Matador, a.s. (a joint-stock company) is a multinational car tire producer based in Púchov, Slovakia, as well as the corresponding group of companies. It is one of the most successful domestic companies of Slovakia and one of major global tire producers.
It exports above 87% of its production into 80 countries worldwide. It does not produce only tires, but also associated and similar products and services. It has several trading companies and a network of shops. The largest export customers are the USA, UK, Germany, and the CIS states.
Recently, Matador diversified its line of operations and now also produces conveyor belts, automotive parts and machinery.
The company arose in the town of Púchov in 1947 as a "national enterprise" that was split off from the old firm Matador Bratislava.
Matador Bratislava was founded in 1905 (till 1911 known as the "Matador - Gummi und Balata Werke") involved mainly in the production of rubber hoses and belts in its new facilities in Petržalka, a district of Bratislava. Since 1925, it has produced tires (the first tires producer in former Czechoslovakia). Its tires were mounted to all famous Czechoslovak automobiles of the 1930s, thus contributing in co-operation with the brands Škoda, Tatra, Aero and others to the development of automotive industry in Central Europe. The firm was nationalized in 1946 and privatized in 1995. Its trade name has been Matadorex, a.s. since the privatization.
Matador in Púchov itself was established as a "national enterprise" (since 1988 "state-owned enterprise") for tire production in 1947. Production started in 1950. It was called "Gumárne 1. mája" at that time and sold its products under the trademark Barum. Gradually it expanded its production and became the monopoly producer of air tubes (since 1962) and the main producer of rubber conveyer belts (since 1955) in Czechoslovakia. It also started to produce various truck radial tires in the 1970s etc. The company has founded its own R&D center in 1987 (now "Vipo") and provided technical assistance for the construction of rubber works in India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Burma, Syria, Turkey, Iran and Yugoslavia. In 1991 in was turned into a joint-stock company and privatization took place 1992-1994. The trademark of the products of the company was changed to Matador and the firm's name was changed to Gumárne Barum in 1991 and to Matador in 1993.
The joint venture "Continental Matador" for the production of truck tires was established in Púchov in September 1998. In 1999 the transformation of the company took its final phase by change of strategic management and by shift to division management system. The management of the Company is being transformed to the German model and re-engineering processes, while using international consulting companies, are establishing the strategic targets for the Company. In the year 2001, Matador as one of the first companies in the middle Europe acquired the certificate of management system of tyre development and production quality according to technical specification ISO/TS 16949 (requirements on system of quality management in automotive industry accepted by important automotive associations, the mentioned certificate continuously replaced individual certificates according to the requirements of American and German automotive association.) In December, 2001 the company DET NORSKE VERITAS issued the Management Quality System Certificate in accordance with standards ISO 9001:2000, valid for design, production, assembling, servicing and sales of machines and equipment for rubber industry and management of design and development, production, servicing and sales of moulds. September 2005: the company MATADOR was celebrating its one hundred´s anniversary and introducing a new company logo, which will represent the company in the new centenary. In 2007 the company Continental AG acquired 51% of the MATADOR Rubber Division. On July 1st 2008 Continental and Matador Group agreed on the transfer of an additional 15% of the shares in Continental Matador Rubber. As of this date the Continental Group owns 66% of the shares in Continental Matador Rubber.But this additional acquisition within a few months shows the commitment of the Continental Group to the investment in the Puchov area. In 2009 Continental AG Hannover increased their capital share to 100%. New Continental’s distribution-logistic centre was open in that year in Puchov, for Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the new production finalisation hall. In May 2010 Continental is opening new production hall in Púchov that will enable further increase of capacities for the produciton of passenger and light truck tires