Radoshkovichi plant plans to export ceramic bricks to Europe

"Lithuanian consumers are interested in our products. All Baltic countries are interested in them. I hope that we will branch out into the Lithuanian market in the future, establish contacts, and will try to gain a foothold on the Western markets," Oleg Mishchenko said.

According to the director, it is too early to speak about the exact volumes of export to Western markets. The plant makes 69 million bricks per year. Belarus consumes 70% of products, 30% of goods are exported to Russia, mainly to Moscow and Moscow Oblast, Kaliningrad and Kaliningrad Oblast, Pskov, Smolensk.

The enterprise pays much attention to reducing production costs. The investment project enabled the plant to significantly reduce the consumption of raw materials at major production lines. Although the weight of finished products was decreased, quality characteristics remained the same. Moreover, the plant managed to cut the consumption of fuel and energy resources (natural gas and electricity). These resources accounted for up to 38% in the prime cost of products in the past few years. According to Oleg Mishchenko, the fact makes the factory believe that ceramic bricks and porous ceramic blocks will become more competitive on the market.

About Br45 billion (in old Belarusian rubles) was invested in the development of the plant in 2011-2016. It took part in two specialized state programs of production modernization in 2007-2010 and 2012-2015. As part of the programs, the enterprise modernized raw materials preparation workshops, renewed transport, launched the manufacture of new ceramic products, namely porous ceramic blocks. It is important that these products are import substituting and energy saving.

Radoshkovichi Ceramic Plant was founded in 1985. It is one of the leading manufacturers of ceramic bricks in Belarus. The enterprise continues its experiments with raw materials in order to make products with better consumer qualities, Kazinform has learnt from BelTA.