Alexey Ostrovskiy visited the "Polimiks" company
During his working trip, Governor Alexey Ostrovskiy visited the "Polimiks" company, which is the successor of the Smolensk Auto Aggregate plant AMO ZIL(Public Joint-Stock Company «The Likhachov Plant»).
The Head of the region got acquainted with the work of the Company, and enquired how it had been managed to get the production and the staff through the difficult times, and also asked what help is needed from the regional Administration.
The current staff have retained the great experience, technology and traditions of the SAAZ (Smolensk Auto Aggregate Plant) plant. Today, the Company employs 175 people, but the ambitious plan of the management is to bring this figure up to 2,500, as it was during the best days of the plant. The Company specializes in large-scale production of automobile and tractor units, such as gearboxes, wheel planetary gears, power take-offs and units, as well as the units for special road vehicles: watering, sand-throwing, plow, brush and other equipment. The Smolensk production facility is unique, as it manufactures gear boxes for a wide range of cargo vehicles of light, medium, and heavy tonnage.
The owner of the business Vladislav Korolkov showed the Head of the region round the production facility and shared his plans for the future. During the tour, Alexey Ostrovskiy noted that the products manufactured at the plant are extremely important and in great demand on the market. Vladislav Korolkov said that the management was able to the maintain production facilities and equipment, and, most importantly, the staff which continues to work and produce the same products in demand as before. Also, the head of "Polimiks" told the Head of the region that the company sells its products to such Russian and Belarusian automakers as "GAZ Group", "PJSC Pavlovo Bus", "Bryanskselmash", Minsk Automobile Plant, Minsk Wheeled Tractor Plant, and Minsk Tractor Plant. However, according to Vladislav Korolkova, the Company needs to expand its sales markets.
The Governor ordered to prepare a corresponding appeal to the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on economic policy, industry, innovative development and entrepreneurship Sergey Zhigarev to intensify cooperation of the Smolensk Company with Russian customers.
It should be pointed out that for the past year and a half the Plant has been developing a new type of product. The Head of the region was shown the project on producing automatic gear box for cargo vehicles. There are no analogues for medium and heavy tonnage trucks in Russia yet. According to the "Polimiks" management, the gear box has gone through the necessary trials and tests in the design office; its capacity is designed for the mileage of more than 800 thousand kilometers (which exceeds the stated mileage of the imported analogues).
"We are really interested in the industry being developed in the region. Therefore, we will do all we can, Vladislav Evgenievich. We’ll prepare the corresponding letters with requests for assistance in expanding markets, and we’ll try and help through the personal contacts. I am ready to meet or write about it to Sergei Kozhugetovich Shoigu. I can also write to the Industry and Trade Minister Denis Valentinovich Manturov to ask him to discuss this issue with his Belarusian counterpart",- Alexey Ostrovskiy summed up.