OREANDA-NEWS. March 14, 2011. Metinvest completed certification of the reinforcing bars produced by Makiivka Iron and Steel Works for the market of the Republic of Belarus based on the standards for this region. Starting March 2011, Metinvest plans monthly sales of 2.5 – 3 Ktonnes of rebars. Certification will allow growing sales of long steel products to the market of Belarus to 50 Ktonnes, which is a twofold increase of sections and shaped steel sales volumes vs. last year.

The Experts Committee of the Institute for Construction Design of the President’s Administration of the Republic of Belarus highly appreciated Metinvest’s production technology of rebars, a product enjoying high demand in Belarus market. The technology envisages utilization of low carbon and low alloy steel, which improves reliability and safety of structures using reinforcing bars.

Certification of the rebars will enable Metinvest-Ukraine, the wholesales channel of Metinvest Group, to simplify contracting procedures and reduce order lead times through signature of a single contract for the whole product line. This approach follows the client-oriented sales policy of the Company. The policy envisages improving client service standards by deeper understanding and satisfying specific needs of individual clients.

"It is extremely important to achieve the maximum quality of service through simplification and automation of the order processing, - Oleg Olshansky, the General Director of Metinvest-Ukraine noted. – Production potential of Metinvest and the new account management principles will help us meet virtually any demand in steel products".

Belarus is one of the most steel intensive markets among CIS countries. In total, in 2010 CIS countries (less Russian Federation) received 159.3 Ktonnes of rolled steel. Belarus received 49.7 Ktonnes of rolled products, thus, taking the share of 31% in the CIS sales structure of Metinvest Group.

"This year we are planning to sell around 25 Ktonnes  of rebars to Belorussian market, - said Dmitry Nikolayenko, the Sales Director of Metinvest’s Steel and Rolled Products Division – Including the plans to ship other long products, total volume of sections and shaped steel will increase to 50 Ktonnes".