Univest, a manufacturer of paper and cardboard packaging for the food industry, has invested about UAH 300 million in the construction of a new eco-packaging workshop in the Fastindustri industrial park (Fastiv, Kyiv region), said Dmytro Kysylevskyi, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic development.
According to his post on Facebook, the equipment that has already been installed is planned to be put into operation in a few months.
Kysylevsky said that the equipment for industrial production in the industrial park was first imported to Ukraine with the use of import duty and VAT incentives.
“Ukrainian entrepreneur Volodymyr Kudryashov, owner and CEO of Univest, pioneered the use of government incentives. He had to work with customs to figure out how to do everything, because it was the first time both the company and the state did it,” he wrote.
As reported, the law provides for exemption from VAT and customs duties on imports of new equipment, as well as from income tax for 10 years if the company operates within the framework of the IP; preferential rates of real estate tax and land fees from local authorities.
Univest Holding, according to its website, is one of the leaders in publishing and printing in Ukraine. Its key business areas include a large offset printing house, Univest Print, a cardboard, plastic and blister packaging manufacturer, Univest Packaging, a cardboard eco-tableware manufacturer for fast food chains, Food-in-Box, and a publishing house (producing agricultural magazines and books), Univest Media.
The holding also includes a warehouse complex with an area of 20 thousand square meters, a creative and advertising agency.
According to the Clarity system, packaging manufacturer Univest Marketing LLC increased its net profit by 5.3 times in January-September 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, to UAH 77 million, with net income growing by 58% to UAH 548.9 million.
The company’s product range includes paper cups, lids, burger boxes, soup bowls, salad bowls, trays, French fries packaging, and ice cream and popcorn buckets.
According to YouControl, the company is owned by Cyprus-registered U.C.H. Univest Ciprus Holding, and the ultimate beneficiaries are Volodymyr Kudryashov (51%) and German citizens Hans and Louis Riffart (12.74% each).
The 15-hectare Fastindustri was included in the Register of Industrial Parks in January 2017. According to Kysylevsky, Univest is the main investor in the IP.
The park is planned to accommodate several more enterprises based on the circular economy principle, and the investment plans for the IP are calculated until 2027.
