20 years of AUREL: father and son Šimák on the beginnings, joint leadership, and the company’s success

When Petr Šimák decided to buy a degreasing line in 2004, he had no idea he was laying the foundation for what would become AUREL. This year marks twenty years since he began running the company together with his son Vojtěch. AUREL has since grown into a respected development and testing centre with its own proving ground and innovations reaching beyond both the Czech Republic and the automotive industry. Read an interview in which the two reflect on their beginnings and evaluate their shared journey.

Mr. Šimák, twenty years ago you founded a company called AZOS, which started with degreasing parts. Could you remind us how it all began?

Petr: I was forty at the time. After selling my first company and taking a year off, I decided to continue in business. It all started with the purchase of an automatic degreasing line. For the first year, we operated in rented premises, but then we moved the line to Chrastava – and it happened right at Christmas. We were degreasing the first parts on New Year’s Eve so that we could deliver the promised order on the 2nd of January. Vojta was still studying then and had to decide quickly whether he wanted to join me.

Vojtěch: And I decided to go for it. I was still in secondary school, but I had been working part-time at the company since I was fifteen. Over time, I went through every stage – from the workshop all the way to management. So I knew exactly what I was getting into.

What enabled you to build a comprehensive development and testing centre capable of competing with established European players?

Petr: It was a step-by-step process. But everything is built on one simple thing – we genuinely enjoy what we do. And when you enjoy something, you do it wholeheartedly and with enthusiasm – and that shows. One of our advantages, compared to large corporations, is that we can make decisions quickly. Another key factor was finding people who think like we do and put their hearts into their work. Our success also came from the fact that we reinvested all our profits back into the company.

“Everything is built on the fact that we simply enjoy what we do. And when you enjoy something, you do it wholeheartedly and with enthusiasm – and that shows.”

One of your biggest milestones was building your own AUREL Test Proving Ground. What led you to that decision? And has it met your expectations?

Petr: We had trouble getting access to external test tracks as often as we needed. So we decided to build our own. There are basically only two private test proving grounds in the Czech Republic – the rest are more like racing circuits, while a true testing proving ground has very strict technical requirements. We received a grant, but the budget ended up exceeding the planned amount, so we had to finance the project ourselves, which was quite challenging. Still, we’re very satisfied – it turned out really well. We can test practically anything, and the proving ground has also elevated AUREL’s reputation, from being a purely technical company to becoming a respected partner.

The Proving Ground offers a unique combination of testing surfaces. How does it help you respond to trends such as electromobility and autonomous driving?

Vojtěch: To keep up with developments in the automotive industry, having our own test proving ground is absolutely essential. Its versatility allows us to adapt to current trends. The proving ground provides excellent conditions for the dynamic growth of electromobility and autonomous systems and enables us to create highly specific scenarios and tests tailored precisely to the customer’s needs. We have obstacles and features you won’t find elsewhere – for example, a water channel, a skid surface, an inclined ramp with a steep slope, a washboard, or Belgian paving.

Why should a German OEM or Tier 1 supplier choose AUREL for testing and development instead of an established centre in Germany?

Vojtěch: Our major advantage is location – we’re just a short distance from the border and only twenty kilometres from one of Europe’s key OEMs. Along with that, we offer flexibility and a highly individual approach. German partners also value our reliability and trustworthiness, which is opening doors for us in new markets.

Petr: I’d add the comprehensiveness of our services. We started out as technicians who built their own test proving ground, and that’s a big advantage. We can support customers from specification and design all the way to evaluation because we truly understand the technology. We provide a complete turnkey service, from A to Z, and we can handle it even without a precise brief. If something needs to be adjusted, we simply do it – and that’s not something every company can do, or is willing to do.

And what about the digital twin of the AUREL Proving Ground that you’re developing?

Vojtěch: For example, autonomous driving requires thousands of tests – and that’s only possible to achieve virtually. The digital twin first tests scenarios in virtual reality and then identifies the critical ones, which we verify physically. We’re also planning to combine physical and virtual testing – the so-called Vehicle-in-the-Loop method. In this setup, the car drives on the proving ground while we virtually simulate various conditions such as rain, snow, wind, or darkness. These innovative methods save car manufacturers a great deal of time and money, while ensuring that we remain at the forefront of technology.

“At the AUREL Proving Ground, we can test practically anything. We also feel that it has elevated the company’s reputation – from a purely technical business to a respected partner.”

