Dřevozávod Pražan s.r.o.
T. Novákové 315, 572 17 Polička
Česká republika
DIČ: CZ15036740
Tel: 00420 461 722 173
00420 461 722 182
Fax: 00420 461 722 195
mail@drevozavod-prazan.cz
CZECH REPUBLIC
From the company history
It was in 1898 when Mr. František Pražan bought a piece of land opposite a railway station and built a sawmill including two frame saws. In 1902, the mill burnt to the ground but a loan was granted to the founder, thanks to his trustworthiness, to built up a new sawmill that started to operate within one year after the fire. In order to save on transportation, another three-frame sawmill was built in Borová by Polička in the year 1911. In spite of economic difficulties that occurred during WWI, the company was able to increase its production. In 1919, after the founder’s death, his son Ladislav took over the company management. As a result of the extensive windbreaks over surrounding woodland and economic slump between 1928-1929, the production had to be partially limited and adapted to manufacturing of wooden ammunition crates, barrels and vats. At the time of WWII , the production assortment had expanded in manufacturing of heels and crates for glass panes. The end of the WWII and the invasion of the Soviet Army meant complete plundering of our company. Between the postwar years 1945-1948 – after the Soviet Army had left our plant and the owner returned – the plant was being renovated. In February 1948, the mill was nationalized. Under the state plan influence, a program on other sawn timber processing, was restricted exclusively to the production of military cases. The fire in paint shop and store in February 1989 had caused extensive damages to the buildings and therefore, the main course was to rebuild these devastated buildings. The state enterprise Dřevozávod Polička, that was in operation for two more years, was restored to the original owners and passed into the ownership of the family’s limited company under the leadership of the founder’s grandson – Mr. Petr Pražan.Between 1992-1996, a new production facility was re-tooled to the production of transport crates, as well as central maintenance of tools and instruments was set, production line for small diameter logs cutting was installed and, technology for log debarking and waste chipper was put in operation, together with storage hall for dried timber built and sorting facility for sideboards and center yields lumber was completed. Between 1997-2004, a log sorting truck was purchased and the handling of logs subsequently modernized. The lumber treatment hall was significantly expanded and a multi-blade crosscut saw installed. In the company’s modern history, the largest investment event was an installation of a new boiler for bark and complete modernization of the heating system. As the end of this time, an automatic panel sizing saw was bought and a new storehouse 1000 m2 was built, together with another timber yard on an acquired additional land. In the year 1997 the plant has obtained an international quality certificate ISO 9001 from a prestigious British company BSI. Also, Mr. Petr Pražan had became a chairman of the Wood-Processing Enterprise Association in the Czech Republic.
In 1997 the company was listed in NATO codifying system as a subcontractor of containers to the PEFC Standard which proves that the wood used in products comes from sustainable managed forests. At the same time, the company received a certificate approving the packaging material according to the IPPC (ISPM 15) regulations.
More than 100-years long firm history, modernization and development guarantee vitality of timber production and prosperity in years to come.
