History

Porcelain production in the Czech Republic has a long-standing tradition.
Especially in northwestern Bohemia, due to favorable raw material conditions, this area experienced rapid development, resulting in the establishment of numerous factories. With the growth of industry and electrification, the demand for technical and electrotechnical porcelain and ceramics also increased. Initially, this production developed as part of the manufacture of utility porcelain and artistic ceramics and later became an independent sector.

1880

Start of Production

Porcelain production began in Merklín, mainly focusing on utility porcelain.

1880

Bernard Berman

The Bernard Berman company was established in Louny, specializing in the production of technical and electrotechnical ceramics.

1913

Low-Voltage Insulators

The production of low-voltage insulators was introduced in Merklín.

1950

Low and High-Voltage Insulators

A new production complex was launched in Louny, focusing on the manufacture of insulators for low and high-voltage power distribution.

1958

Merger of Factories

Six ceramic production plants in Bohemia were merged: in Louny, Merklín, Bohosudov, Klenčí, Desná, and Žacléř, along with one Slovak plant in Čabu. The association, under the name Elektroporcelán Louny, became part of the Závody silnoproudé elektrotechniky Praha group. The production of electrotechnical and technical ceramics in Czechoslovakia was concentrated here, with a significant portion also focused on exports.

1967

Oxide Ceramics

Production of specialized oxide ceramic products began.

1991

Privatization

The privatization of the association began. During the multi-year process, the factories in Bohosudov, Klenčí, Desná, Žacléř, and Čabu separated.

1994

Join-Stock Company

The current joint-stock company, originally named Elektroporcelán Louny a.s., was formed, merging the Louny and Merklín plants. The company immediately focused heavily on exports, and soon, nearly half of its production was being exported to developed countries.

1996

Quality Certificate

The quality of the products was recognized with an ISO 9001 quality certificate.

2002

Another Quality Certificate

The product quality was again certified according to EN ISO 9001:2000.

2004

C130

Development of a new material, C130.

2006

New Division

The Trading Division was established.

2008

Additional Quality Certificates

The product quality was once again certified, with ISO 9001:2000, EN ISO 14001:2004, and BS OHSAS 18001:2007 certificates being awarded.

2009

EPL GROUP EU, s. r. o.

A subsidiary company, EPL GROUP EU s.r.o., was founded, and the production of composite insulators began.

2012

E-shop

EPL launched an insulator e-shop under the name www.worldofinsulators.com.

Dnes

Today, we are a major European manufacturer of ceramic insulators and technical ceramics. The quality of our products enables us to succeed in demanding markets in Europe, Australia, and North America. We manufacture according to both Czech and international standards and are capable of supplying specialized products developed to meet customer needs.