The manufacturer of electric systems, Plank Electrotechnic LLC, in the Bila Tserkva industrial park (the project of UFuture Group of businessman Vasyl Khmelnytsky) has noted growth in production and sales by 20-30% a month amid problems with supplies of similar products from China and Turkey due to lockdown, Khmelnytsky has said on its Facebook page.
He recalled that the Plank Electrotechnic launched in the spring of 2019 with reaching the planned self-sufficiency by the end of this year was initially created as a small manufacturer (for 50 people) of products not previously produced in Ukraine (sockets, switches, buttons) for sale in the Epicenter K and Nova Linia networks at prices below the prices set for the Chinese and Turkish similar products.
“But what happened? Now we see the logistic collapse in China, Turkey has closed. The time and cost of sea deliveries have increased significantly, as well as their minimum volume. Now, national operators who need these products must make an advance payment and freeze a significant part of the cash turnover for the products, which will arrive in Ukraine in only three months. Thus, our products have become very popular. And, probably, we will even get ahead of our plan for this year. The concept worked, and in a closed world – even more effectively,” the entrepreneur wrote.
He said that today, the partners of the company understand that this is not the last crisis related to their commercial risks, and decide to focus on the national manufacturer.
“Distributors record the share of 20-30% in the product portfolio for local manufacturers,” Khmelnytsky said.
In addition, he said that, according to the existing demand, it is clear that construction is ongoing, home improvements are being actively done, including in improvements hospitals and schools. “And for us it is an opportunity to gain a certain market share, taking advantage of the global crisis, shifting imports. And the same can be done in other sectors. You ask how to find a niche, where to invest? Here is an idea for you: what we usually supply from China and Turkey should be produced here in Ukraine,” Khmelnytsky said.
“For Ukraine, there is only one prospect: to produce products for ourselves in order to replace imports, and even better, to enter the global market,” he said.
