Manufacturing localisation

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Planning localisation or expanding your existing manufacturing facilities in Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia or Uzbekistan?

The Russian and CIS market offers both international and national companies an array of development opportunities. In Russia, many goods that are purchased by government agencies and majority of government-owned companies are legally required to be made in Russia, incentivising international companies to establish local manufacturing facilities. The variety of programmes that aim to stimulate local manufacturing and the availability of skilled labour also make localisation projects attractive for investment.

SCHNEIDER GROUP provides comprehensive support for manufacturing expansion. We will:

Analyze localization criteria that apply to your products and check whether these criteria can be met
Prepare an overview of existing incentives and business support measures
Support negotiations and ensure effective communication between your business, site management and financial institutions
Calculate cost-effectiveness and help your business decide whether a greenfield or brownfield site is preferable
Obtain necessary documentation to confirm the local origins of your product e.g. “Made in Russia” certification

What you get

ANALYSIS OF LOCALISATION CRITERIA

We will assess the localisation rules that apply to your product(s) to establish if and how these criteria can be met, taking into account which components you plan to import and which can be purchased locally, and what manufacturing operations need to take place in Russia for your business to participate in government tenders. If these criteria are met, we can help you to obtain “Made in Russia” confirmation.

SITE SEARCH AND SELECTION

Based on your terms of reference, we will list requirements for the site in terms of its size, transport accessibility, possible restrictions and necessary engineering and logistics infrastructure. We will analyse available sites, and draw up a list of recommended options, taking into account tax preferences and available support measures.

DUE DILIGENCE AND NEGOTIATION SUPPORT

Working with your business, we will inspect the sites chosen. We will help prepare a pitch presenting the project and organise meetings with the management of industrial parks and regional authorities. If required, we can arrange for simultaneous interpreting at negotiations. We will carry out due diligence on the chosen site to minimise risks.

LEGAL SETUP AND BUSINESS PLAN

We will prepare necessary documents for the registration of a legal entity and complete the registration procedure for you. We will draw up or adapt your business plan for the investment project. If a project requires external funding, we will organise meetings with public and private investors. We will provide communication support to obtain better terms and interest rates.

CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT

We will help you to obtain a construction permit and select and examine a construction contractor (including their financial situation, licences and certificates for construction and installation work). If required, we will organise a tender to select a contractor. We will provide consultations on design and construction contracts / turnkey contracts.

EQUIPMENT SHIPMENT

We will organise the importation of manufacturing equipment and its certification for import into Russia, as well as efficient logistics for delivering it to your site. When planning logistics, we will take into account regional climactic zones and seasonal transport options. We will support your business in drafting complex trilateral engineering, procurement and construction contracts.

Our team

Natalia Wilke

Partner, St. Petersburg, Russia

Legal, General Director

Natalia is SCHNEIDER GROUP Partner and General Director of the St. Petersburg office. She is a lawyer with more than 20 years of practical experience in legal consulting. Natalia provides tailored-made, practically-oriented legal solutions in establishing and managing subsidiaries of international businesses in Russia, manufacturing localisation, acquisition of real estate, as well as corporate and labour law. Big international enterprises, medium-sized and family-run businesses benefit from Natalia’s legal advice. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Natalia worked for Beiten Burkhardt and Salans (now Dentons). Natalia is a qualified lawyer with a degree in Law from St Petersburg University. She speaks Russian, German and English.

Dr. Thomas Mundry

Partner, Moscow, Russia

Legal, Tax & Interim Management

Thomas joined the company in 2019 as Partner for legal and tax. Thomas is a German lawyer, ranked among top lawyers in franchising and is regularly included into the “Best Lawyers in Russia” rating. He specializes in manufacturing localization (greenfield & brownfield), joint ventures, M&A, franchising & distribution, bankruptcy and restructuring. Thomas advises businesses from a wide range of industries, including machinery, construction and engineering, automotive, logistics, chemicals, mining, energy and utilities, pharmaceuticals, food, real estate, agriculture, fashion, and IT. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, he was Partner in the international law firm Noerr. He holds a doctorate in Law from Freie Universität Berlin. Thomas speaks German, English and Russian.

Nodir Ayupov

Partner, Uzbekistan

Nodir became Director of the Tashkent office in September 2018. He is responsible for the development of services provided by the Tashkent office, including accounting outsourcing and automation, ERP implementation and integration, interim management, business setup and manufacturing localisation. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Nodir worked for 18 years for Uzbekistan Airways in increasingly responsible positions, starting as Head of External Affairs and completing his job for the airline as Head of representative offices in Kazakhstan, Greece, and Spain. He has more than 20 years of professional experience in finance and international consulting. Nodir earned a degree in Finance, Consulting, and Venture Management from Emory University (Atlanta, the USA) and a degree in International Business from the Tashkent State University of Economics, where he taught Management Accounting course after the graduation. Nodir speaks 5 languages: Russian, English, Uzbek, Spanish and Greek.

Natalia Shulzhenko

Partner, Belarus

Natalia joined the company’s Minsk office in 2009. She is in charge of the services offered by SCHNEIDER GROUP in Belarus: accounting outsourcing, financial, tax and legal consulting, compliance, interim management as well as business setup and manufacturing localisation. Natalia has extensive experience in accounting, financial and management reporting, taxation of subsidiaries of international companies and foreign representative offices in Belarus. Natalia actively contributes to the professional community, presenting at various conferences and seminars. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Natalia worked as chief accountant for international companies in manufacturing, energy, construction and professional services industries. She has over 20 years of professional experience. Natalia graduated from the Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics with a degree in Accounting, Analysis and Audit. She is a certified expert in International Financial Reporting (DipIFR RUS) and a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Natalia speaks Russian, Belarusian and English.

