"Empire of Metals": We are a strong competitor!

Natalia Tereshchenko

This company is not for the first year on the Ukrainian market of equipment. Everyone believes that it has already gained its credibility, its reputation, its mage; that the company stands at the highest level, offers highly professional solutions and serious work. Its name speaks for itself. But we still met at the UkrProdMash exhibition with the commercial director of the “Empire of Metals" - Alexey Vladimirovich Alyoshin, who confirmed in his own words all our assumptions.

— Alexey Vladimirovich, please tell us about the "Empire of Metals". How long has this enterprise been in the Ukrainian market? Do you have representative offices in other cities?

— The company "Empire of Metals" was founded on the basis of the Kharkov plant "Elevatormelmash" and is its full legal successor. We own all the technologies that have been developed at this plant for many years. Then, in 1990, we started our work with the installation of a centralized technological line, which was purchased by the Soviet Union. At that time, agricultural subjects were, from the point of view of business, not relevant in connection with the complete collapse of the agro-industrial complex. Now we have started to engage in agriculture more actively, because this industry is gaining momentum.

Strategically, in the initial formation of the infrastructure, representative offices were opened, since the goods must be available on the market. At the moment, we have a representative office in Belgorod, which serves the Russian market, and, a representative office in Almaty (Kazakhstan) at the stage of legal registration.

We have had an office in Kiev for a while, but since transport networks are now well developed, there is no point in this. In Moscow, we closed our representative office in 2005. The brand has become quite famous, transport networks are developed seriously, so there is no need for such representative offices.

As for the competition, our main competitors are only the Italians, and with them we compete with dignity and in terms of quality, and additional services, and also on the price level.

— You said that you compete with the Italian equipment manufacturers with dignity. Then I have such a question: «Why is cooperation with the" Metal Empire "more profitable?»

— This is a philosophical question. From the point of view of mechanics and technology, our equipment is no different from the foreign one. We have our advantages in working with partners: firstly, we talk with our customer in one language, and secondly, the delivery terms play a big role, and, thirdly, it is an additional service, services (we are always on place, you can contact us at any time). Our advantage is that it's easier for us to find a common language.

By the way, we have almost completely switched to imported raw materials and components (Belgium, Germany, Slovenia), that is, the sources of raw materials we have with our competitors are almost the same.

— Tell in a few words about the assortment offered by the company «Empire of Metals».

— We offer almost all types of equipment for pasta and confectionery industries. Also, since we are now working in the agricultural sector, we offer seed cleaning equipment.

— What is the most important problem in the way of full-fledged business development?

— Staff. Staff and once again staff. Unfortunately, in our country, education is just beginning to rise. And those young professionals who leave the educational institutions, are aimed to immediately put on a tie and become a manager. But the specialist must know his business from all sides and go through all levels of «evolution».

— How do you work with partners?

— Our main principle is partnership. We do not work directly with the end user who buys the final product: cookies, pasta, bread, sweets, etc., but we understand perfectly well that the end result depends on our work, including.

— How, from your point of view, will the confectionery and pasta industries continue to develop?

— If in general and briefly, then there is a process of oligopolization of the market. This process accelerates the energy crisis, as a result of which this market becomes quite low-profitable. Large operators are already clearly singled out.

For my part I would like to wish that respected partners do not forget that the product should not only be attractive outwardly, but in this we will help them, but also delicious.