History

The company strategic business plan was to extend the company product portfolio by products of own design, therefore an independent R&D department was set up with a view to design and innovate riveting tools. The first line of new pneumatic – hydraulic riveters was designed in 1992.

The business development was enhanced by starting collaboration with Masterfix, the Netherlands, the worldwide distributor of fasteners and riveting tools in 1992. In the same year, a new property with satisfactory production and business premises was purchased at Drtinovo namesti, Nachod. The sale of fasteners was continuously expanding and in 1993 the company became an exclusive representative of Uniriv, the manufacturer of blind rivets, in the Czech Republic.

The long term collaboration with Honsel was terminated in 1994, and the company entered into the exclusive agreement on worldwide distribution of tools with Masterfix.

In 1995, a legal form of the company changed, the shareholders Josef Wihan and Manfred Schwab registered a new company under the name MS Nářadí, s.r.o.

Due to the increasing demand after fasteners, the existing product portfolio, which formed by blind rivets only, was extended by riveting inserts and riveting bolts distributed by Masterfix and, at the same time, the company became an exclusive representative of Masterfix in the Czech Republic. The commercial premises were extended by a rivet store in 2010.

The development of a new line of pneumatic – hydraulic riveters started in 2004.

Proprietory rights in the company changed in 2005. Lukáš Wihan, a son of the company promoter, became a majority share owner and, after a buyout of share from his partner in 2006, a sole owner of the company. In the same year, the company was reorganized and a quality management system was implemented. The company obtained a quality certificate according to ISO 9001:2001 from Bureau Veritas Certification. The license on production of manual riveters was sold to Masterfix.

R&D department completed design of a new type of pneumatic – hydraulic riveting tool for blind rivets and the production of its pilot run started. This riveting tool was introduced for the first time under the brand name AirPower Series at the international engineering fair in Brno in 2007.

The business strategy changed in 2007. The exclusive distribution agreement with Masterfix, as well as the collaboration in the sphere of blind rivets distribution, were terminated and the company focused on building of a brand new proper global distribution network for sale of pneumatic – hydraulic riveting tools AirPower Series and fasteners. Due to this reason, Lukáš Wihan established a trade company under the name Rivet Factory s.r.o. and collaboration with Jan Aarts started. The production of a new type of pneumatic –hydraulic tool AP4 for riveting inserts started as well as development of a new line of manual riveting tools.

At the beginning of 2011, both Rivet Factory s.r.o. and MS Naradi s.r.o. companies were transformed. The trade name MS Naradi s.r.o. became extinct. The design and production of pneumatic – hydraulic riveters AirPower Series were integrated under the trade name Rivet Factory Group s.r.o.. The distribution of fasteners and riveting tools in the Czech market is performed under the new trade name Rivet Factory Česká republika s.r.o.

The design of AirPower 3 tool for structural rivets was finished and the tool was introduced for the first time at the Fasteners Fair in Stuttgart, Germany.

Since 2015, we have strengthened our focus on customers’ requirements by implementing tools for continuous improvement of our company processes and products and by implementing lean manufacturing principles (the 5S method) focused on the production processes. To address customer complaints and internal problems, we have implemented the 8D methodology and related supporting methods for the identification of root causes of problems (Ishikawa diagram and 5 Why) into our quality management system. We continued with development of our corporate culture, stabilizing the work team and increasing the opportunities for personal growth of employees. We have also expanded our range of AP5 hydraulic-pneumatic tools for riveting of steel and stainless M12 nuts. We replaced our CNC machines with new ones and acquired a digital measuring microscope for the quality control workplace. The period of growth continued. We have expanded our operations to overseas markets (North America, Australia), strengthened our position on the European market through collaboration with Böllhoff (2016) and Gesipa (2018) companies and today we belong among the leaders in production and development of hydraulic-pneumatic riveting tools.