Szilikátipari Kft., Hódmezővásárhely

A considerable handicraft industry, namely pottery evolved in Hódmezővásárhely in the past centuries. The basis of the development was the clay containing much iron oxide to be found int he close vicinity of the town. An industrial co-operative was founded after the World War II based on this traditional pottery culture. Its primary market background was the Medical Faculty of the Szeged University (JATE) that entrusted the manufacturing organisation to execute technological trials and production in small series. As a result of this challenge, the co-operative had the opportunity to get acquainted with a large number of different technologies and develop several further ones. The trials with various materials can be considered as basic research work. Since the national frontiers were redrawn in the Middle-East-Europe after the War, there was a large uncertainty in supplying the iron and non-ferrous metal industry with fire resistant material. Exploiting the market vacuum, the management of that time began to consider manufacturing burner jets for gas and oil heating, holders for electric heating, elements for furnace masonry etc. These parts were produced in small series, though with sophisticated shapes. The co-operative became soon one of the essential suppliers of the metallurgical industry. Their activities got widen int he field of electric and gas heating. A great intellectual capital and a large variety of shapes and tooling have accumulated during the following years. This fairy arch of development was broken int he mid seventies. Several events of reorganisation followed each other. These alterations originated from political considerations with regard to the heavy economical situation. After the political system had been changed in 1994, a newly formed Lic., named Szilikátipari Llc. was founded. This action made necessary a new reorganisation, the latest till now, and a serious investment of capital.