From truck cab to four billion crowns: a Czech-Mercedes success story

Czech entrepreneur Michal Žižák and his German partner Dirk Hoffmann have built a Mercedes-Benz sales and service business with a turnover of almost four billion crowns — and it all started with a chance conversation at a car show in Prague more than thirty years ago.

The story of the Hoffmann & Žižák company began in 1990, when Žižák met the father of his future business partner at a car show in Prague, where the older man was exhibiting trailers. Žižák, who grew up in a truck driver's family and spoke decent German, helped translate for Czech customers. The conversation turned into a job offer, and later into a long-term partnership with Hoffmann's son, Dirk.

In 1992, Žižák joined Hoffmann's firm, and together they began travelling around Europe, selling trucks in Czechia, Slovakia and Poland. Interestingly, Žižák trained as a chemical engineer, having graduated from a university of chemical technology, but his career was tied to the car business from the very start.

A turning point came when they entered a competition for a Mercedes-Benz dealership licence in Czechia — the partners won it and focused on the region north of Prague. They started out in rented premises, then in 1998 bought land in Zápy near Prague, where they opened their own showroom a year later. Two years ago the complex underwent a major modernization and expanded into used-car sales. Since 2005 the company has also operated in Liberec, where another modernization is planned soon.

Choosing Mercedes-Benz was a logical extension of their experience with trucks. Today the business covers the entire model range — from passenger cars and vans to heavy trucks. Customers are especially keen on four-wheel-drive SUVs, convertibles, and the spacious Mercedes V-Class for active families. In the truck segment, the Actros line plays a key role and will mark its thirtieth anniversary in 2026. The most expensive car the company has ever sold in Czechia was a supercar worth twenty million crowns.

According to Žižák, the foundation of the company's long-term success is the team's professionalism, customer trust, and a constant willingness to learn. That is how a local friendship, which began with a conversation about trailer construction, grew into a solid car business with turnover in the billions.