VEB.RF, RSMB Corporation, SME Bank and Bank DOM.RF have entered into a cooperation agreement with Leroy Merlin Vostok. The parties agreed to join forces to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in the production of building materials and DIY goods. The document was signed by VEB.RF’s Deputy Chairperson Marina Romanova, RSMB Corporation’s General Director Alexander Braverman, Bank DOM.RF’s Board Chairman Artem Fedorko, SME Bank’s Board Chairman Dmitry Golovanov and Leroy Merlin Vostok’s CEO Laurent Desfassiaux.
The parties intend to work together to promote the production of competitive building materials and do-it-yourself goods and create new sales channels, thus contributing to SME job creation under the Small and Medium-Sized Businesses and Individual Entrepreneurial Initiative Support national project. The agreement also specifies the exchange of experience and knowledge in this market segment, regular consultations and work on finding joint approaches to project implementation.
Marina Romanova, Deputy Chairperson, VEB.RF, said: “VEB.RF works to contribute to the transformation of Russian cities, including the redevelopment of urban areas. In this context, projects to develop and grow competitive producers of building materials and goods are of great importance. We plan to organise this work in cooperation with Leroy Merlin, a global leader in the DIY segment.”
Laurent Desfassiaux, CEO, Leroy Merlin Vostok, said: “Russian suppliers today account for more than 70% of our total supply. It’s quite a high proportion, but we’re constantly working to increase their number and helping them to develop. This agreement and cooperation with the VEB.RF Group will be another important step towards the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the production of building materials and DIY goods.”
Secretary of State Natalya Larionova, Deputy General Director, RSMB Corporation, said: “RSMB Corporation has extensive experience in implementing measures to increase the number of active, economically stable SMEs that make competitive products for the market. We are well aware of the needs of SMEs that produce building goods and, in partnership with VEB.RF, SME Bank, Bank DOM.RF and Leroy Merlin Vostok, we’ll offer them comprehensive measures of support for areas from educational programs to financial instruments to help small and medium-sized businesses to sell their products through Leroy Merlin outlets. Therefore, the agreement will enable small and medium-sized enterprises to grow through a new sales channel, while Leroy Merlin customers will have wider access to high-quality Russian goods.”
Dmitry Golovanov, Board Chairman, SME Bank, said: “In 2020, the development of the urban economy became a priority niche for SME Bank. We partnered up with VEB.RF and RSMB Corporation to support SMEs involved in the development of the urban economy and a comfortable urban environment. The document we signed today is a logical continuation of what we’ve done. In cooperation with Leroy Merlin and other parties to the agreement, we will support regional small and medium-sized producers and help to create a convenient infrastructure.”
Danila Litvinov, Deputy Board Chairman, Bank DOM.RF, said: “As a bank actively involved with measures to support small and medium-sized businesses, we offer under the project useful and effective instruments of financing on special terms, which are more attractive than their alternatives on the market. In addition to financing, we are ready to provide information and advice not only on general issues of business optimisation and management, but also on industry-specific issues, since we are a mortgage and housing bank specialising in support for the construction industry.”
Heads of Tyumen Region, VEB.RF, SIBUR and Tobolsk Discuss Prospects for City Development
Tyumen Region Governor Alexander Moor, VEB.RF Chairman Igor Shuvalov, Chairman of the Management Board of SIBUR Holding Dmitry Konov and First Deputy Head of the Tobolsk City Administration Yana Zubova took part in a round-table discussion about further measures to help the region and city to fulfil their economic, industrial and social potential. In addition, VEB.RF executives visited ZapSibNeftekhim, Russia’s largest modern petrochemical facility; SIBURINTECH, a centre for the development of engineering and technical expertise; and some social infrastructure facilities, historic sites and tourist attractions.
As a development institution, VEB.RF systematically supports the transformation of the Russian petrochemical industry, including contributing to the creation of a Tobolsk-based advanced hydrocarbon processing facility, one of the largest in the world. The successful start of ZapSibNeftekhim’s operation, as well as meeting the demand for base polymers in the domestic and foreign markets, made the Tyumen Region a leader in the 2020 ranking of regional industrial producers. By the autumn of this year, the Tyumen Region’s industrial production index increased by 29%. SIBUR projects completed in recent years will enable Russia to rank among the world’s top ten base polymer producers and are also a driver of further growth in allied and polymer-consuming industries such as construction, public utility services, automotive engineering and medicine.
In addition to the strategically significant positive impact on the region’s investment and industrial potential, SIBUR is actively involved in developing the Tyumen Region’s and Tobolsk’s social, transport and tourism infrastructure. The company invested in airport construction at the cultural and historic capital of Siberia. The runway has already been built and put into operation, and work is under way on the airport terminal. The airport will bring added impetus to tourism and SMEs in Tobolsk and create new local jobs.
“The state-of-the-art petrochemical facility at Tobolsk is designed to meet Russia’s domestic demand, as well as helping the country to fulfil its export potential. We see the real economic and social impact of our investments: increased tax revenues, new jobs for thousands of citizens; as a consequence, the city’s social infrastructure and SME segment are developing rapidly. The airport will soon begin operation, unleashing the enormous tourism potential of Tobolsk as the Pearl of Siberia. This is the result that we always expect to achieve through cooperation with big business. We hope that in partnership with SIBUR, our joint projects in other regions will have the same effect on city development locally,” VEB.RF Chairman Igor Shuvalov emphasised.
“SIBUR considers it appropriate to participate in transforming the urban environment in the regions where we have a presence and where we are active in carrying out projects to modernise and build production facilities, including with VEB.RF’s involvement. Our long-term partnership with the Tyumen Region and Tobolsk authorities allows us to apply strategic planning to the company’s involvement in developing the city, which has been filled with new energy in recent years,” Chairman of the Management Board of SIBUR Holding Dmitry Konov said.
“Tobolsk is developing rapidly in all spheres,” First Deputy Head of the Tobolsk City Administration Yana Zubova said. “The Tyumen Region Government and the Tobolsk Administration, with support from SIBUR, have been successful for several years in implementing a comprehensive social infrastructure development programme, Tobolsk 2020. The productive partnership resulted in the construction and rehabilitation of more than 40 educational establishments, sports venues, healthcare facilities and urban sites in the city. We are sure SIBUR will continue in the future to actively support the city’s and the region’s social initiatives, seek new partnerships and participate in improving the city’s infrastructure and urban environment.”