A Story of Success
In 1991, after Lithuania regained Independence, Rekyva became a stock company owned by the workers. After some years the former general manger owned a majority of stocks and was in reality controlling the company. This gave the Mr Bent Engelbrecht the possibility for making investments in Rekyva, which eventually made him the major stockholder in 1998.
In 2011 a subsidiary of German company in Lithuania purchased a majority of Rekyva AB shares. The new owners seek to introduce in production the most innovative and advanced technologies.
Before that time Rekyva was just producing peat product based on milled peat and just a very few substrates. In 1998 a Horticulturist were connected to Rekyva AB and a further development of our substrates began.
Since then, AB Rekyva sales of substrate have been increasing and AB Rekyva’s substrates are recognized for their high standards.
Today the annual production is approximately 400.000 m3. More than half of this production is based on sod peat and half of the total production is substrates.
The production takes place in two places. Beside the main production on the Rekyva plant in Siauliai there is a smaller production of unfertilised product of both milled and sod peat in all different screenings at the Tyde plant in the Rokiskis region. The primary goals have been reached, but continually a lot of effort is spent on meeting the customers demand for higher quality and specialised or tailor-made products.
Quality
In Rekyva the quality is based on a modern process controlled production. This means that the production is continually controlled and analysed. If something is outside the norms the process is stopped in order to adjust the production so the products again is inside the norms for the product.
The control parameters for the products are weight, EC, pH, Volume according to the EN 12579 (sampling) and EN 12580 (volume) and structure by sieving analysis. All the data is collected on a so-called Quality control Scheme and we always store a sample from each production, so if necessary it’s possible to find all information on every production.
In order to control our own analysis, we take out some samples every day, which are sent to the Danish independent laboratory Steins.
In reality quality control starts much earlier. Just after harvest the raw materials are classified and monitored in order to make sure that the raw materials keep its classification. Change in classification can become actual if temperatures rise or if weight increase. In general all stacks off raw material are checked weekly and all data are filed in computer program that makes it easy to manage the peat bog and raw materials.
All the additives used for substrate production is also checked before the consumption. This makes it possible to avoid problems coursed by our suppliers.