Wikov Group

This article is about the modern industrial group. For the historical Czechoslovak manufacturer, see Wikov.

Wikov Group a.s.

Formerly	Wikov Industry a.s.
Type	Private
Industry	Mechanical engineering
Founded	21 July 2004 (2004-07-21)
Headquarters	Prague , Czech Republic
Key people	Martin Wichterle (chairman)
Products	Industrial gearboxes and gears Rail vehicle drive systems Water turbines Hydropower equipment
Revenue	CZK 6.644 billion (2025)
Net income	CZK 281 million (2025)
Owner	Martin Wichterle
Number of employees	1,405 (2025 average)
Website	www.wikovgroup.com

Wikov Group a.s. is a Czech industrial engineering group headquartered in Prague. It manufactures industrial and rail gearboxes and drive systems, as well as turbines and other equipment for hydropower plants. Its businesses are organised into two main divisions: Gear, operating mainly under the Wikov and Gmeinder brands, and Hydro, operating under the Litostroj brand.

The modern Wikov business developed from engineering companies acquired by Czech businessman Martin Wichterle in the early 2000s. He later revived the Wikov name, previously used by his family's Wichterle & Kovářík engineering company. In 2024, Wikov acquired the Litostroj group, adding hydropower equipment to its established industrial drive business.

History

Formation and early development

The modern Wikov business began to take shape in 2002, when Martin Wichterle acquired a majority stake in ČKD Hronov, an engineering company that manufactured industrial gearboxes.

In 2004, Wichterle acquired Škoda Gear in Plzeň, previously part of Škoda Works, and the British engineering company Orbital 2. The engineering businesses were later brought together under Wikov Industry.

The Wikov name had originally been used by Wichterle & Kovářík, a Czechoslovak engineering company formed in 1918 that manufactured machinery and automobiles. The historical company was nationalised after the Second World War, and Wichterle revived the Wikov brand in 2005 for his engineering businesses.

Wikov expanded its gearbox business during the following decade. The company experienced a downturn in the mid-2010s, with management describing 2016 as its most difficult year since the beginning of its modern history, before returning to growth.

In 2016, Wikov expanded into automotive components by acquiring three companies, Detail CZ, Detail Plus and Detail Produkt, which supplied engine, chassis and gearbox parts to manufacturers of trucks and construction machinery. Together they had annual revenue of around CZK 400 million and employed 210 people.

International expansion

In March 2019, Wikov acquired Gmeinder Getriebe Gruppe in Mosbach, Germany, a manufacturer and service provider of gearboxes for rail vehicles. The acquisition expanded Wikov's activities in the railway sector.

Also in 2019, Wikov opened a gearbox factory near Moscow. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, control of the Russian business passed to its Russian partners, and Wichterle said in 2026 that the company had written off its stake.

The company expanded further outside Europe in the 2020s. In 2023, it acquired the Canadian engineering companies Pacific Rim Engineered Products and Wessex Precision Machining. It also established Wikov Indigear in Pune, India. In 2024, Wikov acquired Canadian gearbox manufacturer Havlik Gear, which became Wikov Gear Canada.

At the start of 2026, the group opened Wikov Gear US in Houston, Texas.

Acquisition of Litostroj

In October 2024, Wikov agreed to acquire the industrial operations of Energo-Pro Industries, centred on the Litostroj hydropower business. The transaction included Litostroj companies in Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Canada and the United States. Litostroj had annual revenue of about CZK 2 billion at the time.

Litostroj designs and manufactures turbines and other equipment for hydroelectric power plants and provides engineering and maintenance services. The acquisition gave Wikov a substantial hydropower business alongside its gearbox operations.

Following the integration of Litostroj, Wikov organised its activities around two main divisions: Gear, focused on industrial gearboxes, gears and related services, and Hydro, operating under the Litostroj brand.

On 1 January 2026, the parent company changed its name from Wikov Industry to Wikov Group.

The group's revenue grew from about CZK 1.7 billion in the mid-2010s to CZK 6.6 billion in 2025, with the Litostroj acquisition and demand for hydropower equipment as major contributors. Wichterle expected revenue to exceed CZK 7 billion in 2026.

Business divisions

The Gear division operates mainly under the Wikov and Gmeinder brands. It designs, manufactures and services industrial gearboxes, gears and complete drive systems. The division has operations in the Czech Republic, Germany, Canada, the United States and India.

The Hydro division operates under the Litostroj brand. It develops, manufactures and services turbines and related equipment for hydroelectric and pumped-storage power plants. The division includes Litostroj Power in Slovenia, Litostroj Engineering in the Czech Republic, Litostroj Hydro in Canada and Litostroj US in the United States.

In 2026, Litostroj Engineering was selected to carry out the modernisation of the Orlík hydroelectric power station for ČEZ. The approximately CZK 8 billion project includes converting two of the plant's four generating units for reversible pumped-storage operation.