The site for BRUSH SEM was established in 1859, by Count Wallenstein-Vartenberk who set up a branch of his foundry and engineering works in Plzeň approximately 100 km south west of Prague in the Czech Republic.
Steel castings and, later, forgings for larger passenger liners and warships went on to rank alongside the sugar mills as the top export branches of Škoda's factory.
With the emergence of the Czechoslovakia in 1918, and the complex economic conditions of post-war Europe the company was transformed from what was exclusively an arms manufacturer into a multi-sector concern.
Until this transition period the Škoda Elektrické Stroje works primarily manufactured generators and electrical control equipment products for the eastern European and Soviet markets.
Following the change in political climate in 1989, Škoda started along the path of privatization, and used this time to come up with an optimal production programme, and look for markets other than those co-ordinated through the Council of Mutual Economic Assistance (CMEA or COMECON), which operated a Centralised Planning System (CPS).
After 1989, the Škoda Elektrické Stroje works retained their design technology and manufacturing capability, and attempted to compete and sell their products on the world markets.