One of the oldest shops at the Russian Gus-Khrustalny crystal plant, which manufactures colored and superimposed crystal, has been working a round-the-clock floating schedule since 6 January 2003 to…
One of the oldest shops at the Russian Gus-Khrustalny crystal plant, which manufactures colored and superimposed crystal, has been working a round-the-clock floating schedule since 6 January 2003 to meet the growing number of orders. The shop works on the most complicated, exclusive contracts, such as vases and sculptural groups. Only four years ago the plant was on the edge of bankruptcy. In the interim, effective management has turned the situation round to bring about a production boom. “There have been so many orders for colored crystal articles we have been forced to begin working round the clock,” the plant“s director, Alexander Kashkin said. “This is not a final solution, though. A decision has been made to overhaul and upgrade the fourth shop. The work is underway at several places there already. Alongside this the foundation is being laid of a new building, which will house the newest equipment of German manufacture. Production is expected to grow eight-fold. The chemical polishing shop is being upgraded, too. As a result the quality of our products will grow dramatically. It is very important we finance the upgrade projects entirely on our own.” In 2002 the crystal plant won a tough bidding contest to acquire the shares and fixed assets of the world-famous manufacturer and trademark Dresden Crystal. Production there has been fully restored. The plant“s specialists have also acquired the facilities and resuscitated production at the Krasny Kust crystal plant in the Sudogda district, the abandoned Zolotkovsky crystal plant and the electric bulb and instruments plant in Ryazan. “By the volume of production the Gus-Khrustalny plant increasingly looks like a holding company. Whereas the 2001 output totaled RUB 450 million worth, last year“s was up to RUB 600 million. This year“s meeting of the board of directors will consider setting a production target of one billion rubles. For a start,” Kashkin said.