About us

improving our optical measurement competence and started offering this service to end customers. In Mladá Boleslav, we managed to start cooperation with our first OEM customer. Together with Michal, we subsequently started forming a group of very skilled people. This allowed us to expand cooperation with the main customer, including in other fields as part of supporting the development of the car.

Expansion of production activities

In addition to development activities, we at AZOS also expanded the area of production. Especially surface treatments, specifically KTL painting. We started in the Přelouč operation, where we soon discovered that we needed production corresponding to our hobby, the automotive industry. And so, with the very active participation of Vojtěch, who was slowly finishing his studies at university, we began to build our real factory, the Nymburk operation.

development were not compatible in terms of management, the amount of regular investments and the staff structure. In 2016, AZOS was divided into the companies AUREL and AUTOMOTIVE PAINTING PARTNERS (APP).

AUREL

AUREL grew organically and gradually profiled itself as a significant partner in the field of supporting the development of passive and active safety. We started to build additional competencies. For example, in the development of the TESOP application, which was originally intended for test management for about 20 people. Finally, this application is used by about 2000 people in the field of vehicle development. We continued to invest in the development of the company. We are happy to invest in new technologies, as well as in increasing the competencies of our employees.

A turning point: Own rehearsal room and 3D

A major success was the construction of a testing facility for pedestrian protection in 2010. It was a major investment, through which we demonstrated to our customers our erudition, willingness to invest and the will to become an important part of their development activities. Especially with our main customer. We wanted to participate in the development of the best possible final product. Of course, we enjoy cars.

And we tested more and more. Not only pedestrian safety, but we also carried out other types of tests. For example, in the area of assistance systems. We tested on public roads and gradually we needed to test on closed tracks. Slowly we started to encounter capacity problems and the availability of test tracks.

We continued to grow, increase our competences and invest. It is worth mentioning the construction of two 3D measurement workplaces (that's where we actually started). Both in the area of supporting the development of gearboxes and aggregates, and in the area of motorsport, where we became an important partner in the area of logistics and car quality. After all, we enjoy cars - and what is more than motorsport?

Access to LENAM and the complexity of the service

We were thinking about how to improve our services even more, so we joined LENAM in 2018. The people at LENAM are great at calculations, simulations and material testing. They do exactly what we at AUREL do by testing and evaluating the results.

At that point, we were able to offer the customer a comprehensive service. From design through calculations, simulations, testing, engineering and evaluation - and how it's going, the product or the problem, including any proposed solution.

With the increasing volume of tests, we increasingly felt the lack of capacity of testing areas. Not everything can be tested within normal road traffic. It is necessary to test on closed areas, but also on special tracks, both in terms of slope, surface, grip and other special testing conditions. Therefore, in 6/2018, after long and serious discussions that had been taking place since 2017, within the management of the company, but also within the family, a fundamental decision was made. We will build our own POLYGON FOR TESTING.

Strategic Decision: Polygon

Finding a suitable location in the Czech Republic for building a test range is really not easy. When you have the proximity to Mladá Boleslav as another criterion, the task becomes almost impossible. In the end, the decision was made to build a smaller range and prioritize the location. We managed to discover and buy the premises of the former military research institute in Břehyně near Doks. We also liked the tradition of technical development in this facility, although it is true that when we first entered the premises, this tradition was very secretive in the primeval forest of air raid trees and crumbling buildings. Fortunately, we are a bunch of optimists and we all saw the potential of the facility there. The decision was made, the range will be in Břehyně.

This was followed by project work, numerous discussions with potential customers, and many changes and adjustments. We expected a number of complications and problems in dealing with the authorities. However, we were very wrong here. I would really like the approach of the city of Doksy and their building office to anyone who wants to build something meaningful. They are to be thanked and they are the ones who are responsible for the fact that we actually built the polygon in the end. The first purely Czech private polygon for testing cars in the Czech Republic. Our largest and most significant investment , both within AUREL and the entire COLEGIUM holding.

Now we have another challenge ahead of us: to fill the polygon's capacities with meaningful work, testing, but also with events to increase awareness of vehicle safety and road traffic.

AUREL to the people

My heart's desire. Eight years ago, quite spontaneously, at a company party, the idea arose to start helping people who were not as lucky as us. People who cannot live, work, or enjoy life normally. A charity project was created, concluded within AUREL and its employees, where they themselves propose and choose who from their surroundings we can help. Our employees contribute from their salaries and the company doubles the selected financial amount. And we help, we help people who need it. I know how much we gave away, but we don't brag about charity.

What is the conclusion?

At AUREL, we love cars and everything related to them. But most of all, we love people. We love our employees, we love people from our business partners, we love helping people.
We enjoy what we do. We enjoy being able to develop. And maybe we're not doing it all wrong.

Ing. PETR ŠIMÁK, Managing Director of AUREL CZ sro