Editing VEF

{{Short description|Manufacturing company based in Latvia}}
{{For|the [[Venezuela]]n bolívar fuerte, whose [[ISO 4217|currency code]] is VEF|Venezuelan bolívar}}
{{For|the aviation speed V<sub>EF</sub>|V speeds}}
{{For|sports clubs|VEF Rīga (disambiguation){{!}}VEF Rīga}}

{{Infobox company
| name = Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika (VEF)
| logo = VEF_Logo_old.gif
| image = VEF pārvaldes ēka pēc restaurācijas 2017.jpg
| image_size = 
| image_caption = Street view of the oldest building of VEF in 2017. <Br>Built by architect [[Heinrich Scheel]] in 1899
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| traded_as = 
| founder = 
| foundation = 1919
| defunct = {{End date|1999}}
| location = [[Riga]], [[Latvia]]
| area_served = Interwar Latvia (1918–1940), [[Soviet Union]] (1940–1991), Latvia (1991–1999)
| key_people = 
| industry = [[Electronics]], [[telecommunications]], [[radio receivers]], [[photography]], [[aircraft]]
| products = [[Minox]], [[VEF Spidola]], [[VEF I-11]], etc
| services = 
| revenue = 
| operating_income = 
| net_income = 
| assets = 
| equity = 
| num_employees = 4000 (1938)<ref>{{Cite web |title=VEF 100 gadi |url=http://www.archiv.org.lv/vef100/?page_id=40 |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=www.archiv.org.lv}}</ref>
| divisions = 
| homepage = 
}}

'''VEF''', Latvian acronym for '''Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika''' (''State Electrotechnical Factory''), was a manufacturer of electrical and electronic products in [[Riga]], [[Latvia]]. It was founded in 1919. Before World War II, it manufactured a large variety of goods, including [[Minox]] — then the world's smallest camera. After the war, it was the leading communication technology producer in the [[Soviet Union]] and the largest factory in the Latvian SSR.<ref name="bedre">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bedre.lv/index.php?id=read&show=225 |title=Ieskats VEF vēsturē |trans-title=A look into VEF's history |first=Normunds |last=Rikards |date=February 4, 2009 |access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref>

==History==
VEF was established in April 1919 as The Main Workshops of the Latvian Post and Telegraph Department ({{langx|lv|Pasta un telegrāfa virsvaldes galvenā darbnīca}} (PTVGD)), where, initially, the five mechanics were the only employees.<ref>{{Cite web |title=AS VEF - Akciju Sabiedrība "VEF" |url=https://asvef.lv/ |access-date=21 Jul 2022}}</ref> In 1924 the factory was moved for the first time, and in 1928 moved again to VEF's current location. The factory buildings were built in late 19th and early 20th century and span a city block. Before [[World War I]] the buildings were owned by 1887-established Russian-Baltic factory ''UNION'', established by Heinrich Dettmann.<ref name="bedre"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=VEF – Latvijas lielākais uzņēmums — |url=http://www.russkije.lv/lv/lib/read/vef-the-largest-enterprise-in-latvia.html |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=www.russkije.lv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=elektrisko iekārtu ražošana Latvijā |url=https://enciklopedija.lv/skirklis/26242 |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=enciklopedija.lv |language=en}}</ref> The company was renamed to VEF in 1932.<ref name="SP"/>
[[File:Factory 'Union' in Riga, 1908.jpg|thumb|Factory 'Union' in 1908]]
In 1922 PTVGD started to manufacture phones. In 1924 it started producing [[Crystal detector|crystal-detector]] radios.<ref name="bedre" /> In 1928 it began producing automatic [[telephone exchange]]s. They bought the license from [[Mix & Genest]] to produce small volume (for 100, 200, 300 numbers) and large volume (1000, 2000 numbers) switchboards. Telephone exchange in Riga and Latvia's populated places were upgraded with equipment manufactured by PTVGD until 1940.<ref name="SP">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sakaru-pasaule.lv/main.php3?sub=view&RID=883 |first=Jāzeps |last=Ločmelis |language=lv |title=Pirms 75 gadiem |trans-title=75 years ago |access-date=June 23, 2010}}</ref> During the 1930s the monthly production of PTVGD included 500 phones and 400 exchanges.<ref name="bedre" />
By the 1930s the factory produced all electronics that had any market demand - communication devices, phones, light bulbs, cameras, irons, radios, flashlights, as well as photo paper, work-tables, and even airplanes.<ref name="bedre" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gudrinieks.lv/referati/referats/latvija-20-gs-puslapis2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328130632/http://www.gudrinieks.lv/referati/referats/latvija-20-gs-puslapis2.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 28, 2009 |access-date=June 24, 2010 |language=lv |title=Latvija 20.gs. |trans-title=Latvia in 20th century }}</ref> They also repaired cars.

