In this form, car kits come to Kaliningrad; here they make cars
In this form, car kits come to Kaliningrad; here they make cars. In this form, car kits come to Kaliningrad; here they make cars.
The idea to create a car assembly plant here from scratch came up with the former first deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and at that time the head of the Interprivatization Fund Vladimir Shcherbakov (incidentally, he began his career as an engineer at AvtoVAZ). The fund, which he managed, actively bought up stakes in large enterprises for privatization checks in the early 1990s, including in the Kaliningrad region. There in 1994 the company AUTOTOR was founded. In order to make any production in the enclave profitable, in 1996 they adopted the Federal Law on the Special Economic Zone: it allowed importing components for assembly duty free.
Fifteen difficult years
AUTOTOR in the same 1996 began negotiations with the leaders of the then little-known Korean company "Kia"; and in the autumn of the following year, 1997, the first Kia-Avella Delta sedan assembled in Russia came out of the converted workshop of the Yantar shipyard - naturally, a defense one. As V. Shcherbakov recalls, then the country simply did not have customs legislation in relation to industrial assembly, it had to be written almost anew, taking into account the experience of the AUTHOR. And the company gradually acquired new partners.
For 12 years, AUTOTOR has collected more than 50 thousand sedans and SUVs of the BMW brand. The Germans consider this production one of the best in quality
For 12 years, AUTOTOR has collected more than 50 thousand sedans and SUVs of the BMW brand. The Germans consider this production one of the best in quality. For 12 years, AUTOTOR has collected more than 50 thousand sedans and SUVs of the BMW brand. The Germans consider this production one of the best in quality.
Since 1999, premium cars of BMW class have been assembled in Kaliningrad, and Kia was transferred to a new plant on the outskirts of the city; it was located on the territory of a former defense enterprise with the deceptively peaceful name “Bummash”. There in 2000, they opened a full-fledged assembly of foreign cars - with welding (for the first time in Russia!) And body painting. The first-born was the all-terrain Kia Sportage.
In 2003, another strategic partner came to Kaliningrad - the American General Motors. We started, as usual, with a large-site assembly of the prestigious Hammer and Cadillac models, and now mass-produced Chevrolet and Opel models are assembled at the AUTHOR. For this, several years ago, together with GM, they built a new production facility where welding, painting and assembly were performed.
The painting shop has been operating for three years. World standards require that the air throughout the plant is clean. Therefore, the entire territory is asphalted and regularly washed with special means
The painting shop has been operating for three years. World standards require that the air throughout the plant is clean. Therefore, the entire territory is asphalted and regularly washed with special means. The painting shop has been operating for three years. World standards require that the air throughout the plant is clean. Therefore, the entire territory is asphalted and regularly washed with special means.
It would not be true to say that the car assembly project in Kaliningrad developed smoothly. A few years ago, an economic solution that was profitable for the enterprise gave rise to big problems. Apparently, because the AUTHOR leaders underestimated the political risks. And it began with the fact that in the mid-2000s, the Russian company brought in cooperation with the leading Chinese company Cherie. In Kaliningrad, they mastered the large-site assembly of its Amulet and Tiggo models.
AUTHOR leaders even announced that they are starting to build new workshops, where they will produce annually up to 250 thousand Chinese cars for the Russian market. But by that time, a clear position had been formed in the Russian government: to limit the admission of the “Chinese” to our market (not a single company from China could reach an agreement on industrial assembly, although many submitted applications!).
Top view of the main industrial site of the AUTHOR in the village of Kosmodemyansky, on the outskirts of the city. It is hard to imagine that ten years ago here, in the buildings of the pre-war buildings, the defense plant was quietly dying
Top view of the main industrial site of the AUTHOR in the village of Kosmodemyansky, on the outskirts of the city. It is hard to imagine that ten years ago here, in the buildings of the pre-war buildings, the defense plant was quietly dying. Top view of the main industrial site of the AUTHOR in the village of Kosmodemyansky, on the outskirts of the city. It is hard to imagine that ten years ago here, in the buildings of the pre-war buildings, the defense plant was quietly dying.
