VIVA

What VIVA does

Kovárna VIVA a.s. is a Czech industrial forging company headquartered in Zlín, founded in 1992 and operating as a member of the Moravia Steel group, with subsidiary ALPER a.s. (Prostějov) extending its footprint. The company designs and manufactures custom die forgings for the automotive industry as its primary customer base, and also serves material handling/forklifts, hydraulic motors, rail, agriculture, mining, and medical end-markets. Production is anchored on twelve forging lines equipped with 1,000-4,000 ton presses supported by induction heating, inductive hardening, and robotized forging lines; tooling and process engineering run on FORGE simulation software, while dimensional verification uses Zeiss 3D optical scanning and automated visual inspection. Annual capacity is rated at approximately 30,000 tons, equivalent to roughly 10 million forged pieces, with the operation certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, ISO 45001, IATF 16949, and TISAX.

The business runs as a contract manufacturer selling engineered forgings B2B to tier-1 suppliers and OEMs under automotive-grade qualification regimes. Disclosed customers include Bosch, Scania, ZF, and Linde; revenue exceeded 1.0 billion CZK during the 2016-2018 period on a capacity plan sized for 25% further growth. The company employs more than 400 staff and is led by CEO František Červenka (also elected President of the Czech Forging Union for 2026-2029), alongside co-founder Čestmír Vančura and functional heads for sales and technology.

VIVA's revenue mechanics are tied to per-piece pricing on multi-year auto supply programs with tooling amortization, ancillary charges for material and heat treatment, and qualification-driven switching costs. Capital intensity, certification stack, and entrenched tier-1 relationships form the principal competitive moat; the principal risk is concentrated exposure to the European automotive production cycle via a small named-customer base.

Name

VIVA

Legal name

Kovárna VIVA a.s.

Website

https://viva.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Kovárna VIVA a.s. is a Czech industrial forging company that designs and manufactures custom die forgings, primarily for the automotive sector. It serves tier-1 customers including Bosch, Scania, ZF, and Linde from twelve production lines, producing roughly 30,000 tons of components annually across 400+ employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Forging (Automotive Steel Components)

NAICS

Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312), Machine Shops (332710)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541)

akta.pro primary industry

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC)

Keywords

• Closed die forging
• Steel forgings manufacturing
• Automotive components
• Precision drop forging
• Industrial forging services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zlin

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Closed Die Steel Forgings Manufacturing: Design, development, and serial production of precision closed die forgings from alloyed, microalloyed, carbon, and construction steels. Provides comprehensive service including forging development, machining, surface treatment, and logistics. Revenue generated from direct B2B sales to automotive manufacturers and industrial companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kovárna VIVA designs, develops, and serially manufactures precision closed-die steel forgings (zápustkové výkovky) weighing 0.1–30 kg from alloyed, microalloyed, carbon, and construction steels on twelve forging presses (1,000–4,000 tons). It delivers complete forged and machined components — including transmission/clutch parts, chassis components, anti-roll bar systems, dampers, brakes, diesel-injection parts, steering parts, hydraulic motor components, forklift parts, and rail/agricultural/mining/prosthetic parts — together with in-house tooling, heat treatment, surface finishing, quality inspection, and logistics directly to automotive and industrial OEM customers.

