How did products made of recycled rubber from Beocin reach Boston? - Kuerk ready for green construction as well

Smiljana Stojanovic speaks of herself as an "old rubber person". After decades of work in the rubber industry, this expert with a couple of patented products started her own recycled waste rubber processing business.

Last year, an innovative process of rubber granulate compressing which cuts electricity consumption by incredible 80% was implemented at the Kuerk plant in Beocin. Thanks to that project, Kuerk has recently reached the finals of the prestigious 2014 Aurea Award which is presented by our web portal.

Smiljana Stojanovic told us about how it all started, how they get the ideas for new products, why it is good when you do it yourself but she also revealed a part of the idea she is currently working on. Apart from the family members, Kuerk has 4 full-time employees more and when they go on field visits they hire additional staff. Although a small company, they reached Boston and Azerbaijan and they are not planning to stop there.

If we do not have it, we will make it

Kuerk’s product line comprises more than 15 product groups. As they say, they are ready for cooperation and potential clients’ suggestions and they do not find it difficult to adapt their program to their clients’ needs. Simply said, it means there is not a thing they cannot produce.

- Our job mainly means finding a solution to a problem. Many products were created that way. For example, a man comes and says: I am really upset with the fact that a forklift every time hits this corner. Can you find me a solution? Then we make a protection for that corner which is well sold at the market. Or, for instance, cars are always parked where pedestrians cannot walk on the pedestrian zone. Therefore, we made rubber ends of parking places so the car cannot pass – our collocutor is explaining.

Smiljana Stojanovic has a few recognized and protected patents and the first one was born because a person asked for help. A big graphic industry company has a huge problem with fires.

(Smiljana Stojanovic receives a certificate of appreciation from eKapija Managing Director Zdravko Loncar)

- A man came and said he had a huge problem and did not know how to deal with it. They told him in an inn to go to Smilja because she always finds a solution. I asked for a month of time and then we met and I presented my idea. Then we went to the Faculty of technical sciences in Novi Sad and spoke to experts and saw this could work. Then we turned to the Institute for Prevention, they confirmed my idea and said they will carry out attest process and examination – a collocutor of eKapija says.

- This is how my first patent was born, an antistatic basis for static electricity removing. It was almost 14 years ago and I can say that that company, AMB Grafika has not had a single fire since then. Before the basis was installed, there were ten per year so you see what kind of progress that is.

Both savings and quality

Innovative technological process of rubber granulate compressing is what makes them different from others and they implemented it during 2013. Decrease in energy consumption is nearly 80%. The essence is that conventional, technological processes comprise compressing of rubber granulate at temperatures of some 160 C while Kuerk carries out the same process at several times lower temperatures.

Since it is very difficult to find adequate production equipment for this kind of production process Kuerk adapts equipment for nearly the same purpose or construction of completely new equipment with all features adapted to technological production process. In a word, know-how in practice. When a fact that they do not have problems with raw materials (they import only one), it is evident why they implement every idea.

- We reached the innovation level when we can make a machine we need for a product. Therefore, I always say we can make anything we imagine. Even if we lack capacity, we will easily create it.

During 2013, Kuerk produced nearly 70 tons of finished recycled waste rubber products, 8% of which was exported. Thanks to energy consumption savings they are able to place them at more favorable process so sales at foreign markets is constantly growing.

Their biggest foreign buyer is, as our collocutor says, from USA, i.e. from Boston. They launch their products in the countries in the region and it is interesting that Azerbaijan used Kuerk’s products when they organized their first kayaking championship.

In 2014, as our collocutor says, they are planning to expand their product line and offer something that others do not have. Smiljana Stanojevic revealed us a part of their latest idea for this year.

- We are now trying to penetrate the environmental construction sector. We are planning to make environmental residential unit which a consumer can assemble on his/her own, without involving a number of craftsmen. It would be targeted mainly for endangered population groups. The unit would not be expensive and the state, philanthropists or anyone else involved in helping these people, could provide more pieces at low price – our collocutor says.

According to her, small product tests have been done so far and further progress will be seen throughout the year.

M.S.