Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC is a plant producing a full range of maintenance-free starter lead-acid batteries for cars, trucks, buses, as well as automotive equipment. We met with the director of Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC, Tatyana Sergeevna RYBACHENOK, to talk about the state of affairs in the industry, the directions and prospects for the development of the enterprise.
The company was registered in April 2016 as a resident of the Brest FEZ. The construction of the plant was carried out as part of the State Program for Innovative Development of the Republic of Belarus for 2016-2020. In Belarus it was the only enterprise of its kind (with a full production cycle). Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC is part of the 1AK-GROUP Group of Companies. The 1AK-GROUP group of companies is a diversified holding company, the strategic direction of which is the production and distribution of batteries.
— Tatyana Sergeevna, tell us about your products. What types of batteries do you produce?
Tatyana Sergeevna (T. S.): We produce batteries, which are a source of direct current and are designed to accumulate and store energy. The vast majority of types of rechargeable batteries are based on the cyclic conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy, which allows the battery to be repeatedly charged and discharged. This type is the most popular in the modern world due to its universal features and low cost.
Our product line includes all types of lead-acid batteries intended for passenger cars/trucks, including nominal capacities from 40 Ah to 235 Ah, manufactured and supplied to the secondary (end consumers) and primary (automotive production) markets.
The rechargeable starter batteries we produce are represented by a wide range and a variety of colors. The label on the finished product is made using high-precision offset printing, resistant to the aggressive effects of electrolyte. Finished products are washed, dried, battery parameters are monitored, labeled, packaged and sent to the finished product warehouse. Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC also uses individual thermal packaging for each battery with a warranty card attached.
We produce such signs and brands as: ZUBR Standard, ZUBR Premium,
ENRUN Standard, ENRUN TOP Premium, VOLAT Standard, VOLAT Premium, BREST BATTERY Standard, BREST BATTERY Premium, ATLANT Econom, EUROSTART Econom, Master Batteries Econom, URSA Extra Power Econom, MyWay.
Rechargeable batteries produced by Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC meet all necessary quality indicators, such as safety, environmental friendliness, innovation, manufacturability and aesthetics.
— What technologies and innovative approaches do you use in the production of rechargeable batteries?
T. S.: The level of technology used and the quality of batteries of Battery Alliance LLC matches or exceeds (primarily in terms of energy efficiency and automation) other European and Asian factories. The plant is equipped with the most modern robotic technological equipment made in Europe and Korea.
The company uses some of the most advanced technologies at each stage of production:
• Manufacturing of battery plate grids using ExMet technology from lead-calcium tape, which makes the battery maintenance-free.
• Production of fine lead oxide powder using ball mills operating in a fully automatic mode, which allows achieving high quality.
• The preparation of battery pastes is carried out on high-performance and precise mixers, followed by spreading onto the grates on a fully automatic line, which ensures high accuracy of spreading parameters.
• Formation of battery charge in special water-cooled baths, constant monitoring of electrical parameters and electrolyte temperature.
• Assembly of batteries is carried out on fully automatic lines.
— To which domestic and foreign markets do you export batteries?
T. S.: The main sales channel for products is the distribution network under the 1AK. BY brand (Pervaya Akkumuliatornaya Kompaniya).
Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC is an export-oriented organization and about 30% of supplies are carried out outside the Republic of Belarus. The largest volumes are exported to Russia, as well as to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. There was also experience in supplying to the African region.
— What challenges do you face in connection with modern economic conditions, in particular with sanctions restrictions?
T. S.: The sanctions restrictions also affected our enterprise. First of all, it was necessary to urgently redirect the flow of supplies of materials, spare parts, and equipment from the EU. And we, like any business at that time, had to adapt. New contracts were promptly concluded, new raw materials were tested, and serial deliveries from China and the Russian Federation began. True, the company’s financial flows also suffered at that time, as it was necessary to attract additional working capital to make advance payments to Chinese suppliers, as well as to increase warehouse stocks for critical materials. In addition, delivery times for many materials have increased significantly. At present, the issue of supplying production with raw materials can be considered resolved, although the company’s management is still working hard on the import substitution program.
— Tell us about the personnel policy at the enterprise, how do you attract employees?
T. S.: Personnel determine the effective activities of any organization. Their training and well-coordinated work contribute to higher competitiveness of enterprises, therefore the issues of personnel policy are extremely relevant for us as well.
When working with personnel, we focus on the motivation system, social package, competitive salary and adaptation in the workplace. A system of motivational mechanisms has been developed to ensure increased employee interest and satisfaction with work, and it is constantly being improved. A mentoring system has been introduced, which helps to smoothly adapt to the workplace and receive the necessary training. By the way, we also assign the necessary qualifications to all employees who do not have it. For this purpose, we have concluded several agreements with specialized training centers. Also, the 1AK-GROUP Group of Companies operates its own training center, in which the company’s specialists and managers undergo various trainings and courses.
— You are a resident of the Free Economic Zone (FEZ) «Brest». What does this give you?
T. S. Like all residents of the FEZ, we have the opportunity to work under special preferential conditions. These include benefits on income taxes, real estate, land tax and rent for land plots, and customs preferences. The administration of the Free Economic Zone also provides information support and organizes business meetings with potential partners in various fields and directions.
— Environmental safety is a priority task of any modern production. What approaches are you developing to minimize the negative impact on the environment?
T. S.: In its production activities, the company uses environmental management system requirements in accordance with the international environmental management standard and is certified for compliance with the requirements of the ISO 14001:2015 standard. This standard is intended to identify, control and monitor environmental aspects, and is also focused on managing and improving environmental management in an enterprise.
When designing the plant, the strictest measures were taken to ensure the safety of the environment and people.
The enterprise has organized local monitoring of environmental impacts as part of industrial environmental observations and industrial sanitary control. Instrumental measurements are carried out at established intervals. From the beginning of production activities there was a monthly frequency of control, now it is carried out quarterly. Based on the results of activities and monitoring, no excesses of permissible concentrations of harmful substances were identified.
— What domestic and foreign specialized exhibitions do you take part in?
T. S.: As a rule, we take part in annual thematic exhibitions related to our industry, such as the International Specialized Exhibition «AUTONOMOUS CURRENT SOURCES», MIMS. Avtomobiliti, Electro-20XX. Unfortunately, the number of thematic exhibitions has decreased with the introduction of sanctions and the cessation of cooperation with the European market. But starting this year we also plan to participate in specialized exhibitions in China.
— What are the plans for the future and prospects for Akkumulyatornyy Alliance LLC?
T. S.: At the moment, the possibilities of implementing investment projects for the development of new products are being explored. We have also already set a course for Lean business optimization, leading to cost reduction and increased operational efficiency, and we plan to develop further in this direction.
Interviewed by Ivan KHOLMOGOROV
The article was published in the magazine «Delo» No. 5(335) 2024