Product overview

VIVA is an industrial forging company that manufactures precision closed die forgings (zápustkové výkovky) from alloyed, microalloyed, carbon, and construction steels. The company operates twelve production lines equipped with forging presses ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 tons, producing steel forgings weighing between 0.1 and 30 kg with an annual production volume exceeding 20,000 tons (approximately 10 million pieces). The product portfolio centers on complete preparation of forgings for four primary industry sectors: passenger vehicles (cars, vans), commercial vehicles (trucks, utility vehicles), materials handling equipment (forklifts), and hydraulic motors. The company provides comprehensive services from development and construction through production, finishing operations (thermal processing, machining, surface treatment), quality inspection, and logistical delivery. Beyond core forging products, VIVA offers complementary services including prototyping, tooling production, and certification support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Closed Die Forgings for Transmissions and Clutches Developed and manufactured closed-die forgings for transmissions and clutches produced in series from thousands to millions of pieces for the automotive industry, including original forgings for hybrid propulsion systems and special-condition forgings for cranes and forklifts. Used by global passenger-car, commercial-vehicle, and powertrain OEMs.
• Chassis Components for Trucks and Utility Vehicles Hot-shaped closed-die chassis forgings assembled into cargo trucks, utility vehicles, and buses, optimized for high resistance to demanding operating conditions with a focus on maximum load capacity at minimized weight. Targeted at commercial-vehicle OEMs such as Scania.
• Anti-roll Bar Systems Hot-shaped closed-die anti-roll bar forgings for stabilizers of rear fixed axletrees on cargo trucks, designed to resist dynamic pressure, improve vehicle responsiveness, and ensure controlled deformation during accidents. Used by commercial-vehicle chassis OEMs.
• Dampers and Brakes Exceptionally complex, highly stressed closed-die forgings for damping and braking systems where alternative technologies cannot meet the required mechanical properties; includes unique VIVA-developed solutions supplied to the world's most prestigious limousine brands.
• Diesel Injection System Components Highly stressed, cutting-edge-quality closed-die forgings for diesel injection systems with extreme demands on material properties and precision across all measurable parameters; serially supplied to Bosch.
• Steering Parts Safety-critical closed-die steering forgings where quality affects both driver comfort and vehicle safety; reliably used in long-distance trucks as well as millions of cars across all classes from renowned manufacturers.
• Hydraulic Motor Components Precision closed-die radial hydro-motor forgings (rotor, track, body, and brake pistons) supplied to leading global hydraulic motor manufacturers, including Linde, via a long-standing serial-supply relationship.
• Forklift Components Closed-die forgings for forklift and material-handling equipment, ranging from minor components to heavy lifting-machinery parts used in chassis, propulsion, and steering axes, designed for extreme operational demands of forklifts.
• Other Industrial Forgings (Rail, Agriculture, Mining, Prosthetics) Closed-die forgings for adjacent industries combining high mechanical-property demands with above-standard quality and productivity, including railroad transportation, agricultural machinery, mining equipment, and medical prosthetics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30,000 tons annual production capacity with approximately 10 million forgings per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Moravia SteelcoreOthersParent company group. Kovárna VIVA is a member of the Moravia Steel group, providing corporate backing and potentially shared services, procurement, or strategic direction.
• ALPER a.s.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholly-owned subsidiary forging company in Prostějov. Both companies operate under unified VIVA/ALPER Corporation with integrated management system including shared quality (ISO 9001), environmental (ISO 14001), energy (ISO 50001), and occupational health & safety (ISO 45001) certifications.
• CV Machining s.r.o.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology development partner for VIVaV 21 project focused on induction hardening technology and tool renovation using welding and machining technologies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bharat Forge: India-based Bharat Forge is the world's largest independent forging company, producing closed-die steel and aluminum forgings primarily for automotive OEMs and tier-1s across transmissions, chassis, drivetrain, and engine applications — closely comparable to VIVA's core product portfolio and customer type.
• Felss Group: Felss Group (formerly Felss Werke) is a German specialist in cold and warm forming / forging of steel and aluminum components for automotive drivetrain and chassis applications — comparable to VIVA in target market, materials, and manufacturing technology.
• Leiber Group: Leiber Group is a German forging specialist focused on automotive and industrial customers, producing closed-die steel and aluminum forgings including chassis, drivetrain, and safety-relevant components — directly comparable in product type and customer profile to VIVA.
• Scot Forge: Scot Forge is a US-based leading producer of custom open-die and closed-die forgings in carbon, alloy, and stainless steels serving industrial, energy, and aerospace/defense customers — a direct peer in forged-products manufacturing but primarily serving North American rather than European markets.
• Siderforgerossi: Siderforgerossi is an Italian forging company producing closed-die steel forgings for industrial machinery, energy, and transport customers across Europe — directly comparable in manufacturing process and B2B customer profile, though with a more industrial-heavy mix than VIVA's automotive focus.
• Ovako: Ovako is a Sweden-based producer of specialty steel and forged components, primarily serving automotive and industrial customers including bearing, drivetrain, and chassis applications — a comparable specialty-steel forging peer serving similar European OEM customers.
• Doncasters Group: Doncasters is a UK-based precision engineering and forging group producing high-integrity forged and machined components for aerospace, industrial gas turbines, and industrial applications — comparable as a precision forging specialist, though with a stronger aerospace/industrial tilt than VIVA's automotive focus.
• Hirschvogel Holding: Hirschvogel is a German family-owned specialist in automotive closed-die steel and aluminum forgings, supplying drivetrain and chassis components to European OEMs — a near-direct match for VIVA's customer base, materials, and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• ThyssenKrupp: ThyssenKrupp is a large German industrial group whose forged components business serves automotive, construction, and heavy-industry customers; it is a broader industrial incumbent with overlapping capabilities rather than a specialized forging peer to VIVA.
• Schaeffler Group: Schaeffler is a large German automotive and industrial supplier whose portfolio includes significant forging operations for drivetrain and chassis components; it serves overlapping automotive customers with broader product offerings beyond forging, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct forger peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VIVAkovarna

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VIVA