AUREL is also expanding into industries beyond automotive. What motivates this move?

Vojtěch: The main motivation is diversification. The know-how we’ve gained from the automotive sector can be applied very effectively in other fields as well. Moreover, we’re well-trained, car manufacturers impose extremely strict requirements and demand a high level of discipline. Thanks to our many years of experience, we have a strong chance of succeeding elsewhere too. For example, our ForeScan3D technology for precise measurement and scanning, originally developed for forensic science, has applications across a variety of industrial sectors.

Very few companies have the privilege of being founded and developed by a father and son, and for twenty years at that. How do you manage to combine the founder’s vision with the perspective and energy of a new generation?

Petr: Both the company and our relationship have evolved over time. In the beginning, things were quite “punk”. Vojta was still at university but was already actively involved in the business. At first, we had to align our approaches, but we made it work, and now we cooperate really well. If I didn’t have a successor, AUREL would look completely different today. For example, I wouldn’t have taken on building the new branch in Nymburk without Vojta. Also, AUREL has become almost a full family enterprise – my wife manages sales and marketing, my daughter has just joined after finishing university, and my younger son is studying a field at ČVUT that will be useful for the company. Everyone has found their own role here, and together, it works perfectly.

Do your views on company management differ? And how do you reach agreement in challenging situations?

Petr: After so many years, we don’t really have difficult situations anymore. We’ve found our rhythm, and each of us has a clear role. I leave the day-to-day operations to Vojta and don’t interfere – even if I might sometimes do things differently. That allows me to focus on innovation, which is what I truly enjoy. I’m more of a visionary and an idea guy. I come up with concepts but don’t always see them through to the end. Vojta is the realist and keeps an eye on the finances and ensures the company runs smoothly. He reins me in when needed, but in a sensible way. That balance is what makes it work.

“I’m a visionary and an idea guy who comes up with concepts but doesn’t always finish them. Vojta is the realist who manages finances and the company’s operations — and that’s why it works.”

AUREL is part of Colegium Holding, which also includes APP, EAP, LENAM, AUREL Logistic, Colegium Reality, and Colegium Servis. What inspired the creation of the holding?
Vojtěch: Once we had multiple business activities, it made sense to bring them all under one umbrella. The holding allows us to manage the companies more efficiently, share services, and support each other across different areas. At the same time, each company retains a high level of autonomy and responsibility for its own operations. The holding structure gives us greater strength when dealing with banks, clients, and authorities, and it also enables us to support new projects or launch additional companies with a solid backing. But we never want to become a corporation.

How does being part of the holding help you when working with global clients?

Vojtěch: The holding is a major advantage, especially abroad. It strengthens the credibility of all the companies. They support each other’s reputation. For instance, when we’re negotiating a contract for APP and present what AUREL and the Proving Ground are capable of, it significantly benefits both companies.

Petr: I’d add that the AUREL Proving Ground has a very unique aspect – we built it entirely with our own funds, with only minimal state support. When we visited test proving grounds in the U.S. and Spain, we earned tremendous respect for that. Abroad, such projects are usually financed almost entirely from public funds.

On your website, you say: “We love cars, but above all, we love people.” How does that philosophy show in practice?

Petr: You can’t achieve anything without people – a company is only as strong as the people behind it. If you want to grow a business, the most important thing is who you surround yourself with. Without reliable people, you have no foundation for growth. And we’ve been very lucky with our team. Our COO, Michal Mrkvička, was actually AUREL’s very first employee and he’s still with us today. From the very beginning, he shared the same values, drive, and direction as we did. Without our partner Petr Linhart at APP, we would also be in a very different place. And there are more people like them. In the early days, we knew everyone in production and development personally – which, with more than 550 employees across the group today, unfortunately isn’t possible anymore. But we still organise events where we talk to anyone who wants to talk to us; we care about their opinions. For me, people are the single most important factor in a company.

Imagine we’re meeting again twenty years from now to celebrate AUREL’s 40th anniversary. :-) What would you like AUREL to look like by then?

Petr: The most important thing is that our family relationships remain strong. I’d like our children to be able to run the company together. And get along while doing it.

Vojtěch: I’d like AUREL to be abroad where it is now in the Czech Republic – at least across Europe.

“The most important thing is to keep family relationships strong.”
“Where AUREL stands in the Czech Republic today, may it stand abroad — at least across Europe — twenty years from now.”