On September 3, a grandiose opening of a production site for the production of mattresses at a factory in Kuznetsk (Penza region) took place. The project was implemented by the FoamLine Group of Companies, headed by Arthur Soghomonyan, a graduate of the DBA program "Doctor of Business Administration" of GSCM RANEPA
Vasily Osmakov, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and Ivan Belozertsev, Head of the Penza Region, took part in the launch ceremony.
FoamLine is the largest manufacturer of flexible polyurethane foam in Russia and the CIS. The company includes 11 factories in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Serbia. The number of employees is 1200 people.
GSCM: Mr. Soghomonyan, congratulations on the opening of a modern mattress production plant. How did you manage to do this during the pandemic?
A. Soghomonyan: Thank you. It was very difficult. The opening was planned in June, but due to the pandemic, all foreign specialists left. FoamLine employees set up foreign production equipment on their own. It was not easy, but they coped with the tasks and now they are qualified specialists in foreign equipment.
GSCM: Do you plan to expand production in Kuznetsk in the future?
A. Soghomonyan: Of course, the next stages are already in the pipeline. We see that the region is good, and the production culture here is quite high, the plant is located very conveniently in terms of logistics. I think that we will develop further.
GSCM: What special features do your mattresses have?
A. Soghomonyan: Our mattresses do not differ much from others, but we managed to reduce the cost of production and make this product more affordable. In addition, we produce mattresses using innovative technologies.
GSCM: How do you assess the investment climate and the prospects for economic growth in Russia in the current situation?
A. Soghomonyan: It is difficult to invest now, because investing occurs when the future is transparent, and there is a lot of uncertainty in the present period. On the one hand, during the economic downturn, investments are reduced, and on the other hand, now there are regions that provide good investment support, for example, the Penza region, where we opened a production site, the Lipetsk region, Tatarstan.
GSCM: You are a graduate of the DBA program "Doctor of Business Administration" of GSCM RANEPA, what did you gain from this training?
A. Soghomonyan: I gained a lot - it is very important that the owners and top managers of companies are trained in this program, who can immediately use the acquired knowledge in business. I am sure that I would not have achieved such results without DBA. Thank you GSCM for the opportunity!
GSCM: What advice can you give students of the Graduate School of Corporate Management, young entrepreneurs?
A. Soghomonyan: I am sure that the knowledge they acquire at GSCM will definitely be useful in business, because the training programs are clearly practice-oriented. I would also like to advise you not to be afraid to set the most daring, ambitious goals. And studying at GSCM will provide the necessary knowledge and help you find the right ways to achieve these goals.
GSCM: Thank you, Mr.Soghomonyan, for an interesting conversation! We sincerely wish you new grand projects, as well as success and prosperity to your business!
