Resident of FEZ "Vitebsk" Belarusian-Russian enterprise "Grandiscar" will start production of special vehicles in December

November 16, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. The Belarusian-Russian joint limited liability company "Grandiscar", a resident of the FEZ "Vitebsk", plans to start producing special vehicles in December. The first vehicles will be intended for ambulance services and law enforcement agencies, the enterprise's director, Yuri Lyubimov, told a BELTA correspondent. The investment project of OOO "Grandiscar" provides for the creation of a special-purpose vehicle production facility with an annual capacity of up to 5,000 vehicles at one of the FEZ sites in the regional center. The Belarusian-Russian tandem of founders plans to invest about $15 million in these purposes. The production process will be based on the technology of large-node assembly. In the first stage, investors will organize production in rented premises. Simultaneously, their own plant with a total area of about 5,000 sq.m will be built, which is planned to be commissioned by the end of 2011. According to Yuri Lyubimov, initially, the special vehicle models will be produced based on Volkswagen chassis, a number of Russian automotive brands, and negotiations are also underway with Fiat. These will be vehicles in various configurations, including ambulances, minibuses for law enforcement agencies, vehicles for people with disabilities, isothermal vans and vehicles for transporting food products, vehicles for funeral services, tow trucks, cargo vans, minibuses for passenger transportation, and route taxis. In total, the Russian founder has developed over 70 modifications of vehicles and is ready to transfer these developments for their production at its Belarusian enterprise. In addition, possible cooperation options with other well-known automotive brands are being explored, but the prospects for such interaction will depend on market demand for special equipment, Yuri Lyubimov emphasized. The manufacturer also plans to place orders for the production of individual components, assemblies, and units at Belarusian enterprises, which will help the manufacturer form a competitive price for its products. Upon reaching full production capacity (up to 300 vehicles per month), the enterprise is expected to create about 200 jobs. It is planned that up to 30% of the products will be sold in Belarus, and the rest of the equipment will be exported. The FEZ "Vitebsk" was established in August 1999. Currently, there are 37 residents operating in the FEZ, five of which were registered this year. The industrial potential of the FEZ is based on enterprises operating in the fields of mechanical engineering, woodworking, food, chemical, fuel, and light industries. The territory of the free economic zone includes seven sectors with a total area of over 1.2 thousand hectares.