VEF entered the world market in 1936 with the development of the [[Minox]] [[subminiature camera]], designed by [[Walter Zapp]] ({{langx|lv|Valters Caps}}). It was the world's smallest camera at the time.<ref name="bedre"/>

Between 1928 and 1933 VEF also produced a small, inexpensive car.<ref>{{Cite web |title=VEF (Latvia) |url=https://www.allcarindex.com/production/production/latvia/vef/ |access-date=2024-01-08 |website=ACI |language=en}}</ref>

During [[World War II]] the factory was looted and several buildings were destroyed by explosions. The factory was repaired after the war and it quickly recovered. During the 1960s VEF produced seven radio receivers and five phones every minute and two out of three phones in Soviet Union were produced by VEF. It also manufactured highly demanded [[transistor]]-based radios "[[VEF Spidola|Spīdola]]" and in the 1970s — "VEF".<ref name="bedre"/>

During the Soviet period, VEF specialized in electronics and was a part of Latvia's electronic industry, which supplied the former [[Soviet Union]] with telecommunications equipment and electronics for the military. The five largest state companies were VEF, [[Radiotehnika]], Elfa, [[Komutators]] and Elar (which produced components for the other four). In its peak in 1991, VEF employed 20,000 people. Its best known products were telephones, telephone exchanges and radios.
[[File:VEF Zevs.jpg|thumb|[[Zeus]] statue on the front façade of the main building. Sculptor [[August Volz]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Restaurētā VEF fasāde atgūst sākotnējo spozmi – RESTAURĀCIJA {{!}} AS "Būvuzņēmums Restaurators" |date=8 May 2016 |url=http://www.restaurators.lv/lv/2016/05/08/restaureta-vef-fasade-atgust-savu-sakotnejo-spozmi/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |language=en-GB}}</ref>]]
The Latvian electronics industry had trouble competing with Western companies when the markets were opened in the early 1990s. Cited problems included poor service and product quality. Attempts to restructure these companies were not successful and their combined production fell more than 90% between 1993 and 1997. VEF was divided into six smaller companies, most of which no longer exist. Three remaining ones, [[VEF un Ko]], [[VEF TELEKOM]] and [[VEF Radiotehnika RRR]], employ between 100 and 200 people each.
[[File:Valsts Elektrotehniska Fabrika.JPG|thumb|Main building in 2008 before renovation]]
In 1999 the factory was privatized and reorganized.<ref name="bedre"/> VEF un Ko, which still is active, has recently focused its attention on designing and building [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAVs]] for agricultural use.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Products - VEF UN KO |url=https://www.vef.lv/en/Products |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=www.vef.lv}}</ref>

== Building ==
The large assembly hall and administrative building, built in 1899 and designed by architect [[Heinrich Scheel]] (1829–1909), have eclectic facades facing [[Brīvības iela]]. The decorative facade of the assembly hall features a statue of [[Zeus]] with lightning bolts in hand. In 1912, a production building with a high tower in the courtyard, designed by German architect [[Peter Behrens]] (1868–1940), was constructed under the supervision of Riga civil engineer Friedrich Wilhelm Seuberlich (1850-?). In 1914, another production building was built according to  Behrens' design, located at the corner of Brīvības iela and Bērzaunes iela, under the supervision of architect Friedrich Scheffel (1865–1915). The upper floor, which was supposed to be incorporated into the high roof as per the project, remained unrealized.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rīga, Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika "VEF" {{!}} Dehio OME |url=https://ome.dehio.org/lv/celtne/riga-valsts-elektrotehniska-fabrika-vef |access-date=2023-05-04 |website=ome.dehio.org |date=November 2022 |language=lv}}</ref>

In 2017, the 1899 building was renovated by Latvian network hardware manufacturer [[MikroTik]] which established its headquarters there.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Darbs MikroTik |trans-title=Work in MikroTik |url=https://darbs.mikrotik.com/birojs/ |access-date=2024-08-01 |website=darbs.mikrotik.com |language=lv}}</ref> The adjacent building, built in 1900, is also renovated and most notably used by [[Accenture|Accenture Latvia]] since the 2000s.

