We plan to double our production volumes in the next three years.

Maxim Yakibchuk: "We plan to double production volumes in the next three years."

The AGRISOVGAZ Group of Companies is a unique project not only for the Kaluga Region but for Russia as a whole. The company comprises aluminum and steel fabrication plants, as well as a hot-dip galvanizing plant. CEO Maxim Mikhailovich Yakibchuk discussed how the company utilizes its production capacity and its plans for global modernization.

Last year, your company celebrated its 30th anniversary. Could you tell us more about the creation of AGRISOVGAZ? How did the company come about, and how did it all begin?
Our company's history began in 1990, when RAO Gazprom management, together with AgriSystems, a leading Dutch greenhouse company, built Russia's largest full-cycle production facility for the manufacture of structures and systems for industrial greenhouse complexes. In 1994, aluminum and steel structures factories, as well as a hot-dip galvanizing plant (ZAK, ZSK, and ZGTs), were commissioned, enabling the manufacture of greenhouse structures using established technologies, from raw materials to the finished product.

AGRISOVGAZ is Russia's largest manufacturing complex, specializing in the manufacture of steel and aluminum structures of any complexity, as well as hot-dip galvanizing services. Tell us more about your products. Is there a particular area of focus that stands out?
No, our competitive advantage lies in the fact that our production complex comprises a group of factories with different process chains. Our aluminum structures plant includes two foundries, four extrusion presses, two paint booths, and two processing and fabrication areas for aluminum profiles. Our steel structures plant is equipped with two pipe rolling mills for electric-welded profiles, a production line for faceted lighting poles, and two workshops for the production of structures of varying complexity. Our hot-dip galvanizing plants are equipped with four baths of varying sizes. Three of these are located in Maloyaroslavets, and one was commissioned in 2015 in St. Petersburg. Our factories are equipped with high-precision instruments of our own making, as well as a certified laboratory. This allows us to control all production processes in-house.
The plants are grouped together on a single site into a cluster, enabling them to complete tasks of any complexity in the shortest possible time. This multi-disciplinary operation, with each area experiencing its own seasonality, ensures AGRISOVGAZ's economic stability and minimizes the risks of market fluctuations.
Over the years, the company has established itself in such sectors of the Russian economy as agriculture, energy, oil and gas, industrial and civil construction, and road construction.
Continuing with the discussion of competitive advantages, I would highlight our professional team, on whom the high quality of our products largely depends.
Today, AGRISOVGAZ produces over 237 thousand tons of finished products per year, including 15 thousand tons of aluminum profiles, 12 thousand tons of building metal structures, 90 thousand tons of rolled metal products, and 120 thousand tons of hot-dip galvanized products.

– You manufacture metal structures for agriculture, road and industrial civil construction, energy, and the oil and gas industries. Does the company operate exclusively in the Russian market?
AGRISOVGAZ is a dynamically developing company that regularly expands its sales markets. To this end, we developed and successfully implemented an export strategy. Our products are in demand not only in Russia, but also in the CIS and Europe. Over the past 30 years, we have supplied our products to more than sixteen countries worldwide.

AGRISOVGAZ is a fairly large employer in the region. How does the company build relationships with its employees?
"You're right, our company is a major employer, with an average annual headcount of over 1,300 people. The caliber and qualifications of our personnel can be judged by the landmark projects in which our products have been used. AGRISOVGAZ products and metal structures have been used in a number of major Russian projects, including those in Moscow. These include the first stage of the reconstruction of the Grand Sports Arena at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex, the façade of the Evolution Tower in Moscow-City, the atrium construction of the Old Gostiny Dvor, and the dome over the stands of Lokomotiv Stadium. We have also contributed to the construction of some of Russia's largest greenhouse complexes, including Moskovsky (Moscow), Maisky (Kazan), Smolensky (Roslavl, Smolensk Region), and Obsky (Novosibirsk), covering a total of over 900 hectares of developed land. Our products are installed at major alternative energy facilities: the Sorochinskaya and Novosergievskaya solar power plants, and the Kochubeevsky wind farm.
AGRISOVGAZ has proven itself to be a socially responsible employer. Despite the difficulties we experienced last year, we did not lay off any employees; in fact, we increased the number of core jobs.
We also prioritize the training of our employees. To this end, a company-wide professional training program has been established for mechanized and manual argon arc welders, with plans to begin training specialists in rolling mill operators and press operators. Training is conducted in person, without interruption from their primary work. Upon completion, a certificate confirming qualifications is issued, which subsequently qualifies students for pre-certification training and certification with NAKS (the National Agency for Welding Control).
The first stage was professional retraining for company employees only, but by early summer, training for all interested individuals is planned, with subsequent employment at our factories.

– Maxim Mikhailovich, since we’re talking about education… how important do you think education has been in your life and career?
I graduated from the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, specializing in industrial and civil engineering. Graduates of our university received a fundamental education and in-depth knowledge. Students were taught, to put it simply, to "get to the bottom of things," delving into the details of every process.
After all, representatives of this profession bear great responsibility; they must be able to organize the work process, have a mathematical mindset, a systemic perception, and not lose sight of even the smallest details.
But education alone doesn't guarantee professional success—interest and dedication to your work are essential. That's why I always try to stay up-to-date on new technologies and understand all stages of the production process.

The company has several decades of fruitful operation behind it. What goals do you, as its leader, set for yourself and the company over the next few years?
For 2021, AGRISOVGAZ sets itself the goals of further development, exploring new areas, and successfully competing in domestic and international markets. To this end, the company plans to continue its current modernization process, which will significantly increase production volumes.
We have already implemented a number of measures aimed at improving our production facilities and increasing workflow efficiency. We have acquired the latest sheet metal, laser, and tube cutting machines, as well as angle and channel processing machines. By the end of the year, we will purchase a new aluminum extrusion press and modernize our foundry complex.
We are also implementing a development program for road infrastructure products. Two production lines for barrier fences will be installed. The production of scaffolding and formwork for industrial and civil construction, which was suspended in 2014, is being resumed. Work is underway to manufacture metal structures for alternative energy (photovoltaic cell supports, wind turbine structures).
AGRISOVGAZ supports with a voltage of 6-20 kV and 35-330 kV, designed for high-voltage lines, have successfully passed tests and demonstrated full compliance with all requirements for this type of product.
Over the next three years, we plan to double our production volumes and, accordingly, our exports to neighboring countries.

Kaluga celebrates its 650th anniversary this year. What would you wish for the regional center?
"I would like to wish Kaluga and the entire Kaluga region continued prosperity. We have much to offer, and above all, our love for our region. For its part, AGRISOVGAZ will do everything possible to ensure the successful development of the region."