BAKU STEEL COMPANY
"THE MARKET MUST BE PROVIDED WITH HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCTS"

The first modern metallurgical company in the Caucasus has such a motto

The Baku Steel Company, which is the first private enterprise in the heavy industry of our country established on the basis of foreign investment, has been functioning for about five years. It is the first modern steel-making company in the Caucasus region, and the fourth in the CIS territory. Our national leader Heydar Aliev took part at the official opening ceremony of the company in 2001, got acquainted closely with the work and production conditions. "Such a metallurgical plant established in Azerbaijan private sector on the basis of foreign investment is a sample of Azerbaijan government’s regular policy in the economic sphere", - the wise leader’s words are the highest appraisal of the Baku Steel Company.

To date the Company provides the home market with high quality steel billets and rebars. At the moment the annual production capacity comprises 350 thousand tons. The company has more than 2200 employees. The owner of the Baku Steel Company, well-known businessman Paulo Parviz credits the successful activity of the company with the existence of the favourable investment and business atmosphere in the country. The Baku Steel Company has established a stepwise production activity according to the investment program. In 2005 the company raised production capacity up to 350 thousand tons according to the 3rd stage of the investment program. This stage took place at the expense of purchase and installation of a new, stronger electric transformer and carrying out reconstructions in this connection providing the other technological equipment with higher production capacity.

Five years ago requirements of the home market were satisfied with the import products. But today the situation has changed for the better. There are free market relations, a competition in Azerbaijan and of course the market imports products from abroad as well. The Baku Steel Company administration considers that there mustn’t be any poor product at the market. They emphasize their readiness to compete with the high quality product producers. Baku Steel Company products are required much enough at the home market today. The company has technical potential and experienced personnel for providing the products’ normality. The high-quality production is controlled seriously due to this potential. Wide technical conditions – the institutions and the laboratories – have been established in the country in order to determine the quality of the products.

Since the first day of its activity the company has been cooperating with the SGS company of Switzerland, which has offices in 114 countries of the world. Now the product sale is implemented according to the quality assurance of the BSI (Britain Standards Institution). In its turn, the BSI carries out tests and measurements, and ratifies the quality certificate of the plant. No claims have been made on the quality of the products sold abroad and within the republic hitherto.

The products of the plant have been exhibited in international exhibitions held in Moscow, Astana, Tabriz and Baku and got quality certificates each time. In 2002 Azerbaijan State Agency on Standardizing, Metrology and Patents investigated the production equipment of the plant on the government initiative. They tested the quality of the products under control outside Azerbaijan – at the institutions functioning in Russia and Byelorussia. The results were positive.

The specialists assert that use of At500C rebars gives an opportunity to save up to 23% of construction rebars. The use of At500C rebars at the City, Lokomotive and Polyquart blocks constructed in Moscow saved more than 18% rebars. The construction department of Moscow city hall permits only the use of At500C rebars taking into account economic benefits and construction safety, the use AIII (35GC) rebars is prohibited.

The Baku Steel Company has been producing and selling At400C, At500 S, At100 rebars at home market and neighboring foreign countries for 4 years already. The use of the rebars produced at the Baku Steel Company in the constructions carried out by the local and foreign construction firms functioning in the republic, in the construction of oil terminals, the units of the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline in Azerbaijan and Georgia territory, numerous apartment houses and in the constructions abroad – proves its widespread occurence.

The Baku Steel Company has its share in environment protection. First of all the collection and handing the ferrous metal wastes to the company, taking down some of the old industrial units caused cleanness of the territories, the shore and the different housing estates. The foreign cleaning equipment cost millions dollars have been purchased and installed in order to provide ecological cleanness in the territory of the company.

As everyone knows, the strengthening of the economy, increasing its defense capacity, perfection of the people’s social condition depends on legal and timely receipt to the State Budget. The Baku Steel Company is the biggest taxpayer in the non-oil sector.

The company has been paying much attention to expaning the production, creating new employment places, taking measures for perfecting the employees’ social-life conditions for the last years. The average salary is 400 manats. An apartment block with a checkroom, bath-house and dining room for 400 people has been given for utilization with the purpose to improve employees’ social-life and work conditions. The employees are provided with high quality preventive food free of charge. At the same time a trade union organization was established at the company last year. The organization is one of the wealthy organizations of the trade union confederation of the country. And in their turn, they do their best for improving the employees’ social well-being.

The company continues its bestowing charity along with economic functioning. It is already the 3rd year that the company has been taking care of the Children’s Sanatorium for Consumptives №5 in Mardakan. The main and subsidiary buildings of the sanatorium have been reconstructed and thoroughly repaired. At the same time the equipment – fridges, TV sets, furniture have been changed with new ones.

And the refugees and IDP in the republic have always been paid much attention. They have been provided with tents, food, blankets, heating ovens and other practical care.

The successful economic policy of Azerbaijan government during last years is attracted in all spheres of our life. We are sure that the Baku Steel Company will make its worthy contribution to Azerbaijan economy in future amongst these successes.