'Cut out of the right wood!'
What started in the clogs has grown into an innovative company, specialized in wooden floors. Bart Oerlemans (50) is the fourth generation of Bart Beugt, the wood experts. He focuses on smarter ways of working, innovations within the industry and circular entrepreneurship. Because who knows, in a few years' time your old jeans will be processed in wooden floors.
Family Business
Special. Because the third generation is still working in the company. "In my spare time I have always been at company with my father. After a year in paid employment (1996) I slowly took over the company. We moved from the hamlet of Beugt to the industrial estate in Het Retsel." It does end with the fourth generation. Unfortunately? "No, my children have other talents and they should definitely use them. Their passion is not with wooden floors".
Innovation
Bart Oerlemans is a real inventor. He loves to invent, develop and improve new techniques. That is why the company has already registered various ideas in patents in the past. For example, it was second in the Netherlands to make plywood floors with a top layer. Bart Beugt has had a new patent for two years: EASYLOX®. Worldwide unique and self-developed in just an hour and a half. In a nutshell: “Previously, you could only lay a floor one way, because you had left and right planks. Now we can lay the floor the way we want, because the planks are universal. Work smarter without waste, so that saves a lot of time and costs. Herringbone floors are in great demand and many meters are made worldwide. ”
License
Innovation means new techniques. “There was no machine yet. I contributed to the rationale and development of this. This unique machine was in our factory after a year and a half. I was very proud. The Belgian company UNILIN contacted me. They operate worldwide and now also trade our patent in the form of licenses. Recently we have been on the largest European fair and the first license has been sold. We are also successful in the Dutch market, because within six months we have 50 new EASYLOX® points of sale.”
Circular entrepreneurship
Another important innovation responds to circular entrepreneurship. “Floors are glued, which means that you can no longer take them out completely. In that way, a sustainable product is thrown away. I find that very unfortunate and it is not necessary. That is why we are now working on a completely new way of installing: we do not use glue and yet the floor cannot move. And the moment the floor has to be removed, we can easily remove it without damage, in part or in whole. We will integrate this new innovative installing method into EASYLOX®. We install the first floor in this way this month. Ultimately also very suitable for the do-it-yourselfer! ”
Leasing a floor may sound strange at first. But why do we lease a car and not a floor? “We can now lay the floor in such a way that it can be completely removed and reused. Think of commercial properties that will be repurposed after a few years. Why demolish the floor if this sustainable product is still in good condition and reusable? ”
Jeans or coffee grounds
Floors made from orange peel, jeans or coffee grounds. Bart Beugt already uses residual waste flows in collaboration with Herso from Loosbroek. Now mainly from old buildings or the environmental street. But the innovation continues. "It may therefore just be that residual waste such as coffee grounds is soon incorporated into the top layer. We ensure that a product is upcycled through residual waste. Something inferior gets more value. Quite a challenge, but a wonderful example of this is the floor in the CIRCL Pavilion of the ABN Amro in Amsterdam." “Not everyone knows what is good about wood, except that it is a good product. We show what is good in our own circle. It's okay to cut down a tree. In Europe, more wood is still growing than is being cut. As long as you do not burn wood, it is a storage of CO2. So it makes wood a sustainable product. And yes, it is also beautiful. ”
Ambitions
“My ambition is to put EASYLOX® as a brand very well in the market. We will also be looking for an agent in Germany and Belgium. We continue to make progress in the field of circular entrepreneurship and want to make a PVC counterpart. I want to be able to add something that is easy to produce and that is made from waste flows. ” Plenty to do for this innovative professional..
Source: https://www.dnhadeejer.nl/HaDeejers/2020/BW_Hadeejer_maart/34/index.html
