On 30 April, Igor Artamonov, Acting Governor of the Lipetsk Region, conducted negotiations with businessmen from Kubota (Japan) and Kverneland Group, a global producer of agricultural machinery. In his opening speech he thanked foreign investors for their interest in business cooperation and the opportunity to discuss the potential of business collaborations.
Kubota Corporation is a producer of tractors, heavy and agricultural machinery, and a range of industrial, trade and household systems and appliances. It was founded in 1890. Kverneland Group Manufacturing Lipetsk is the only production facility of Kverneland Group in Russia. The company has production facilities in 15 countries and exports its products to 60 more countries. Its Lipetsk plant employs 65 people. The average salary is RUB 51,000. In 2018, its industrial output reached RUB 513.2 million ( +4% y-o-y).
During the talks, Igor Artamonov told the businessmen about the extensive efforts made by the regional authorities to create favorable economic conditions for investors, as well as subsidies and benefits offered to the companies investing in the local economy. “The regional administration attaches much importance to further development of mutually beneficial economic relations,” Igor Artamonov said. “Japanese companies have been active in our region for many years, and we are interested in expanding this cooperation.”
In 2012, YOKOHAMA opened its first and only tire factory in Russia, YOKOHAMA R.P.Z. The facility has an annual capacity of 1.6 million tires, about 9% of the Russian market. Since the company was opened, it has created 754 jobs and invested a total of RUB 8.615 billion. From the very beginning, the Lipetsk-based factory was meant to sell its products primarily on the Russian market, and this remains the case by now as 90% of its tires are sold via dealer network across all Russian regions. With 10% of its products exported, the company is among major exporters of the Lipetsk Region.
One more large Japanese company in the region is JTI Yelets, a subsidiary Japan Tobacco International (JTI). The construction of a tobacco factory in Yelets began in 1978, and its first products were released in 1983. Modeled on a French factory, it was the only tobacco processing facility in the Soviet Union. Today, JTI Yelets is a modern company which complies with the highest national and international standards of quality, occupational and environmental safety. The company is a major regional exporter shipping its products to 11 countries, including Germany, Poland, Turkey, Canada, Vietnam, and Taiwan.
During the meeting, the guests highly appreciated the prospects of cooperation and expressed their readiness to discuss the areas of future partnership in more detail.
#News of SEZ
