The Belaya Tserkov Industrial Park (IP) , a project of the holding company UFuture owned by entrepreneur Vasily Khmelnitsky, does not plan to revise its strategic development plan, which envisages attracting 30 resident companies and $250 million in investments by 2030, as well as creating up to 4,000 jobs, according to IP Belaya Tserkov CEO Andrey Ropitsky.
“If there are no ‘black swans’, then, in principle, everything is going according to plan, and we do not plan to revise our strategy,” he told Interfax-Ukraine on the sidelines of ‘Industrial Evolution: Manufacturing Drives the Economy’ at IP ‘Bila Tserkva’ on Thursday.
According to him, in addition to the Finnish Peikko plant, the commissioning of an industrial building for a future plant for the production of concrete joints and composite structures was announced on Thursday, and a plant of one of the world’s largest manufacturers of everyday goods, Unilever, is also under construction.
“Three more companies have purchased land from us this year and are already requesting the construction of networks. We are talking to them about commercial terms and conditions and support the construction of their plants. Therefore, Unilever is currently under construction, and the second phase of the Virastar plant (a manufacturer of high-altitude equipment for construction work – IF-U) is also under construction. So two are under construction, two have been commissioned, and three more are on the way,” he said.
Ropitsky did not specify which investors would be attracted to the park, citing commercial secrecy, but added that it is now easier to attract investors because the park already has ”something to show them.”
“At first it’s difficult because there’s nothing to show and no one trusts you. But when someone has considered the possibility and then I tell them that the plot or building is no longer available, they are ready to buy in the second phase. So it’s much easier to sell now,” Ropitsky said.
During the forum, he clarified that of the two parks (Bila Tserkva and Bila Tserkva 2), the first is already almost full (36 hectares) — all plots have been sold, and the buildings have been constructed, sold, or leased.
“This means that we only have 12 hectares left to develop, which are either already under construction, have been postponed by clients, or will be built by us or our clients. In principle, we will do this within the next two to three years. We have already started organizing the second park,” said the CEO of IP ”Bila Tserkva.”
According to him, IP “Bila Tserkva 2,” with an area of 34.7 hectares, has already received state co-financing for external networks and signed contracts with contractors.
“We are supplying 15 MW of electricity, water, and sewage to the site, and gas is right there across the road. Therefore, in a year, all networks will be in place, just like in the first park,” Ropitsky noted.
He emphasized that in order to attract small and medium-sized businesses to the park, small buildings of up to 2-3 thousand square meters are being built, ”which can be divided into lots and rented out to customers by the thousand square meters.”
Among the problems for the development of industrial parks, he mentioned, in particular, the lack of labor, the absence of materials necessary for construction on the local market, as well as high interest rates on loans.
“We have now launched a vocational training project, a center that will quickly train people who are needed by our clients. And we have already started designing such a building on a neighboring site,” he said.
IP ‘Bila Tserkva’ and ‘Bila Tserkva 2’ were included in the Register of Industrial Parks in 2018.
The developed territory of IP “Bila Tserkva” has attracted 15 residents, including Unilever, InTiCa Systems, Peikko, and Pripravka, which relocated from Kharkiv in 2022, as well as the logistics depot “Nova Poshta,” the grain storage complex “Volytsia-Agro,” the Plank Electrotechnic electrical fittings factory, and Virastar, a manufacturer of high-altitude equipment for construction work.
On August 19, Foxtrot, an omnichannel electronics and home appliances retailer, opened a renovated store in the Hermes shopping center in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region.
According to the company’s press service on Monday, the area of the outlet has not changed (total area – 1.5 thousand square meters, selling area – 1.2 thousand square meters), while the number of goods in the store was increased due to redevelopment.
The renovated store also has a service for customers with hearing impairments.
As reported, the retailer’s plan for 2024 envisages opening 10 new and renovated stores.
“Foxtrot is one of the largest omnichannel retail chains in Ukraine in terms of the number of stores and sales of electronics and household appliances. As of August 2024, the retailer operates 122 stores in 66 cities of Ukraine, including the frontline cities of Kherson, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, an online platform foxtrot.ua and a mobile application of the same name.
The Foxtrot brand is developed by the Foxtrot group of companies. The co-founders are Valery Makovetsky and Gennady Vykhodtsev.
The international company Unilever has started construction of a new factory in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region. Today a commemorative capsule was laid at the site of the future enterprise in the industrial park “Bila Tserkva”, the Head of Kyiv Regional State Administration Ruslan Kravchenko said on his Facebook page on Friday.
It is also reported that the amount of investment in the factory is € 20 million. Almost 100 new jobs will be created at the enterprise. The factory will produce personal care products, shampoos and shower gels, the goods will be mainly oriented for the Ukrainian market. Potentially, the enterprise will produce products for other markets in Europe.
The report notes that the total area of the site for the development is 4.2 hectares. The production capacity of the enterprise is more than 5000 tons per year. The construction of the factory is planned to be completed at the end of 2024. Erection will take place taking into account the highest environmental standards. There will be comfortable working conditions, office space is designed to meet the needs of immobile groups. A ground mobile shelter has already been arranged for safe work, and in time an underground shelter will also be built.
