The head of the region familiarized himself with the progress of the modernization of the Obol ceramic plant

The interest of the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Nikolai Sherstnev, in the situation at the plant is quite natural: it is one of the largest enterprises in the Shumilino district, and a significant part of the residents of Obol live there. This means that the development of production and the preservation of jobs are necessary conditions for social stability in the region.

Therefore, since 2013, more than 73 billion rubles have been allocated from the regional executive committee's innovation fund for the modernization of OKZ's workshop No. 2. Technical re-equipment should lead to a reduction in the cost price and an increase in product quality. On Monday, Nikolai Sherstnev visited the ceramic plant to personally assess the progress of this project.

The equipment installation is not yet complete. The launch of a new line for the production of plastic molded bricks with the addition of water treatment sludge is planned for January 2016, explained the enterprise director Pavel Manak. As a result, OKZ will be able to offer consumers new competitive products, with reduced energy consumption and defect rates, and significantly fewer workers will be required for the automated line. According to the plans, the sales profitability should be around 17%.

However, if you study the situation in detail, it looks somewhat less optimistic. The head of the region primarily had questions about the prospects for selling Obol bricks. As Nikolai Sherstnev noted, the main problem is that the manufacturer often waits for customers to come for the products themselves. Instead, it is necessary to search for sales markets and actively offer their goods in Belarus and abroad.

— Today, these products are also produced in other regions. But we are in a more advantageous position because Russia is nearby, — emphasized Nikolai Nikolaevich, calling the inability to sell products in such a situation negligence. And added: — We must seriously work on reducing the cost price, create a competitive product so that it is easily sold on the foreign market.

The head of the region also asked how the freed-up part of workshop No. 2 would be used, as the new line would occupy only about a third of its production area. At the same time, Nikolai Sherstnev drew the attention of the district and enterprise management to the fact that the territory must be used as efficiently as possible so that people can work there, produce products, and receive appropriate wages.

— And then the enterprise will truly become a city-forming one, — said the chairman of the regional executive committee. — We must revive the traditions that existed before.

Lilia Ivchenko. Photo by Dmitry Osipov. "Vitebskiye vesti".