‘Real heroes’: Winners of the Exporter of the Year prize awarded at the Made in Russia Forum
On December 9, Moscow recognized 13 winners of the Exporter of the Year Prize as part of the annual Made in Russia International Export Forum.
On December 9, Moscow held the annual Made in Russia International Export Forum organized by AO Russian Export Center (REC). Over the years, the forum has become the go-to platform for Russian businesses seeking to bring their products to foreign markets.
This year, the forum was poised to address the ‘challenges of the new decade,’ with the panels featuring government officials, heads of Russian and foreign companies, and lead experts who reviewed the key challenges for exporters.
The highlight of the event was the award ceremony for Russia’s top companies that excelled in international cooperation and exports.
The Exporter of the Year prize was established by the Russian government on May 10, 2019 as one of the incentives of a major national campaign aiming to boost international cooperation and exports. The prize is awarded to the most successful companies and sole proprietors exporting non-energy and non-mineral goods and services as well as intellectual property products.
“This year, the overwhelming majority of overseas markets have been shut, and many large markets are seeing a decline. Those who rose to the challenge and were able to survive despite the difficulties and increase their sales are real heroes,” First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov said earlier.
Despite the Covid-19 impact, REC received a lot of bids from Russian exporters, said REC CEO Veronika Nikishina.
“This year we received a record 1,700+ applications, and we saw strong competition between bidders in each federal district. However, this is hardly a surprise: exporters are supposed to be proactive and ambitious,” added Ms. Nikishina.
13 winners in 12 categories were identified among 85 district leaders through voting.
Two companies, OOO Ais-Plus from the Moscow Region and OOO Association of Medicine and Analytics from St. Petersburg, both became best SME Exporter of the Year in the Production category.
Ais-Plus manufactures warehouse and shop shelving equipment as well as shopping carts, with exports to 15 countries. The share of exports in the company's total revenue is 99%.
Association of Medicine and Analytics designs and manufactures diagnostic tests for gastroenterology, endoscopy, pediatrics, and treatment. Its products gained wide recognition among gastroenterologists, endoscopists, infectious disease specialists, pediatricians and GPs in more than 400 cities in Russia, as well as in the CIS countries, Europe, and Latin America.
AO Automobile Plant ‘URAL’ from the Chelyabinsk Region became the top Big Business Exporter of the Year in the Production category. The company manufactures off-road trucks under the brand URAL, with exports to 15 countries.
AO Nizhny Novgorod Fat and Oil Factory won the Big Business Exporter of the Year in Agriculture. The company produces margarine, fats, sauces, mayonnaise, and soap. It exports to 26 countries, including in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US.
OOO Trade House Yarmarka from the Karelia Region scooped the award as the SME Exporter of the Year in Agriculture. The company produces food products, with exports to 16 countries around the world.
OOO TRASKO from the Moscow Region was recognized as the best Big Business Exporter of the Year in Services. The company offers freight transportation services by land, air, rail, and sea, and does business with 74 countries.
OOO IT Professional Solutions from the Perm Region won the SME Exporter of the Year prize in Services. The company offers digital transformation services to large energy suppliers in Russia, as well as companies from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, the UAE, Nigeria, and Mexico.
OOO Geropharm from St. Petersburg became the best Big Business Exporter of the Year in the High-Tech category. It produces biotechnological products and pharmaceuticals, with a presence in 13 countries.
OOO Neurosoft from the Ivanovo Region became the SME Exporter of the Year in High-Tech. The company designs and produces medical equipment for neurophysiology, functional diagnostics, audiology, and rehabilitation, with exports to 69 countries.
OOO ProdEks from the Republic of Tatarstan was named the best Big Business in the Trader of the Year category. The company is the exclusive exporter of AO Essen Production AG, including products made under the Makheev brand (mayonnaise, mayo-based sauces, and ketchup) to different countries in the CIS, Europe, and Southeast Asia.
OOO Penetron-Export from the Sverdlovsk Region became the top SME in the Trader of the Year category. The company has been exporting waterproofing and construction materials for 15 years. In 2019, its exports grew by 64.7%, with the highest uptick in Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, and England.
OOO Kuban-Vino from the Krasnodar Region won the New Geography category. The company makes wines from its own base wine, and exports to Malaysia, Belarus, Turkey, Norway, and China.
OOO Soya ANK from the Amur Region was hailed as the Breakthrough of the Year. This modern soybean processing plant exports to China, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, and North Korea.
