LAČNÝ, Mikuláš
* 7. 12. 1776, Vištuk, Slovakia
† 19. 2. 1857, Bratislava, Slovakia
Entrepreneur (sugar production)
Until his retirement in 1828, L. worked as an manager of the Pálfy family estate. On the basis of his practical experience, he was till the end of his life engaged in the production of sugar beet, industial production of sugar and, consequetly, the increases in profits.
In 1828 L. took over the management of estates in Veľké Úľany and Vojnice. There he established the first sugar factory in Slovakia in 1830. As an experienced farmer he focused primarily on the cultivation of sugar beet. For the purpose of constructing sugar factories he hired renowned experts for production management for the sugar factory in Veľké Úľany, Belgian B. Duboise and Frenchman H. Imhoff and for the factory in Vojnice a domestic consultant J.G. Lindberger, an enthusiastic advocate of the production of sugar from sugar beets.
In 1838 L. and Lindberger introduced a new method of sugar extraction in the sugar factory in Vojnice, the so-called cold maceration. This method became widely recognized, as the raw sugar that was produced using this method, was very similar to the refined sugar. In Pesta he in 1834 built a production facility for animal charcoal, which was used for the clarification of sugar juice.
In Slovakia L. is considered a pioneer in the production of beet sugar and the founder of the first sugar factory.
