Intermediate NTZMK results before the professional holiday

Intermediate NTZMK results before the professional holiday

– After two years in the current economic conditions, we no longer want to use the word “crisis”. For our country this is already a new form of “stability”, where many industries and business spheres have adjusted to a new state. Can you say today that NTZMK has adapted to crisis situation?

– Indeed, the economic situation has been in a state of crisis for two years, and the feeling you are talking about, sometimes occurs. But to say that it is stagnation, will not be correct. The crisis is always dynamic, overcoming the factors that have caused it. To adapt to the new conditions during this period it is necessary to pass a series of transformations. And very significant changes are taking part during the last time. For our company it is expressed in changing patterns of demand for our products and customer requirements of product quality. This change was not an immediate one; it’s a process that continues today.

When last year we commenced work on the Western high-speed diameter, we were to deal with new requirements: the flow of documents, order maintenance, acceptance of quality on a so high level to which we were absolutely not ready at that time. In 2014 the WHSD was for us a real challenge. In order to fulfill this order, we had to quickly acquire a lot of new knowledge and competences.

Without those new skills we would not be able to begin production of the “Sphere”- the Pavilion for the exhibition in Astana. Expo-2017 has become a new stage of development of our craftsmanship. In that case, as with “Lakhta”, we faced the need for the development and application of technologies and materials our factory has never worked with before. We did it. In 2015 the plant proved its willingness to adapt to the new conditions.

Further, the Antipinsk Refinery Plant is an example; we saw how in the process of working on one object the requirements for anticorrosion coating for steel constructions grew higher. Last year the major problem for us was and, unfortunately, still remains the question of quality of applying anticorrosion treatment with the thickness of 200 microns and more. Customer requirements are constantly increasing and obviously we need to actively develop to adapt to current market requirements. 

– Speaking of anchor factory orders in 2015-2016, you mentioned a number of objects participation in building which for most enterprises can only be a pipe dream. And what kind of project do you think was the main achievement of the plant during this time?

– I think, today NTZMK, by football language, plays in “Major League”: we work in the most technological market segment where the number of players is limited, but the requirements are very high.

Here any single order is not as important as the reputation of the enterprise as a whole. Our main achievement during the past year was NTZMK’s evolvement into a necessary and important partner for a number of major customers. It is significant that while performing highly complex projects, we were able to prove our professionalism, our competence to that extent that during the crisis, when many businesses remain without a job, we have never had any difficulties in filling up the orders portfolio.

This year we will be in a very tight pace to continue and complete the work on the “Lakhta” project and Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod. Regarding the prospects of our activities for 2017, we can already say that it must become even more intense. We have to learn to produce a lot of intricate designs and make them very well.

This autumn we begin manufacturing a new blast furnace case for EVRAZ: in 18 months we will be obliged to produce about 25 thousand tons of steel structures for this project. This is a very demanding task NTZMK has no right to fail. In addition, contracts have already been signed with Moscow and Antipinsk refineries total of 6 thousand tons. Next year a number of contracts are expected to be signed with the oil and gas chemical industry. Collectively, these two spheres: metallurgy and oil refining – give very serious volumes of orders, to lose those will mean just squandering our abilities.

Over the past year we have very significantly developed such activity area as construction of unique high-rise structures. To confine this segment with just “Lakhta” means to let go down the wind so painstakingly acquired knowledge. Therefore, I consider it necessary for the plant to participate in skyscrapers erection projects. However, apart from the fact that in order to implement these plans, we need to begin producing a lot and of good quality structures and, at the same time, we must be ready to new technological challenges. If for the “Lahta” we have learned to weld high strength steel S440, then for another unique tower it will require the ability to work with steel which strength class is already 690. This is a new qualification level for our employees.

– In addition to the human factor there are objective limitations associated with equipment capabilities and production facilities. Even the most skilled painter would not be able to paint the structure that has no place to be put. Is any technical modernization of plant expected?

– Most recently in the 9th bay a new blasting machine was installed that allowed us to double the performance of prior to painting surface preparation of constructions. The next step will be the erection of a large – about 1000 m2 – painting and drying chamber where the entire cycle of applying anticorrosion treatment for structures with a thickness up to 200 µm could be executed. Existing area of painting and loading shop will be used mainly for applying simple coatings of 40-60 microns. This phase must be finished by the end of this year. This must lead the painting and loading shop to become highly technologically equipped by 2017, and capable of producing structures with complex systems of anticorrosion protection. 

– And still personnel make everything. On the eve of the professional holiday how would you evaluate the work of the plant in 2015-2016?

– Projects of the past year are already quite bright answer to this question. Without flash I may say that this is a work that really conjures up our professional pride when looked at. Much of what we did was done for the first time; however, the successful completion of these projects showed that in general the factory personnel has become stronger and more professional than ever.

Today in each unit of the plant there is a reliable backbone of qualified professionals with extensive knowledge in their fields of activity who are ready for professional growth and development. It is due to them that we were able to achieve so high results making NTZMK one of the industry leaders.

Of course, we still experience personnel problems. And many of them sound very urgent. The plant faces new production challenges that require the highest qualification and demand the greatest effort. To achieve these results, we must not just change technology – we need to change a lot in our minds. Individual “stars” among employees will not be able to pull on everything. It is very important for them to share the level of their competence, professional knowledge and values with the widest possible range of workers.

– And the last question: what professional holiday – the Builder’s Day is for you personally? How would you like to see NTZMK on this day?

– I am deeply convinced that professionalism is not only an intellectual quality. This quality is a consequence of human commitment to the ideals of their profession. It is impossible to become professional from under the sticks. You cannot do what you yourself dislike. In the workplace a person is happy and successful only when he performs favorite work which process itself gives him the pleasure. It is very important to create such conditions in our company – and we are going to it – in which NTZMK would become a place for the workers to use their abilities, a place where they would reveal their professional talents and get a decent repayment.

On the Builder’s Day I would like to see NTZMK as exactly such a company where every employee feels that he or she has not chosen this profession for nothing, and is proud of the results of his or her individual labour and overall results we have achieved together.

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