The production cooperative KOVEX Rychnov nad Kněžnou originates as early as 1949 when Mr. Hejhal´s private workshop in the village of Lupenice was incorporated into the co-op called Velodružstvo Hradec Králové. The obsolete wooden buildings heated by sawdust stove were the reason why the new factory began to be built near the hill called Budín in Rychnov nad Kněžnou. The construction was started in 1957 and the machinery was moved from Lupenice and installed in 1960. In the beginning the product range included small accessories for bikes, prams and hand trolleys. In 1962 the company Velodružstvo acquired the operation hall in Solnice from the company Josef Jaroslav Hajn. This factory started producing the well-known three-wheel invalid cars, called Velorex or the Jeans-Velorex.

The Solnice factory was incorporated into the new Rychnov one, which meant the creation of one of the biggest branches of the company Velorex Hradec Králové. The three-wheel invalid minicars were manufactured here with the motor of 175, 250 and 350 ccm. However, the very beginning of their production originates as early as in 1942, when the very first car had been manufactured by the brothers František and Mojmír Stránský in the workshop in Parník near the town of Česká Třebová.

The production of these cars continued until 1971 when the three--wheel minicars were replaced by four-wheel ones but the latter were not far as successful due to some construction faults and also because of the motoring development in 1980s. The four-wheel minicars production was finished two years later.

There were produced over 15,000 three-wheel minicars.
There were produced 1,380 four-wheel minicars.

After finishing the four-wheel minicars production in 1973 all the branch in Solnice including the staff was moved into Rychnov nad Kněžnou to manufacture the car spare parts and a new product range - the electric oil heaters called Jawa Elor was prepared and started in 1974. There were produced about 30,000 these heaters and their manufacture was finished in 1977.

The Rychnov factory management had to prepare and realize the production of the parts for the motorbike sidecars called Sidecar and in 1978 the production and assembly of the complete sidecars were initiated.

These products were exported above all to the former Soviet Union and to other countries such as Great Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany.

Their manufacture was finished in 1991 and the co-op had to ensure a new product programme again for the major part of the company. The bathroom accessories for the local market and for the international furniture concern IKEA have been implemented.

Due to the bad economic results of the whole Velorex Hradec Králové company the General Meeting have decided to split the co-op into 8 minor branches.