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The meeting with Igor Zakharov was organized by the ZIL trade union committee; it was supposed that this would be communication in a relatively narrow circle of factory workers. The management on the eve collected questions from employees in the form of notes. Naturally, the main topics were salary, restoration of the work schedule, and the immediate prospects of the plant. But the meeting was attended by an almost complete ZIL management team and we could not help discussing strategic prospects.
Zakharov came to ZIL in a difficult time. By the time he was appointed to the post of general director (in April this year), the plant's debts amounted to more than 15 billion rubles, wage arrears were close to six months, the regional satellite plants either stopped completely or barely worked. In fact, ZIL was half a step from bankruptcy, languidly fighting off numerous lenders in the Arbitration.
But then Sergey Sobyanin paid attention to ZIL, who, having visited the plant, decided to keep it and resume production. The total amount in support of ZIL amounted to 1.689 billion rubles. This money went to pay the most urgent debts, including salary, and to replenish working capital. Already in June, purchases of metal and components began, in the hope of a speedy start of the conveyor.
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Since October, ZIL has been fully shifting to full-time work (for some, this schedule has been restored since September 1). By the end of the year, it is planned to produce 2138 cars, and the cost of the entire volume of products (including spare parts) will amount to 2.764 billion rubles, of which 689 million will be profit (more precisely, marginal income). This is 8 times more than in the second half of last year. True, it is not entirely clear how this correlates with the planned loss for the current year of 772 million rubles. Apparently, optimists calculated revenue figures, and the loss is planned in another office, where realists are sitting.
Such, in general terms, is the business plan for the second half of the year, which is now under consideration by the Moscow Government. However, these major plans, even when fully implemented, do not mean that the plant will be overcome from the crisis. ZIL breakeven today is 14.5 thousand cars per year, and all products should be sold at least 11 billion rubles.
The concept of the development of the territory is still being developed in the Government of Moscow. But it is already clear that a serious reduction of the territory is expected, up to about 50 hectares from the current 275, the withdrawal of "heavy" industries to regional branches and the concentration of all activities in the southern part of the industrial site, the one located on the site between the regional railway and the Moscow River.
With such a sequestration, ZIL will be profitable already from 8, 500 cars a year and the sales volume is 7.6 billion rubles. In the northern part will be located a kind of "complex of high-tech industries." You do not need to be seven spans in your forehead to see behind this wording plans to sell the most “delicious” sections of the plant’s territory adjacent to the TTK.
Zakharov admitted that the current ZIL models are outdated and non-competitive. There is no sense in releasing them in large quantities; the lineup will be updated. ZIL will not be able to create a fundamentally new machine now with all its desire, so the work will go through the deep modernization of Bychkov and mid-tonnage carriers.
The entire variety of Bychkovs will be replaced by a 4.5-ton platform 4362, which was developed several years ago with an eye to production at the AMO Plant in Latvia's Jelgava. On the basis of 4362 they will continue to make special equipment - tow trucks, utility and fire engines, buses.
ZIL-4331 will increase the load capacity from the current 8 to 10-12 tons due to the manufacture of a frame from profiles of constant cross-section (such equipment has already been purchased), the completion of bridges and suspension, the introduction of pneumatic elements in the suspension.
The third strategic direction was identified by four-wheel drive vehicles of the “Bychkovskaya” dimension and a gross weight of 8-10 tons. Such chassis is in demand by manufacturers of add-ons, utilities and special equipment.
Zakharov did not give an unambiguous answer to the question about the fate of the gasoline engine, referring to the fact that the development concept was not finally approved and it was not clear which models and configurations would be most beneficial for the plant. Here it must be said that the ZIL designers continue to consider the ancient V8 gasoline engine promising, it was even brought to Euro 4! But this is all because there is still no suitable diesel engine for ZIL: the tractor D245 is a very compromise option, imported analogues are unacceptably expensive, and the promising Yaroslavl “fours” have not yet been launched into mass production. So laughter, laughter, but also on a gasoline engine does not put a cross! In general, the engine problem for the ZIL is key, if it can be solved, then the further updating of the model range will go very quickly.
It is estimated that 7348 people will work at ZIL by the end of the year. Zakharov said that the average salary will increase (sic!) To 15 335 rubles! This year, the salary has already increased twice - by 6 and 4%, and from next year it will increase by another 10%. On these words, laughter was heard in one part of the hall, and languid sighs in the other. A little more than 15 thousand for hard work in production, and even in such an “expensive” city as Moscow, is, to put it mildly, not serious. But now many at the plant receive even less, there are even workers with a salary of 7-8 thousand rubles! For them, the upcoming rise is a long-awaited blessing. Zakharov admitted that the salary issue was a sore one and cautiously promised to return to this question by the middle of next year.
No matter how diplomatically Igor Zakharov formulated strategic and tactical plans, once he nevertheless let slip, saying: a lot will depend on which investor comes to this site. Moscow does not plan to endlessly support the plant and is actively seeking an investor. I had to specify which one. Igor Vladimirovich with obvious reluctance admitted that we are talking about a foreign automaker. Representatives of all large firms, they say, have already visited ZIL and are now considering it, I quote, "as an alternative to the plants in St. Petersburg and Kaluga." From this it clearly follows that MAN, Renault Trucks, Volvo Trucks and Scania are interested in ZIL. Zakharov was also called FIAT and Mercedes. But the ideas about attracting KamAZ / Russian Technologies or the GAZ Group, apparently, are no longer being discussed. As well as Chinese companies.
With a new investor, it is planned to launch production of completely new cars, and, apparently, we are talking about light commercial vehicles, a competitor to Gazelles. This is actually the best way to load ZIL's production capacities, since the demand for light trucks is always higher than for medium-tonnage trucks, and the finished construction will not require large starting investments. The most interesting thing in this perspective is the FIAT, which is frantically looking for a new industrial site in Russia and having a large range of modifications based on the well-known Duсato. Sollers stops production of this model, reorienting to Fords, and Italians have a great chance to stay in our market.
Igor Zakharov gives the impression of a very cautious person, not inclined to enthrall the masses with large-scale designs. He, obviously, is a realist and sees his task in the gradual, step-by-step, reform of the plant, with his deliverance from all ballast. This is very different from the policies of the former CEO Konstantin Laptev, who loved to “ignite” the interlocutor with the scale of ideas and darted between strange projects like participating in contests for the construction of military vehicles, assembling Chinese dump trucks or participating in the Dakar rally raid.
Zakharov is a typical cabinet leader, with an insinuating voice and intelligent manners, but, alas, without reinforced concrete confidence in what he is doing. There is no feeling that a new Likhachev came to the plant, there is no proletarian fortress and drive in Zakharov. Perhaps the time of "strong business executives", knocking on the table with their fist and yelling obscenities at subordinates, perhaps, the time has come for consistent managers. But ZIL, God sees, now does not require a manager - the owner.
