Praneda

Praneda (Praga Nederland Automobielen) was a Dutch import company for trucks, tractors and agricultural machinery, founded in 1961 and based initially in Rotterdam. It grew out of the discovery of the Czechoslovak Praga V3S 6x6 truck by a Dutch transport entrepreneur at a 1959 trade fair. The V3S, introduced in Czechoslovakia in 1953, was a cheap, rugged off-road vehicle with 8 tonnes of payload, high ground clearance and low gearing, well suited to the sandy conditions of Dutch construction and transport work. Early sales went through Praga Nederland in Schiedam; in 1961 Praneda was established with Mr. Hoogstad, a large Rotterdam sand transporter, taking a half share. The company was located at Opijnenstraat 12 in Rotterdam, with a branch in Son opened in 1965/66 that handled final preparation, delivery, repairs and rebuilding of trade-in trucks. Around 400 Praga V3S 6x6 vehicles were sold in the Netherlands. As the market shifted to 12-tonne tippers, Praneda took on the Tatra brand and later became a full subsidiary of Motokov, the Czechoslovak state export enterprise, moving to Ketelweg 53-57 in Papendrecht with branches in Ommen and Beverwijk. In the 1960s and 1970s construction was a key sector, and many Tatra trucks found their way into heavy off-road work. Declining truck demand and strong competition forced a change of course, and the import of Zetor tractors became central. In the early 1990s Praneda was still successful with Zetor in the Netherlands, holding a 6–7% market share. After the Velvet Revolution, activities moved to Nijmegen, and the delivery programme expanded with other Eastern European products such as ZTS as well as Swiss, Canadian and Taiwanese brands including Hürlimann, HMT, Roadstar, Allied, Desta and Tailift. From 1 December 2003, mechanisation company Slootsmid of Laren took over all activities of Praneda, including the import agencies for Zetor, Trac-Lift front loaders, Tailift forklifts, Farmet soil cultivation machines and AGS ride-on mowers, becoming the Benelux importer for those brands.

Praneda's history begins with the search for a cheap tipper truck. In 1959 a Dutch transport entrepreneur discovered the Praga V3S at a trade fair. The V3S was a 6x6 truck introduced in Czechoslovakia in 1953, closely resembling the famous GMC CCKW 353 6x6 of World War II. Its advantages were its low price (31,900 guilders at the time), an 8-tonne payload versus the GMC's 6 tonnes, easy transfer of the GMC cargo bed, a high-mounted cardan shaft giving 40 cm of ground clearance (ideal in sand tracks), low gearing for off-road use, and the fact that it was a new vehicle with less chance of repairs. The first vehicles were sold through Praga Nederland in Schiedam. In 1961 PRAga NEDerland Automobielen (PRANEDA) was founded, with Mr. Hoogstad, a large Rotterdam sand transporter, taking a half share. Hoogstad had experience with Praga, having bought four units from the first series. Praneda was based at Opijnenstraat 12 in Rotterdam. Trucks were delivered by road and by train via Schiedam station. After the opening of the Son branch in 1965/66, trucks came via Eindhoven station. The Son facility became the address for preparing and delivering trucks as well as for repairs and rebuilding trade-in vehicles. Initially, Czechoslovak tyres and batteries were replaced with Dutch products. The air-cooled Praga engine with 105 hp was not particularly powerful, and the tippers had a hard time in the Netherlands due to soft ground and deep tracks. VEGE of Spijkenisse supplied many Ford and DAF replacement engines for installation in the Pragas. From 1964 Pragas could be delivered directly with a Ford or DAF engine, so that in 1966 the Praga V3S (chassis with cab) was offered for 33,000 guilders (with Ford engine) or 33,500 guilders (with DAF engine). Repairs were increasingly carried out on the construction site, and Praneda had mobile service workshops consisting of Citroën HY vans. Considerably many Pragas were sold in the Netherlands, estimated at around 400 V3S 6x6 units in total. Then the era of 12-tonne tippers began, and Praneda would play a significant role with the Tatra brand. By this time Praneda was located at Ketelweg 53-57 in Papendrecht and was a full subsidiary of Motokov of Prague, the Czechoslovak state enterprise responsible for exporting motor vehicles, bicycles, agricultural implements and related parts. Besides Papendrecht, Praneda had branches in Ommen and Beverwijk. Construction was a particularly important sector for Praneda in the 1960s and 1970s, when many Tatras found their way into heavy off-road work. However, divesting the truck activities due to the declining economy and strong competition forced Praneda to change course. The import of Zetor tractors became central. In the early 1990s Praneda was still quite successful in selling Zetor tractors on the Dutch market with a market share of 6–7%. After the Velvet Revolution, all company activities were moved to Nijmegen, and alongside other Eastern European products such as ZTS, Praneda expanded its delivery programme with Swiss, Canadian and Taiwanese brands such as Hürlimann, HMT, Roadstar, Allied, Desta and Tailift. From 1 December 2003, mechanisation company Slootsmid of Laren took over all activities of the trading company Praneda. Besides Zetor, this concerned the import agencies for Trac-Lift front loaders, Tailift forklifts, Farmet soil cultivation machines and AGS ride-on mowers. Slootsmid became the importer for the aforementioned brands throughout the Benelux.

• 2003

  From 1 December, Slootsmid of Laren takes over all activities of Praneda.

• 1990

  Praneda holds a 6–7% market share for Zetor tractors in the Netherlands.

• 1966

  Praga V3S chassis with cab offered for 33,000 guilders (Ford engine) or 33,500 guilders (DAF engine).

• 1965

  The Son branch opens (1965/66), handling preparation, delivery and repairs.

• 1964

  Pragas become available directly with Ford or DAF engines.

• 1961

  Praga Nederland Automobielen (PRANEDA) is founded; Mr. Hoogstad takes a half share.

• 1959

  A Dutch transport entrepreneur discovers the Praga V3S at a trade fair.

Importer and distributor of affordable, rugged Eastern European trucks and agricultural machinery for the Dutch and Benelux markets.

• Praga V3S 6x6 truck

  Czechoslovak 6x6 truck introduced in 1953, 8-tonne payload, 105 hp air-cooled engine, sold in the Netherlands from 1959.

• Tatra trucks

  Heavy off-road trucks, especially 12-tonne tippers, imported by Praneda from the 1960s onward.

• Zetor tractors

  Czechoslovak tractors whose import became central to Praneda's business; 6–7% Dutch market share in the early 1990s.

• ZTS tractors

  Eastern European tractors added to the delivery programme after the Velvet Revolution.

• Hürlimann, HMT, Roadstar, Allied, Desta tractors

  Swiss, Canadian and Taiwanese brands added to Praneda's expanded delivery programme.

• Tailift forklifts

  Forklifts imported by Praneda, later part of the Slootsmid takeover.

• Trac-Lift front loaders

  Front loaders for which Praneda held the import agency, later transferred to Slootsmid.

• Farmet soil cultivation machines

  Soil cultivation equipment imported by Praneda, later part of the Slootsmid takeover.

• AGS ride-on mowers

  Ride-on mowers imported by Praneda, later part of the Slootsmid takeover.

1. 1Praga (CS) – Praga Nederland / Praneda, Rotterdam / Sonconam.info
2. 2Praneda - Wikipedianl.wikipedia.org
3. 3Praneda - Wikidatawikidata.org