With the advent of Chery in Russia, customs stepped up, which suddenly felt that the car kits for assembly (everything, not just Chinese) were always imported into Kaliningrad illegally. The FCS initiated a number of cases in this regard, and litigation lasted almost four years. The AUTHOR won all these matters - but how much effort and money were required!
At the same time, letters from other Russian automakers and their professional associations flew to the government with a demand to deprive AUTHOR of customs privileges. Indeed, thanks to them, the authors of the letters claimed, the conditions of free competition between manufacturers are violated. In general, a year later the contract with the Chinese company was terminated. Officially - due to non-fulfillment of certain conditions.
AUTOR was in a fever for several more years; the situation finally stabilized only a year ago. Then the Prime Minister signed an order to the leading ministries to prepare a program for the development of the automotive industry in the Kaliningrad region. Naturally, on the basis of AUTOTOR, which has long turned into a city-forming enterprise.
Former vacant lots planted with trees
Former vacant lots planted with trees. Former vacant lots planted with trees.
Baltic International
In 2010, AUTHOR collected more than 170 thousand passenger cars of five brands: BMW, Cadillac, Kia, Opel, Chevrolet - a total of 26 models. It is clear that the release of one piece, others replicate in tens of thousands. This year’s plan is even more ambitious: 240 thousand cars. But the figure does not look sky-high, because for the first half of the year 113.8 thousand cars were produced. By the way, in terms of production, AUTOTOR came out on top among enterprises where foreign cars are assembled, and in the general list of car manufacturers it takes second place (after AvtoVAZ). On the scale of the Kaliningrad region, the enterprise looks very solid at all.
Fifteen years ago it simply did not exist, and today AUTHOR gives 40% of marketable products in the region, and holding payments account for 46% of all taxes collected here! And - the largest investment project in the region: more than 380 million euros were invested in two industrial sites and infrastructure over a decade and a half. In addition, in the Kaliningrad region alone, 220 partner companies cooperate with AUTHOR. In total (together with the main production) - about 10 thousand people.
In the workshop for welding cars "Chevrolet"
In the workshop for welding cars "Chevrolet". In the workshop for welding cars "Chevrolet".
“Our goal from the beginning was to make AUTOR a multi-brand enterprise,” explains Valery Gorbunov, CEO of the company. - Firstly, it guarantees a constant load of capacities and we are not dependent on a single partner. Secondly, we want to be present in all market segments. The only thing that is still impossible to find out is who the owner of the company is.
AUTOTOR was established 17 years ago by the Interprivatization International Fund. Now, as the general director V. Gorbunov says, the shareholders are some “individuals and legal entities, both Russian and foreign”. Alas, nothing more is known about the ownership structure. However, as promised, in the next year or two, the holding is going to bring the company's shares to one of the leading world exchanges, and then it will have to become white and transparent.
ACHIEVEMENT LIST
The AUTOTOR company was founded in 1994. Based on the Federal Law on the Special Economic Zone, in 1996 she entered into an industrial assembly agreement with Kia, whose cars have been manufactured since 1997. Two years later, they mastered the assembly of BMW cars, and since 2003, the General Motors concern has also become a strategic partner of AUTOTOR. Starting with the assembly of the “Hammers” and “Cadillacs”, they later bet on mass models of the Chevrolet and Opel.
AUTHOR
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In the mid-2000s, under a contract with Cherie (China), the Amulet and Tiggo models were assembled for some time.
WAITING FOR 2016
How will the company develop? It is already known which new models will go off the assembly line at the end of this and the first half of next year. It is clear that some of them will remain at the level of large-site assembly (this primarily applies to premium brands), but most importantly, production will expand in a full cycle: with welding and painting. Since 2008, in Kaliningrad, the Chevrolet Lacetti issue has been launched in this vein, new General Motors models are on the way. Negotiations are ongoing with other companies.
