We talked to Miroslav Černac the director of Plastics Department. Mr Černac is a former head of the oficial team dealing with the Liquid Butadiene production unit sale. He informed us that the first intention to build a unit producing polybutadiene at Kaučuk comes from the 80th. The reason of a government research task was a desire to become independent on imports of both thermoplastic elastomers and liquid rubbers, including possibly also liquid polybutadiens. Only the intention to produce thermoplastic elastomers reached its project stage and the total volume was to be 10 thousand tons a year and 2 thousands of liquid rubbers a year (the first intention was abandoned).

In the year 1992, it was decided to build a unit producing liquid polybutadiens. Construction works themselves were completed in the year 1995 and the first liquid rubber called Krasol produced at that new production unit was made in the year 1996. Until that time, only small amounts were produced at the local pilot plant.

“The historically biggest production volume based on our customers’ business requirements was reached in the year 2002 when 611 tons were produced - however, it was still quite not enough, considering the production capacity. That was why a world-known partner was searched for in order to increase demand for our excellent product on a world basis. The best solution proved to be our cooperation with the Sartomer U.S. Company. In the year 2001, negotiations started and one year later, an agreement on marketing alliance was ratified. The specified agreement stated that Kauèuk, Inc. would produce products and the alliance partner would take care of marketing and sale of liquid polybutadiens of the Krasol series”, said manager Černáč.

The Sartomer Company is a member of the Total French Group based in Pennsylvania - in the city of Exton. It is focused on special polymer substances and their additives. The most important fact for was its world-wide distribution network operating even in China. Sartomer has its new representation office also in the Czech Republic. A new owner obtained our Kapalné kauèuky /Liquid rubbers/ unit in August. The whole transaction had been prepared for a long time. It included 25 agreements - each of them in at least four copies - and on top of it also appropriate acceptance protocols, and other documents.

A marathon of signatures was run by the chairman of the Board of directors of Kaučuk, Inc. and head-manager Radomír Vìk representing the selling party. The buying party was represented by head-manager of the Sartomer Europe Company, Laurent Suspene, and head-manager of Sartomer Czech, LLC, Patrick Arlaud together with financial manager Dipl. Eng. Jan Landa.

And how will the new owner, Sartomer Czech, operate that unit and what relationships with our company will be maintained? Dipl. Eng. Černáč: “The specified company currently owns the production facility itself, it is the owner of the pilot plant and all of its accessories, and it also rented offices at the former Synthetic Rubber Research Institute in order to conduct research activities. In terms of production, Kauèuk becomes a supplier of the main raw material - butadiene and all the necessary supporting types of energy as cold, water, etc.”.