From wire to household chemicals: manufacturing industry in Karaganda region grew by 6.2% in 10 months

In the Karaganda region, there has been a consistent growth in the manufacturing industry over the ten months of this year — plus 6.2%. The statistics are based on the launch of new production facilities, modernization of equipment and hundreds of jobs.

Alibek Moldakarimov, Deputy Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industry of the region, emphasizes that enterprises are operating stably.

Kaz-metiz, which produces non-alloy steel wire and steel ropes, has become one of the illustrative examples of such steady growth. The plant was created as part of the industrialization program and has no analogues in Central Asia. Its launch has significantly reduced import dependence, and products are already exported to Russia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus. Our clients include large companies in the mining and metallurgical, construction, energy, railway, and oil and gas sectors.

Starting with the production of 5,000 tons of products per year, the company has reached 30,000 tons. A five-year capacity expansion and equipment modernization program was launched here in 2023.

After its completion, the production volume will increase to 50,000 tons, and 63 more employees will be added to the staff. This year, a new workshop was built and launched at the plant.

— It houses a wire heat treatment line. This is the basis of the fundamentals in the manufacture of hardware products. Due to heat treatment, the wire acquires improved quality characteristics, has increased strength, while maintaining plasticity," explained Dmitry Malakhov, Director of Kaz-metiz.

Small businesses are also strengthening their position in the regional industry. The WEC Trade company produces eco—friendly household chemicals - there are already more than 80 types of cleaning and laundry products in the range.

The company operates in the chemical industry segment, which accounts for about 5% of the total industry in the region.

Branches are located in four cities, a wide network of wholesale partners operates throughout the country, and products are supplied to marketplaces and enter the CIS market. The company is currently preparing an order for Georgia.

We have about 50 employees, and the team is growing.

— In addition to the staff, we are also expanding the line. We are going to buy a new one in order to reach the shelves of larger supermarket chains and cover more cities in Kazakhstan. We have full-time technologists, and in order to expand the range, we cooperate with specialists who have developed well-known brands. The advantage of being a small company is that we can quickly change technologies and switch to new ones without incurring huge costs," says Dina Bedelbaeva, the company's marketer.

WEC Trade studies the needs of customers and adapts the product line to the market. The quality of the products has already been noted at the national level: the company became the winner in the "Best goods for the population" nomination of the "Best Product of Kazakhstan" competition.

Thanks to government support and the work of development institutions, the number of small and medium-sized businesses in the region has grown to 102 thousand.

Photo by Alexander Marchenko