"AgriVolga" will invest 1.8 billion rubles in the modernization of the Uglichsky cheese plant
It should be reminded that a year ago, on March 14, 2018 there was a presentation on the creation of a new cheese cluster in Yaroslavl region. Sergey Bachin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the agricultural holding “AgriVolga”, announced the acquisition of a stake in JSC Danilovsky cheese and butter plant, as well as property located in Uglich, FSUE “Experimental cheese factory”, acquired at auction as part of the bankruptcy procedure of the enterprise. "In the next two years, we expect to invest 1.5 billion rubles of own and borrowed funds in the reconstruction of plants. We start producing traditional for Yaroslavl region cheeses at our factories, such as “Kostromskoy”, "Poshehonsky", "Danilovsky", "Dutch", "Russian". All of them will be produced according to our Russian recipe, which was developed by All-Russian research Institute of butter and cheese making (VNIIMS) and has proved itself well", - said then Sergei Bachin.
At that time, the processing capacity of Danilovsky cheese and butter plant was about 20 tons of raw materials per day, Uglichsky - 150 tons of raw materials. The plan of the holding "AgriVolga" is to increase the capacity of Uglichsky plant to 250 tons of raw materials per day, expanding the range of dairy products.
The date of foundation of Uglichsky cheese-making plant is considered to be 1935, when its construction began as an experimental base of the Academy of agricultural Sciences. Officially, the plant was founded in 1973. Over the years, the company has changed a lot but the tradition of product quality remained unchanged. Currently, the plant is in working condition and produces cheese and dairy products. The main products are hard rennet cheeses. Related products are butter, whole milk, milk sugar. At the same tme, the modernization of production is being carried out.
The company "AgriVolga", a member of the National Organic Union, has been a customer of Sberbank for more than 10 years; it uses the range of financial services, including credit services. Modernization of production facilities of Uglichsky plant is carried out with the participation of Sberbank and the Ministry of agriculture. The budget of the first stage of the project is 998 million rubles; the amount of credit funds is about 800 million rubles.
At the moment, Sberbank and “AgriVolga” are coordinating the 2nd stage of the company's investment program - the modernization of workshops for the production of natural rennet cheese and whey processing, including the purchase of equipment and machinery. The amount of the discussed loan at the second stage is 650 million rubles.
The size of investments of own means of the agricultural holding "AgriVolga" in the modernization of the plant is 350 million rubles.
In general, the budget for the modernization of the plant within the cheese cluster is 1 billion 800 million rubles.
"We are the leaders of Russia in the production of organic food, - told President of the agricultural holding "AgriVolga" Andrey Molev to reporters. – We have a full production process - from a field to a counter. We have dairy and meat farms and the processing plants; we make products under the brands "Ugleche Pole" and "From Uglich". We also have our own retail network "Ugleche Pole. Organic Market" - 11 stores in Moscow and the region, as well as our own chain of stores under the brand "From Uglich". "AgriVolga" has more than 50 thousand hectares of land, more than 5 thousand heads of beef cattle, the same number of dairy cattle and about 8 thousand heads of sheep. We do not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, any growth hormones and antibiotics. Therefore, our products are the cleanest".
Now the holding also includes Uglichsky cheese and dairy plant and Danilovsky butter and cheese plant, reminded Andrey Molev. The President of "AgriVolga" stressed the importance of partnership with Sberbank, thanks to the support of which it was possible to start a large-scale reconstruction of the enterprise, and expressed gratitude for the cooperation.
Sergey Klyuchnikov, General Director of Uglichsky cheese and dairy plant, telling the participants of the meeting about the history of cheese production in Uglich, which began more than 100 years ago, noted that the plant's buildings are generally in good condition, but the equipment has worn out over the past 50 years, although it is in working condition.
"The plant operates at 10-20 percent of its capacity. Earlier, in the 70s, the plant processed 150 tons of milk per day and produced 15 tons of cheese per day. Now the plant produces from 1 to 5 tons per day, - said Sergey Klyuchnikov, noting that after modernization the plant will increase its capacity. - We want to revive traditions, preserve old recipes. Cheeses like "Yaroslavlsky", "Uglichsky" – they are completely forgotten. Or, for example, "Russian" cheese, which we also make. Not the one which always lies on the shelves, but the one, the taste of which we still remember from childhood".
Victor Abidin, head of large and average business of Yaroslavl branch of Sberbank, noted that cooperation with "AgriVolga" in one series of projects, successful development which Sberbank boasts of: "In 2018 the number of enterprises of medium and large businesses in Sberbank of the Russian Federation on the territory of Yaroslavl region increased by 10 percent and amounted to 1,350 organizations, the volume of loans amounted to more than 21 billion rubles. The funds went to the modernization of production facilities and construction of new ones. The program, which is implemented by Sberbank together with the Ministry of agriculture on concessional lending, has shown great success in 2018. More than 7.2 billion rubles have already been granted".
Part of the production is still working at the old facilities, the work does not stop. New equipment is already being installed in other shops. In the near future the equipment for dairy production, purchased at the first stage of modernization, will be put into operation. The next stage is the purchase and installation of Czech equipment for cheese production.
The representative of Sberbank stressed that the daily maintenance of such production facilities is worth a lot of effort: "There are many projects where we are present and help. But often everything is demolished to zero and new equipment is installed. Here is a vivid example of how carefully the traditions of cheese making are preserved, experienced employees are preserved, and young personnel are invited. It is impossible to implement such a project without human resources. Everything comes from the initiator of the project, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the group of companies “AgriVolga” Sergey Bachin, who is the inspirer of organic agricultural production as well as the author of the book about organics. The basis of success is a team led by Sergey Bachin, as well as the President of the company "AgriVolga" Andrey Molev and Director of Uglichsky cheese and butter plant Sergey Klyuchnikov. We are very pleased to communicate and learn from the experience of such an advanced management of such a successful object".
On behalf of Sberbank Victor Abidin expressed his gratitude to Andrey Molev and Sergey Kluchnikov for the positive cooperation and focus on development and wished success in the implementation of the plans. "You make a great contribution to the development of the region in terms of creating the right delicious products. We did not understand the difference between organic and conventional products before. Now we have figured it out, tasted, and even consider the supply of organic products to the canteens of Sberbank divisions. Products are in great demand among our employees!"- said Victor Abidin.
Completion of modernization of the plant is planned in 2020.
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