Professor Jürgen Echnick: The basis of economic development is small and medium-sized enterprises
At BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov with master classes and lectures delivered a German expert in the field of technology and the use of concrete and cement, the executive director of the Swiss company Perfomance Selling Academy Zurich Area GmbH Jürgen Echnick. On February 26-28, Professor Eknik held a series of master classes for students, university research workers and leading specialists in the regional construction industry. Guest of Belgorod shared his rich scientific and industrial experience in the field of technological rationalization and economically sound application of modern binders, concrete, dry building mixtures, precast and solid concrete, architectural and decorative concrete.
"At BSTU named after V.G. Shukhov, I am pleased to note the high organization of the university’s work and the students ’motivation to learn. The campus of the university is compact and comfortable, the students, my students, are disciplined, attentive and diligent, ”the German specialist shared his impressions.
Dr. Eknik worked for 40 years in national and multinational European companies in the building materials industry in the positions of technical and managing directors. Under his leadership and scientific and technical support, the Schwenk, Dornburger Cement, Tomas Group, Holcim companies carried out many years of successful practice in the production and sales of cement, ready-mixed concrete, precast concrete elements, small-piece products, experimental development of innovative compositions of general construction, white and cement cement, special knitting. A partial list of enterprises in Europe and Asia, in the formation of the technological and marketing policy of which Jürgen Echnick took part, consists of 13 plants for the production of cements, 11 plants for the production of special cements, 137 plants for the production of ready-mixed concrete, 38 pits whose products are used at construction sites in the whole world.
Now Dr. Eknik leads a consulting company engaged in training and retraining of personnel, technological engineering of construction industry enterprises around the world, leading the author's course of building an effective construction business from the product portfolio through market positioning to a successful sales strategy.
For many years, Dr. Eknik has been working with representatives of Swiss and German construction companies in Russia, which allows him to improve his Russian and, without an interpreter, to communicate with an audience of lectures and master classes. His master classes are useful both to students and novice researchers taking their first steps in the industry, as well as to experienced production workers who are interested in testing the best industry practices for efficient production and use of cements and concrete.
“It is important to see and determine the effectiveness of using not so much the individual components of concrete as their combinations in the finished mixture. At each stage of production, an economic analysis of products should be carried out and cooperated within the industry to achieve higher goals. The Western European market is a good example of such cooperation, when many small and medium-sized companies, combining in one engineering project, very effectively implement it. The basis for the success of construction in Europe is the flexibility and innovation of small and medium-sized businesses that work productively in teams, ”Dr. Eknik summed up his master class.