Vitebsk Fur Factory will be commissioned in June 2017 after reconstruction
"Although there is still a lot of work to do, we agreed today that the facility will be commissioned at the end of the second quarter of next year. This is even somewhat earlier than stipulated by the relevant decree of the President. The facility will be unique - not just a fur factory, but also a furrier production, that is, sewing ready-made clothes, as well as tanning fur for footwear. This is a rather large enterprise, which, moreover, will operate on a full technological cycle. An important aspect is that the best equipment in the world is being assembled here," explained Mikhail Myasnikovich.
The General Director of the management company of the holding "Belarusian Leather and Footwear Company "Marko", Nikolai Martynov, confirmed that more than 50% of the work has been completed on the entire complex. "By May, the readiness will be around 95%. There is money, financing is rhythmic. We have opened the first foreign exchange tranche for equipment - we are paying for the boiler room and treatment facilities. Tomorrow I will be in Spain to sign a contract for technological equipment. I think we will conclude all agreements in November-December - there will be about 15 suppliers. By May, the equipment will be manufactured and paid for," assured Nikolai Martynov. The facility is turning out to be cheaper than planned: costs for construction and installation work have been reduced by approximately 45%, and for technological equipment by the same amount. The entire complex will be autonomous - with its own boiler room, water supply, treatment facilities, and warehouses. The production is divided into 4 segments: two factories for processing raw fur and sheepskin, and two for sewing products.
It is envisaged that for the first year or two, foreign technologists from Italy and Greece will be involved in supporting the production process at each site, as well as in training local specialists. "Everything will be here: from raw material processing to sewing finished products and their
sales. For raw materials, 80-85% of the fur will be domestic – the established capacities are even less than the volumes of fur-bearing animal breeding and slaughter in our country. And we will buy sheepskin from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. But this kind is suitable for lining. For sewing ready-made clothes, lightweight raw materials from a special breed of sheep found in New Zealand will be used," noted Nikolai Martynov.Ekaterina Kniazeva - BELTA.