Minsk Motor Plant penetrating Ethiopia market

Minsk Motor Plant (MMZ trademark) has shipped the first batch of products to Ethiopia, BelTA has learnt from the company.

“We shipped 71 engines to this market where they will be used to re-equip ZiL 130/131 and GAZ-66 vehicles. There are good prospects to expand deliveries to this new market. We have stepped up our efforts to explore and penetrate the markets of Africa, Latin America and Asia. These markets are very promising for us. We have already delivered the first batch of products to Myanmar, Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic and Mexico,” the company informed.

Besides, MMZ maintains a strong foothold on traditional European markets, including Hungary where exports in the first half of 2013 increased by 55.4% compared to the same period last year. The export of engines to Poland rose by 31.8%, to Czechia by 11.9%, to Lithuania by 10.8%.

The Russian Federation remains the major sales market for the company’s engines. The biggest customers include GAZ Group that incorporates OAO GAZ, OAO PAZ, Tver Excavator, Bryansk Arsenal, and Zavolzhsky Crawler Tractors. MMZ has recently started to produce a new series of Euro-4 engines for OAO GAZ using a low-cost system. The company also sells Euro-4 engines to AMO ZiL, Ural Automobiles and Motors. Besides, MMZ cooperates with Russian companies that use engines operating on diesel generator sets.

The company is boosting export to Kazakhstan. In fact, MMZ has increased supplies of engine sets to a joint venture assembling Gomselmash harvesters in Kostanai.

All in all, MMZ products can be found in over 70 countries where they have to face tough competition with international brands.

These days Minsk Motor Plant, which is the management company of Minsk Motor Plant Holding Company, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Over this period the company has produced over 5.2 million engines. Ever year it turns out some 100,000 diesel engines in more than 40 modifications with the capacity ranging from 25KW to 440KW. These engines are meant for a variety of machines, including farm machines, automobiles, buses, electric power installations, compressors and other aggregates. The company was incorporated into a joint stock venture in 2009; three years later Minsk Motor Plant Holding Company was set up. The company is affiliated with the Industry Ministry of Belarus.