Z-Group

Z-Group a.s. is a Czech holding group operating in bus transport and transport service activities, primarily in the Karlovy Vary, Moravian-Silesian, Plzeň and Zlín regions. Its main base is in Zlín. The group traces its origins to ČSAD Invest, a transport subholding that was part of the Z-Group holding owned by the controversial businessman JUDr. Ing. Zdeněk Zemek, whose interests also include ironworks and metallurgical enterprises and spa services including Luhačovice. On 27 October 2016, the dissolving company ČSAD Invest a.s. merged with the successor company BENT HOLDING, a.s. under the new name Z-Group a.s. In November 2020, a merger of part of the group's bus carriers into the company Z-Group bus (the renamed ČSAD Vsetín a.s.) was announced. The group's divisions include Autobusy (bus purchase and sale), Bonavia servis (repair of trucks and buses, sale of spare parts, oils and lubricants) and Diesel (purchase and sale of fuels). ČSAD Invest covers the transport subholding of Z-GROUP within the Czech Republic. The holding also includes service companies, photovoltaic power plants and sports companies, including the first-league football club 1. FC Slovácko a.s.

Z-Group a.s. is a Czech holding group active in bus transport and transport service activities, especially in the Karlovy Vary, Moravian-Silesian, Plzeň and Zlín regions, with its main base in Zlín. The holding group previously operated in bus transport and transport services especially in the Zlín, Plzeň and Karlovy Vary regions under the name ČSAD Invest, with its main base in Vsetín. ČSAD Invest a.s. was the name of one of the holding's companies, whose business was the purchase and sale of buses. The transport subholding ČSAD Invest was part of the Z-Group holding, which belongs to the controversial businessman JUDr. Ing. Zdeněk Zemek, who also owns ironworks and metallurgical enterprises and operates services including the Luhačovice spas. On 27 October 2016, the dissolving company ČSAD Invest a.s. merged with the successor company BENT HOLDING, a.s. under the new name Z-Group a.s. In November 2020, a merger of part of the group's bus carriers into the company Z-Group bus (the renamed ČSAD Vsetín a.s.) was announced. The merger was to dissolve HOUSACAR, KRODOS BUS a.s., ČSAD autobusy Plzeň a. s. and Autobusová doprava-Miroslav Hrouda s.r.o., with the registered office of ČSAD Vsetín a.s. to be newly in Zlín at the registered office of Z-Group a.s. The company was to have two regional divisions: Division Morava (formed by the existing companies ČSAD Vsetín, HOUSACAR and KRODOS BUS) and Division ČSAD autobusy Plzeň (formed by the existing companies ČSAD autobusy Plzeň and Autobusová doprava-Miroslav Hrouda). The group's transport companies include AKV bus, MĚSTSKÁ DOPRAVA Mariánské Lázně (40% share), OAD Kolín, Z-Group bus (a company formed by the merger of AD-Miroslav Hrouda, ČSAD Vsetín, ČSAD autobusy Plzeň, HOUSACAR, KRODOS BUS) and VOJTILA TRANS (50% together with ZLINER since August 2018). ČSAD Semily a. s. belonged to the holding until autumn 2005, when it lost influence there. The service companies include Divize Diesel, which operates fuel filling stations especially at the premises of the holding's bus companies, and Divize Bonavia, which provides transport companies of the holding and external customers with services such as repairs, tyre services and fuel filling stations. The holding also includes photovoltaic power plants: ZEVES 4 s.r.o., owner of a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 7 MW, one of the thirty largest in the Czech Republic, in bankruptcy since 17 February 2025, and ZEVES 5 s.r.o., owner of a photovoltaic power plant with an installed capacity of 6 MW, in bankruptcy since 27 May 2025. Sports companies under the holding include the first-league football club 1. FC Slovácko a.s. Regarding the loss of influence in ČSAD Semily, a. s.: for a certain period the company ČSAD Semily a. s. belonged to the holding. Vehicles, fuels and services were supplied to it by companies of the holding. Then the holding lost influence in the company's statutory bodies. On 26 September 2005, ČSAD Semily a. s. announced a tender for the supplier of 7 new line buses. Bids were submitted by TEZAS a. s. and ČSAD Invest, a. s. On 18 November 2005, the evaluation committee selected the bid of TEZAS a. s. as more advantageous. ČSAD Invest, a. s. filed objections against the procedure of ČSAD Semily, a. s., but ČSAD Semily a. s. rejected the objections. On 19 December 2005, ČSAD Invest, a. s. filed with the Office for the Protection of Competition a proposal for a preliminary measure prohibiting ČSAD Semily, a. s. from buying buses from the winner of the tender. On 20 February 2006 (final as of 24 May 2006), the Office rejected the proposal. The reason for rejection was partly that ČSAD Invest, a. s. was to deposit a deposit of CZK 207,130 with the Office, but deposited less and paid the shortfall of CZK 630 after the set deadline, and partly that the contract for the purchase of buses, which the preliminary measure was to prevent, had already been concluded on 6 December 2006, i.e. before the filing of the proposal for a preliminary measure. When ČSAD Invest, a. s. asked the Office to initiate new administrative proceedings on its own initiative, the Office stated that the submitted documents did not indicate that the contracting authority's error could have affected the order of the individual bids. ČSAD Invest, a. s. filed an administrative lawsuit with the regional court, and in May 2007 the court ordered the Office to re-examine the matter. The Senate of the Supreme Administrative Court with chairwoman Eliška Cihlářová, on the initiative of the Office, annulled the regional court's decision in December 2007. Zdeněk Zemek ceased to be chairman of the board of ČSAD Semily, a. s. on 20 December 2005. The branches of the service companies BONAVIA servis, a. s. and ČSAD DIESEL a. s. were cancelled at the premises of ČSAD Semily, a. s. Regarding the group's economy: at the beginning of 2007 the ČSAD Invest group operated about 900 buses with an average age of 11 years. Each year the companies renewed about 5% of the fleet. In 2007 and 2008, ČSAD Invest a. s. planned to purchase 200 new buses at a cost of CZK 800 million for ČSAD Vsetín, ČSAD autobusy Plzeň and Autobusy Karlovy Vary, i.e. double the usual investment. The group employed a total of 1,050 drivers; in 2006 its buses travelled 44 million kilometres and carried about 50 million passengers.

