20 April 2009
Vitebsk Carpets exports first batch of carpets to Latvia
VITEBSK, April 20 (BelTA) – The open joint-stock company Vitebsk Carpets has shipped the first batch of carpet products to Latvia, the company’s Deputy Director General for Commerce Sergei Kolesnik told BelTA. Until recently the Western Europe market has been closed for the Vitebsk company. The main market outlets were in Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. However, the present economic situation across the globe has enabled the company to compete with famous European carpet makers because the quality of Vitebsk products matches that of European ones and it is available at cheaper prices. Thanks to technical modernisation the company has mastered all kinds of machine-made products. The colour range can include eight colours. The prices remain affordable thanks to direct contacts with raw stock suppliers in Grodno and Novogrudok as well as India and Bangladesh. Vitebsk Carpets has an extensive dealer network abroad. There are 40 dealers in the Russian Federation, 4 in Ukraine, and a representative company in Moldova. Vitebsk Carpets has proprietary outlets in all oblast centres of Belarus. The Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry named Vitebsk Carpets the best exporter of 2008 in the Light Industry nomination. In 2008 Vitebsk Carpets’ export increased by 20.3%. In 2008 the output of Vitebsk Carpets totalled Br96.2 billion in comparable prices, 11% up on the year. The pre-tax profit exceeded Br8 billion. The company paid out Br1,026 in dividends per share in 2008. In January-March 2009 the production growth totalled 9% in comparable prices.БЕЛТА