“The construction site of the new factory in the industrial park was not chosen by chance – there are all necessary communications and road infrastructure. The development of industrial parks supports the restoration of industry in Kyivshchyna during Russia’s war against Ukraine. The opening of new production facilities contributes to the income and well-being of local communities, increases tax revenues and stimulates the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the region”, – said Ruslan Kravchenko.
Ruslan Kravchenko thanked the CEO of Unilever Ukraine Vasyl Bovdilov and the founder of UFuture, which includes the industrial park “Bila Tserkva”, Vasyl Khmelnitsky for the example, which “should be followed by other investors and joint efforts to develop the economic potential of Kyiv region”.
Earlier it was reported that Unilever Plc will allocate EUR20 mln for the construction of a factory in the Kiev region to produce personal care products, shampoos and shower gels under the brands Dove, Axe, TRESemmé and Clear,
International retail chain JYSK opened a store in the Vega shopping center in Bila Tserkva on Thursday after renovating and expanding its retail space, the retailer’s press service reported.
According to the report, the store’s retail space has increased from 890 sqm to 1077 sqm, and the warehouse area has increased from 140 sqm to 213 sqm.
The store has been updated in accordance with the modern concept of the 3.0 chain with a new layout and design. The store also features three exhibition areas. A new canteen and dressing room have been equipped for employees.
As reported, since the beginning of 2023, JYSK has opened five new stores and renovated three existing ones.
Currently, there are 88 JYSK stores and the online store jysk.ua in Ukraine. According to the company, this number should increase to 100 by 2024. JYSK has more than 800 employees in the country.
JYSK is part of the family-owned Lars Larsen Group with more than 3.2 thousand stores in 48 countries.
JYSK’s revenue in the financial year 2022/23 amounted to EUR 5.2 billion.
The construction of another plant began in the Bila Tserkva industrial park (Kyiv region), the launch is scheduled for November 1, UFuture founder Vasyl Khmelnytsky told Interfax-Ukraine.
“During the war, we felt a big request from Ukrainian manufacturers from the regions to relocate to the Bila Tserkva industrial park. They have an alternative – moving to the EU, but it is important for the economy to leave producers in the country: these are taxes, jobs and development. Today we’ve started the construction of a new modern facility for a plant on 4,000 sq m. The amount of investment will be approximately $2 million,” he said.
Khmelnytsky added that this project will be the company’s record for the speed of construction.
“Already on November 1, we will launch production there. Now we are negotiating with several applicants from Mykolaiv and Kharkiv,” Khmelnytsky said.
UFuture holding company of businessman Khmelnytsky, as part of a business strategy in 2022, planned to expand the number of production facilities in Bila Tserkva industrial park from five to 11. Earlier, in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency, he said that 11,000 sq m of industrial premises will be built in this park for the relocation of enterprises, the estimated investment is $6.5 million. In general, the entrepreneur announced plans the construction of 30 factories in Bila Tserkva.
The Bila Tserkva Industrial Park, a project of the UFuture Holding owned by businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky, according to the approved development plan, intends to raise $250 million of investment and create more than 30 new enterprises by 2026, the company has said in a press release.
“According to our estimates, by 2026 [in the territory of two industrial parks Bila Tserkva 1 and Bila Tserkva 2] should be created more than 4,000 jobs, built 235,000 sq. m of industrial real estate, including production and logistics facilities on the territory of two industrial parks. The total investments volume should reach $250 million,” the company’s press service said, citing Director of the industrial park Volodymyr Khmurych.
The investments will be routed to construction of new commercial buildings, purchase of new production and logistics equipment, outfit of existing facilities, business processes automatization and certification, R&D, as wells as energy-saving projects and IT projects.
Among other things, Khmurych said that o manufacture of high value-added products and their components qualified specialists are needed.
“There are more than dozen educational institutions, including eight technical and vocational schools, and five higher education institutions and their branches in Bila Tserkva. We cooperate with all of them and believe that skilled labor market proximity is one of the competitive advantages of the industrial parks,” Head of Business Development of Industrial Park Management LLC (IPM) Andriy Ropitsky said.
The company said in the press release that the IPM has won bid for management company of Bila Tserkva 1 and Bila Tserkva 2 Industrial Parks. On May 06, 2020, the cooperation agreements were signed between the management company and industrial parks.
According to the terms of the contracts, the managing company ensures implementation of the development strategies and business plans of the industrial parks, attracts residents, carries out marketing programs, obtains permissions and approvals from state and local authorities related to industrial park and residents utilities and facilities design and construction.
“Many large manufacturing companies are facing supply chain shocks and production disruptions. In a search for a better balance between globalization and the necessary degree of independence, these companies will be choosing localization of production at the national or regional levels. We can offer best conditions for the localization of production in our industrial parks. The management company will help the industrial park in attracting foreign companies to the parks,” Khmurych said.
The total area of Bila Tserkva industrial park is more than 70 hectares. According to the company’s press service, at the beginning of 2020, six companies were residents of the industrial park. The first project was Plank Electrotechnic LLC electrical accessories factory.
Industrial Park Management LLC was founded in 2016, specializing in industrial real estate. During the years of operations 19.4 ha of land was sold and passed on for construction, while about 16,400 square meters of industrial and warehouse real estate is commissioned and under construction. Electric, gas, and water supply of the large infrastructure facilities in Kyiv and Kyiv region was completed.
