Belarusian equipment is successfully sold in the European Union states due to partnership with the Czech businessmen.
This year during the celebration of the Day of the City in Minsk all attention was paid to an unusual truck. Being manufactured at a local automobile plant, it differed enormously from its fellows with its colorful appearance. An inscription “Compressed natural gas” pointed out on which fuel the vehicle runs. One more inscription deciphered its advantages: ecological compatibility plus efficiency.
— The new vehicle has already obtained an eloquent name owing to its characteristics, combining advantages of the vehicle and the brand of our plant — “EcoMAZ”, — explains Igor Rutkovsky, the head of the export department of automotive equipment, produced at Minsk automobile plant, to the European and Baltic states. — This is our joint development with an official dealer of the enterprise in the Czech Republic — joint-stock company “TRADO Holding”. Our business partner installed an engine of Czech manufacture in a usual truck, using compressed natural gas as fuel and complying with ecological norms “Euro-4”. It has several advantages in comparison with diesel engine. Such a novelty corresponds with the tendencies, gaining weight in the European Union, oriented to application of alternative fuels. Production of such vehicles is connected with oil prices increase and intention to protect the environment.
In order to produce a truck with such high advantages, almost three years of near work and tests passed. It is remarkable, that the company “TRADO Holding” undertook all expenses, including the vehicle certification in compliance with the European Union norms, carried out in agreement with the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic. Jiřн Křivan, a businessman and a General Director of the company, accepted this decision on the basis of economical design. Recently he has sold more than 100 Belarusian trucks in the Czech Republic and neighboring countries. He carries out their repair and maintenance. There are only poisitive references. For example, Belarusian trucks were bought by a famous company “US stееl”, owing the steel works in the Czech Republic. They are reliable, notable for simple construction and need few maintenance, perfectly overcome bad parts of roads, says Jiřн Křivan. Naturally, he hopes that the truck running on natural gas will attract many buyers. His company obtained nearly 50 preliminary orders. Ecologically clean trucks are especially preferable in the process of transportation of freight in big cities, as communal vehicles.
— However, the other Belarusian mechanical production also possesses great export possibilities, — considers the Czech businessman. — This is technics for construction and agricultural vehicles.
For example, when in November 2007 in the Czech city Třebнč the Days of Belarusian technics and culture took place, on the exhibition area of the company “TRADO Holding” apart from MAZ trucks, Belarusian cereal combines were also widely represented. Potential buyers not only from the Czech Republic, but also from Slovakia, Poland and Hungary became acquainted with them. And in March of this year Jiřн Křivan took part in organization of a business trip of the representative delegation of business circles of these countries to Minsk automobile plant and Gomel plant “Gomselmash”, producing different agricultural vehicles. And in several months two enterprises — Czech and Belarusian — participated in a traditional exhibition “Agriculturalist” near Brno together. There was represented the latest Belarusian cereal combine. Alongside with vehicles from Germany, the USA and Finland, it underwent testing in the field. Belarusian combines demonstrated excellent work and didn’t yield to their rivals. In the result several vehicles were bought by European agricultural enterprises till the end of the year. Jiřн Křivan considers to sell at least 5 Belarusian combines.
This enterprising businessman has got new, even more large-scale plans. He has recently visited Minsk and the plants of the joint-stock company “AMKODOR”. Front loaders and other technics, produced here, in his opinion, would be able to compete at the market of the European Union successfully. This is how the agreement on its certification was reached in complaince with the requirements of the Czech Republic and the European Union for sales in this region. In a perspective — sales of world-famous tractors “Belarus”.
Vladimir Bibikov
