November 2023

From The Beginning Until BOGUMA

History is an integral part of our present. BOGUMA has been an official manufacturer of rubber products since 2005, but our present-day was preceded by many historical moments that contributed to the continuous development of the rubber industry in Slovakia. In this article, we will focus on all the important facts from the beginning of the 20th century that led to the building of our company as you know it today. Take a journey through history with us, during which you will learn a little more about who we are and why our products are the right choice for everyone who cares about the highest possible level of safety in a wide range of industries.

At the beginning, there was rubber

Let's start with the year 1905, which still represented a significant moment in the times of Austria-Hungary. The first rubber factory in Slovakia was built in Bratislava - Petržalka. Its construction fell under the Austrian company Gummi und Bellata Werke. After completion, it was named "Matador, a factory for rubber and rubber products". This factory represented the first step in the development of the rubber industry in our region, and therefore we can thank Matador for the shift in the field of rubber products, to which it contributed with its establishment and long-term operation.

Another interesting milestone in this industry occurred in 1937 when the company Buzuluk in Komárov (a city in the Czech Republic) began to manufacture the first machines for the production of flat rubber by rotary pressing. Rotary presses have been used in our company since the beginning of its operation and are part of the production of our quality products. Thanks to them, we can adapt production to the needs of our clients, so that the required rubber thickness is the result every time. Within our technical capabilities, we can produce products up to 15 mm thickness in various widths up to 1400 mm.

The production of rubber products using rotary presses is, therefore, one of the pillars of our company, which contribute to the perfect combination of the right elements needed to create products that are not only safe and high-quality but also able to please with their appearance in various colors, thicknesses and designs.

BOGUMA as we know it today

So how did BOGUMA develop into its present form? During its existence, the already mentioned company Matador was divided into four parts, each of which was devoted to a different area of ​​rubber production. One of them was the company GUMOV, which focused on production using rotary presses. Its production was discontinued in 2004 and thus provided us with the opportunity to take over the quality rotary presses, without which the tradition of this production would have faced possible extinction in Slovakia.

"Our rubber journey" began with the purchase of these machines. The next step was to find a space for production, which became the former Koželuzne Bošany. Thanks to the four founders, one of whom is our current director, Teodor Puha, they were transformed into a factory of traditional rubber production.

It took a year until all the necessary adjustments were completed and the factory was officially ready for production in November 2006. Thanks to us, the industrial part of the village of Bošany gradually came to life and was filled with the smell of quality rubber products. The premises of our factory have undergone several renovations over the course of 18 years, but we always focus on maintaining the original appearance of the former tanneries, not only from a nostalgic but also an ecological point of view.

Clients grow with quality and quality grows with clients

We place great emphasis on the quality of our products from the very beginning. Already in 2007, we obtained certificates for electrical insulating blankets according to the IEC 61111:2002 standard, which opened the way to world markets. Although we have always placed the greatest importance on the quality of our products, we are also moved forward by the response of clients who repeatedly show us their trust thanks to which we are constantly moving forward. We found that the biggest demand is for electrical insulating blankets, which allowed us to expand our activities and acquire new customers. The investment in production quality was constant for us. In 2008, we added a device for cutting and checking the rolls, which allowed us to achieve higher precision and ensure the safety of the products. In the same year, we also managed to attract the first important foreign client, with whom we have been strengthening our professional relationship for an incredible 15 years. We gradually began to connect with an increasing number of foreign partners thanks to our repeated expansion of the production range.

We care about the highest quality so that we can once again provide our clients with only the best rubber products. In 2011, for example, we invested in a special planchet, which allowed us to improve the quality of our products again and provide customers with even more options. Our cooperation with international partners is gradually gaining strength. For example, in 2012 we successfully concluded an important foreign order for patterned flooring for a hockey stadium in Romania.

We continue to expand our operations to new continents, and Europe is not the limit of possibilities for us. Between 2013 and 2015, we supplied large volumes of electrical insulating blankets as far as Asia, opening up new business avenues. We always monitor and guarantee the quality of our products - in 2014 we obtained another certificate according to the European standard, IEC 61112:2009 electrical insulating blanket EIP 0 1.5x0 and we started delivering these products together with electrical insulating blankets to even more distant corners of the world. In 2016, we also started doing business with South America, and our network of global business partners is constantly growing. So far, the biggest breakthrough occurred in 2018, when we achieved cooperation with clients from a total of 30 countries around the world.

Necessary changes help us move forward

Despite our achievements, a change took place in BOGUMA, which initially seemed like a step into the unknown for the employees. In 2019, the management of the company changed and we welcomed a new owner and manager, Martin Čánik, who brought a fresh perspective and a lot of great ideas and innovations, thanks to which we progress and continue to achieve success in the rubber industry.

"In 2019, a very interesting offer to buy BOGUMA from the former owners and founders appeared. We perceived a unique opportunity to operate on the premises of the former leather tannery, where Baťa brand products were produced in the past. Because the industry is close to my heart, we decided to invest in the company not only in finances but also in time, which is constantly returned to us many times over. From the beginning, we built on the quality and tradition that BOGUMA abounds in, and I made it my goal to help the company grow where it was needed.
All employees remained with us after the change of ownership, and thanks to their rich professional experience, we are constantly able to develop the company in the right direction, even during the coronavirus crisis, which hit us right after the purchase of the company. I appreciate the support of both employees and suppliers and our clients. However, even during these difficult moments, we did not doubt the decision to take over the company, and I can say for myself that I am very glad that I went for it.

During my tenure, we have managed to achieve many goals, such as expanding the product portfolio, customer portfolio, and marketing department. The demand for our products has also grown significantly, which has led us to further positive changes. We are currently working on obtaining ISO 9001:2015 certification, which is one of the many factors that make us a reliable and quality partner in the rubber industry.

I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has accompanied me during this adventure; I have learned a lot so far. Not only about rubber but mainly about people, without whom it would certainly be meaningless."

We hope you have got to know us a little better through this article and will join our portfolio of satisfied clients around the world. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us at info@boguma.sk or leave us a comment under the LinkedIn post.