• 2025

  ZEVES 4 s.r.o. entered bankruptcy on 17 February 2025.

• 2025

  ZEVES 5 s.r.o. entered bankruptcy on 27 May 2025.

• 2020

  In November 2020, a merger of part of the group's bus carriers into Z-Group bus (renamed ČSAD Vsetín a.s.) was announced.

• 2018

  VOJTILA TRANS became 50% owned together with ZLINER from August 2018.

• 2016

  On 27 October 2016, ČSAD Invest a.s. merged with BENT HOLDING, a.s. under the new name Z-Group a.s.

• 2007

  At the beginning of 2007 the ČSAD Invest group operated about 900 buses with an average age of 11 years.

• 2007

  In May 2007 the regional court ordered the Office for the Protection of Competition to re-examine the matter.

• 2007

  In December 2007 the Supreme Administrative Court annulled the regional court's decision.

• 2006

  The Office for the Protection of Competition rejected ČSAD Invest's proposal for a preliminary measure on 20 February.

• 2005

  ČSAD Semily a. s. announced a tender for 7 new line buses; ČSAD Invest's bid was not selected.

• 2005

  Zdeněk Zemek ceased to be chairman of the board of ČSAD Semily, a. s. on 20 December.

Regional Czech bus transport and transport services holding.

• Bus transport services

• Bus purchase and sale

• Truck and bus repair services

• Spare parts, oils and lubricants

• Fuel purchase and sale

• Photovoltaic power generation

1. 1Z-Group a.s. official websitezgroup.cz
2. 2Z-Group - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Z-Group - Czech Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org