the major factors of recent economical success. Guarantee of successful business strategy are the high standards of management and high qualified workers that are flexible according to customers' needs. SOLO SIRKÁRNA, a. s. has certificates according to the standards of ISO 9001 and 14001. All these factors and technical background provides foundation for prosperous company growth, sales growth, positive results for shareholders, and stability on European Union market. The basic principle of SOLO SIRKÁRNA a. s. is quality, effectivity and racionality of all activities that are designed to reach business strategy goals. These are the trends that are milestones of future business strategy of SOLO SIRKÁRNA a. s.

Types of matches

  • Standard: 40 - 43mm long matches in boxes of 36 - 45
  • Household: larger box of 100-250 matches, 47-55mm long, these matches are designed for lighting gas range burners or gas ovens
  • Fireplace matches: the longest matches, 90-200mm. Filled in boxes of 10 - 100 matches
  • Commercial: filled in boxes or matchbooks made of paper or wood, offered with possible different colours of match head ranging from white to black.