A high-tech plant for the production of commercial equipment will appear in Vitebsk

The plant is planned to be launched in the summer of 2016. Its future products can already be seen in the shopping centers "Euroopt", "Korona" or "Green". The fact is that a well-known international holding "Modern-Expo" is entering Belarus through Vitebsk. On its way to becoming a global supplier of comprehensive retail solutions, it has chosen our regional center to establish one of its production bases.

During the project implementation, a trio of investors, including OJSC "Vityaz", registered a Dutch-Belarusian-Polish enterprise of the same name in the FEZ "Vitebsk" in August 2014. Construction work will begin in the coming days, and the long-empty workshops of the former radio engineering plant on the outskirts of the city will come to life. "Modern-Expo" acquired the property with a total area of 22.5 thousand square meters for more than 20 billion rubles. It is planned to allocate up to 15 million euros solely for equipping the future production with advanced equipment. To reach full capacity, at least 850 high-tech jobs will be created here, and the new employer focuses exclusively on local specialists. It should be especially noted that the Belarusian office of the international holding is registered specifically in Vitebsk, while the capital only hosts a company representative office.

In an interview with "Vitebskiye Vesti", the director of the enterprise, Oleg Tkachuk, reported that the reconstruction project for the production facilities is already ready, all necessary approvals have been obtained, and work has directly begun on the site. The construction is conditionally divided into two commissioning stages. The first stage involves the construction of all necessary engineering infrastructure on the site, the organization of the administrative and office area, as well as the creation of production facilities for three types of metal equipment, including refrigerated wall showcases. At this stage, up to 300 specialists need to be hired, and the recruitment process is in full swing.

_ The list of required specialties is quite extensive, from fitters to technologists, but the initial team has already been formed, _ explains Oleg Tkachuk. _ We expect that initially 10-15 Ukrainian employees will participate in the equipment launch and train their Belarusian colleagues, and subsequently they will return to their enterprises. Of course, we will send new employees for training to Ukraine, where the holding company has two plants in Lutsk and Verkhnedneprovsk.

After the commissioning of the first start-up complex in July 2016, it is planned to subsequently increase production capacities by organizing the production of products from chipboard and plastic, as well as creating a line of refrigeration units. This stage is scheduled to be completed in the 3rd quarter of 2016. The plant will be able to process about 12 thousand tons of metal per year. High-performance equipment based on the latest advanced technologies will be installed in the workshops, and a number of machines and production lines will be unique for Belarus. Up to 80% of the processes will be automated. In order to achieve maximum efficiency, the enterprise must operate around the clock, with only 2-3 technological breaks for preventive maintenance.

The total annual output can be at least 240 billion rubles. In Vitebsk, it is planned to produce a full range of products for trade from the holding company's portfolio, including refrigeration equipment, commercial and warehouse shelving, and POS equipment.

_ When you enter a hypermarket, everything you see inside _ from electronic turnstiles to deep-freeze refrigeration units and checkout counters _ is equipment that we produce and are preparing to produce in Vitebsk, _ clarifies Oleg Tkachuk. _ The company positions itself as a provider of comprehensive solutions for retail, meaning it doesn't just produce, say, shelving and refrigerators for products, but provides its clients with services for the effective organization of space in a modern store. For example, we create universal checkout counters that actually consist of three parts and can be assembled in various configurations, like a construction set. Taking into account the latest trends in retail for opening convenience stores, our checkout counters can be assembled into a technological chain to achieve maximum efficiency even in unsuitable premises with complex layouts.

Under the terms of the FEZ "Vitebsk", its resident company "Modern-Expo" will export about 75% of its products. In accordance with the specialization adopted within the holding, Vitebsk retail equipment will be supplied to the markets of the Customs Union countries, as well as to the Baltic states.

The next location for Modern-Expo to build another plant after Vitebsk will be one of the cities in the United Arab Emirates.

Sergey Kochetov, "Vitebskiye Vesti".