In 1905, the Belgian company SOLVAY of the inventor of the soda production technology, chose Neštěmice near Ústí nad Labem to establish a soda production plant due to its advantageous location between the Elbe River and the railway line from Prague to Dresden. Raw materials, mainly rock salt, were transported cheaply by waterway. In 1907, the first tons of soda left the plant, and for the following 86 years, the “SOLVAYKA,” later known as the “TONASO”, became the monopoly producer of soda ash for the Czech lands and later Czechoslovakia. The soda was primarily supplied to the glass industry.

In 1991, soda production was terminated due to environmental reasons and the condition of the production facilities and technological equipment, leading the company’s management to decide to cease production and develop a project for the removal of the plant’s old environmental burden.

As a result of the decision to stop soda production and some related processes, there was a fundamental change in the production program and overall organization of the company.

Following the change in the production program, the TONASO Industrial Zone was created on the company’s premises. This zone is included in the territorial plan of the city of Ústí nad Labem, where the existing buildings and areas are utilized within the commercial activities of TONASO Holding a.s. The industrial zone is currently used by more than 50 entities operating in chemical production, fuel storage and distribution, engineering and construction manufacturing, freight transport and spare parts sales, collection of used oils for regeneration, provision of power balancing in the energy distribution system, production of meteorological equipment, and many other activities.

Looking ahead, the long-term strategy for the development of the TONASO Industrial Zone focuses on enhancing product quality and embracing modern technologies, while maintaining a balanced mix of commercial and industrial land uses.