==Product line-up==
<gallery>
Minox Riga stainless steel cased.JPG|Minox [[subminiature camera]]
VEF Spīdola (ВЭФ Спидола).JPG|''Spīdola'', the first Soviet portable [[shortwave radio receiver]]
VEF-MIKRO 1024 personal computer.JPEG|VEF-MIKRO 1024 [[personal computer]]
VEF-MIKRO 6025 Keyboard Latvia Computer.jpg|VEF-MIKRO 6025 computer keyboard
VEF-MIKRO 5325 Disk Unit Latvia Computer.jpg|5.25" floppy disk Reader Mikro 5625
VEF-MIKRO 1025 Computer Latvia.jpg|VEF-MIKRO 1025 personal computer
VEF IRBITIS I-12 2.jpg|VEF I-12 airplane
</gallery>
[[File:Diplome de Grand Prix. Paris 1937. VEF.jpg|thumb|Grand Prix of the [[Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne|1937 International Expo]] received by VEF]]

===Cameras===
* [[Minox]]

===Radios===
* [[VEF Spidola|Spīdola]]
* Vega VEF
* VEF Latvia
* VEF Abava

===Phones===
* VEF-TA
The VEF-TA had many different versions that ranged from classic style rotary phones to modern push button [[keypad]].

===Computers===
* VEF ORMIKA
* VEF-1022
* VEF-MIKRO 1024
* VEF-MIKRO 1025

====Computer hardware====
* Mikro 6025 [[computer keyboard]]
* Mikro 5625 – 5.25" [[floppy disk]] reader

===Aircraft===
* [[VEF I-11|VEF Irbītis I-11]]
* [[VEF I-12|VEF Irbītis I-12]]
* [[VEF I-14|VEF Irbītis I-14]]
* [[VEF I-15|VEF Irbītis I-15]]
* [[VEF I-16|VEF Irbītis I-16]]
* [[VEF I-17|VEF Irbītis I-17]]
* [[VEF I-18|VEF Irbītis I-18]]
* [[VEF I-19|VEF Irbītis I-19]]
* [[VEF JDA-10M]]

===Motorcycle===
* [[VEF Pandera|Pandera]] (prototype, built 1938)<ref>{{Cite web|last=LETA|date=2009-09-16|title=Latvijā reģistrēts vienīgais VEF rūpnīcā izgatavotais motocikls|trans-title=The only motorcycle ever made by the VEF factory has been registered in Latvia|url=https://www.delfi.lv/auto/zinas/latvija-registrets-vienigais-vef-rupnica-izgatavotais-motocikls.d?id=26871989|access-date=2022-01-18|website=delfi.lv|language=lv}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Minox]]
* [[FC Daugava Riga]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|https://www.vef.lv/en/|name=Official website (of VEF un Ko)}}
* [http://www.submin.com/8x11/collection/minox/cameras/riga.htm VEF-Minox cameras]
* [http://minoxriga.atwebpages.com VEF camera serial numbers]
* [http://www.oldradio.lv/ptvgd.html History of VEF] {{in lang|ru}}
* [http://www.historic-gallery.com/index.php?route=extension/d_blog_module/post&post_id=169 Catalogue of VEF factory products with prices, pictures and descriptions, year 1937] {{in lang|en}}

{{NASDAQ OMX Riga}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Riga]]
[[Category:Electronics companies of Latvia]]
[[Category:Aircraft manufacturers of Latvia]]
[[Category:Car manufacturers of Latvia]]
[[Category:Electronics companies of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Photography in Latvia]]
[[Category:Electronics companies established in 1919]]
[[Category:Electronics companies disestablished in 1999]]
[[Category:Soviet brands]]
[[Category:Latvian brands]]
[[Category:Companies nationalised by the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:1919 establishments in Latvia]]
[[Category:1999 disestablishments in Latvia]]