On July 23, 1954, the Special Design Bureau (SKB) was founded on the premises of Minsk Automobile Plant, becoming the predecessor of Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant. This bureau has been leaded by Boris Lvovich Shaposhnik, who later became the legendary Soviet design engineer.
The development of heavy and superheavy equipment for the needs of the USSR Armed Forces was the primary goal of the bureau foundation. The MAZ-528 wheel tractor for operation with pushed and towed attached and trailed implements equipped with 10 backward speeds and 10 forward speeds, was the first project developed by SKB-1 in 1955.