PPS Group, based in Detva, is one of Slovakia’s leading engineering companies with more than 70 years of manufacturing tradition. Its history dates back to 1955, when the production of heavy machinery began in Detva. In the following decades, the company made a name for itself by manufacturing excavators, loaders, and infantry fighting vehicles. After its transformation in the 1990s, it gradually shifted its focus to supplying components to foreign manufacturers. It has been operating under its current name, PPS Group, since 2003.
Today, the company specializes in the manufacture of large-scale steel structures and components for construction, mining, forestry, and road machinery. In Detva, it manufactures welded frames, undercarriages, arms, booms, and buckets weighing between 5 and 15 metric tons, and up to 20 metric tons for specialized railway equipment. Its customers include global manufacturers such as Volvo, Epiroc, and John Deere. Nearly 96 percent of its production is exported, primarily to Germany and Sweden, with foreign markets accounting for approximately 98 percent of total revenue.
Following a record year in 2023, when the company’s revenue reached nearly 100 million euros, its financial performance was impacted by the downturn in European industry and a decline in orders from foreign customers. In 2024, revenue fell to 64 million euros and to 56 million euros last year. Despite this, the company remained profitable, with a net margin slightly above two percent. Its equity reached 24.7 million euros, and the value of its assets rose to 45.4 million euros.
At the same time, the company continues to modernize its production and expand its technological capabilities. Over the past four years, it has invested more than 14 million euros in technology and the work environment, particularly in high-capacity machining, the modernization of its machinery, and the strengthening of its in-house R&D. As of the end of 2025, it employed 560 workers, and through its collaboration with suppliers, it creates job opportunities for approximately 1,000 people.
A new phase in the development of the PPS Group is a return to manufacturing complete machines under its own brand. In 2026, the company unveiled the seven-metric-ton unmanned mine-clearing machine Detvan URCO, with a power output of nearly 280 horses, developed using its own research capabilities. At the same time, it is developing a versatile front-end loader for agriculture, construction, and municipal services. The company sees further opportunities in the defense and railroad industries, where it aims to gradually expand the production of higher-value-added products.
Eximbanka is the partner for the “Exporter of the Year” category as part of the annual TREND TOP Awards.
Source: TREND.sk
Photo: Robo Hubač