Pál Bezerédj, a landowner in Tolna County, started the construction of the Tolna Silk Mill, owned by the Hungarian State. The production of silk yarn started with 120 spinning units and produced 50 kilos of clean silk yarn a day. Base material was Hungarian cocoon, as the Bezerédj family made the county the centre of silkworm breeding and cocoon production. The mill was leased out by the Hungarian state in 1918 for 20 years to the Hungarian Royal Silk Mills Leasing Joint-Stock Company founded that year. The company introduced a new organisational and business management system. The mill was declared a war factory during the war (in 1940) and the number of employees increased to 750. Forty domestic and two foreign buyers purchased big quantities of the silk yarn produced. In the period following 1945 the Tolna Silk Mills lost its independence and belonged to the Hungarian State Silk Company. Silk production gradually decreased by 1965-1970 and finally was completely terminated. The image that reflects the production activities of the company even today was created then: production and dyeing of bulky yarn and the preparation of heavy fabric. After the political transformation the company was turned into an independent corporation and continued operations under the name Tolnatext Yarn Processing and Industrial Fabric Manufacturing Ltd. as of 1st April 1991. During liquidation proceeds the company was purchased by the German Dr. Günther Kast GmbH & Co. (in July 1995). The company operates as a producer of heavy meshes. Tolnatext is the only producer of high quality industrial & technical heavy meshes in the country. 75% of the  production is exported. Both production and sales are featured by a dynamic growth.