Anna Afanasyeva

Associate Director, Legal & Tax, St. Petersburg

Anna joined SCHNEIDER GROUP St. Petersburg office in 2020. She has more than 10 years of professional experience at the international law firms. Anna is a leading legal advisor in St. Petersburg. She specialises in financial and tax planning and provides legal support in manufacturing and real estate investment projects, manufacturing localisation, and infrastructure projects. She advises SCHNEIDER GROUP’s customers on customs law, IT regulations, foreign trade and financing, M&A, and international legal agreements. For many years, Anna has been heading the legal & tax committee of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in St. Petersburg. She participates in the tax and financial reporting committee of the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK). Anna graduated with a degree in Law from St. Petersburg University.

Ekaterina Kalinina

Head of Commercial, Real Estate and Regulatory Law Practices, Moscow

Ekaterina joined SCHNEIDER GROUP in 2020. She has over 17 years of experience in advising international and Russian companies on legal aspects of Russian market entry and investment projects, greenfield and brownfield manufacturing localisation projects, EPC-contracts, real estate, and construction. Ekaterina specialises in quality claims, certification, preparation of permissive documents for import. Companies from machinery, automotive, FMCG, pharma, renewable energies, and retail industries rely on her professional expertise. She graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in Law, and holds a Master of Law degree from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

Sergey Odintsov

Head of Legal & Tax Practice

Belarus

Sergey provides legal and tax advice to Belarusian and international businesses. He focuses on corporate and commercial law, taxation, business setup and restructuring, as well as investment projects and supports company clients in mergers and acquisitions. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Sergey worked for one of the Big Four companies in Belarus, where he gained significant experience in legal advice for clients in various industries, including construction, oil and gas, logistics and transportation, retail, pharmaceuticals and IT. Since 2006, Sergey has been collaborating with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank on the “Doing Business in...” project. Sergey has more than 15 years of professional experience. He is a licensed lawyer and tax consultant. Sergey speaks Russian, Belarusian and English.

Sergey Bogatyrev

Legal Counsel

Sergey joined SCHNEIDER GROUP’s St. Petersburg office in 2021 as senior associate. Previously he worked as an associate and senior associate for Beiten Burkhardt, a German law firm, for 12 years. Sergey has more than 17 years of professional experience. He specializes in corporate law, joint ventures, legal regulation of construction (including city-planning regulations) and bankruptcy law. Sergey has extensive experience in M&A and greenfield & brownfield localization projects for both domestic and international businesses. He also represents SCHNEIDER GROUP clients in Russian state courts. Sergey graduated from St Petersburg University with a degree in Law.

Natalia Zolotaya

BD & HR Project Lead

Belarus

Natalia started working for the company in 2019. She is in charge of both internal and external HR projects, including talent acquisition, personnel training, and development. Prior to joining SCHNEIDER GROUP, Natalia spent 15 years with an international automotive company, an importer of German Volkswagen Group in Belarus, where she was in charge of business development, procurement, and international contracts. She has gained extensive experience with international projects in product management and personnel training. Natalia actively contributes to the professional community and business associations, being a regular speaker at seminars and conferences. She is a graduate in Business Administration, HR and Management and completed an additional training programme for executives by BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) in collaboration with Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung GmbH and Belarusian State University School of Business and Technology Management. Natalia is an ICU- certified business coach. Natalia speaks Russian, German and English.

Evgenia Uvarova

Project Manager, Moscow

Evgenia joined the company in 2019. She has deep knowledge in manufacturing localisation for Russian and international companies from various industries. Among her responsibilities: end-to-end support for SCHNEIDER GROUP customers - production site search and selection, negotiations with site and state authorities, arranging meetings with private and state investors for localisation projects. She has more than 6 years of professional experience. Evgenia supports SCHNEIDER GROUP customers at all stages of the localisation project, from planning and selecting the localisation site to commencing plant operations. International and Russian manufacturers from food processing, packaging, building materials manufacturing and other industries rely on her expertise. Evgenia graduated from the University of Bonn (Bonn) with a degree in Political Economy and received an MBA from City Business School In 2021. Evgenia speaks Russian, German and English.

Why Schneider group

LOCAL EXPERTISE

SCHNEIDER GROUP is well-versed in existing business support programmes in Russia and the CIS countries. We have extensive experience working with industrial and science parks, special economic zones and single-industry towns. We always recommend the best site option for your business, accounting for the specifics of your manufacturing operations.

CLIENT PROTECTION

We support your business in negotiations, acting as your representative in communication with site management to protect your interests. Thanks to our knowledge of local law, we can help your business obtain incentives and benefits such as reimbursement from the federal budget of money spent on infrastructure rehabilitation.

DEDICATED PROJECT MANAGER

A dedicated SCHNEIDER GROUP manager accompanies your business throughout the localisation project, liaising with all parties involved at every stage of the project. This saves considerable time in communicating with and introducing new partners in the project.

FLEXIBILITY AND ADAPTABILITY

We are accommodating. We can either carry out a turnkey project or provide selected services if you already have preferred partners in certain areas. We analyse and assess the prospects of entering particular geographical markets in order to select a suitable country/region for localisation.

About SCHNEIDER GROUP

SCHNEIDER GROUP has been helping businesses to expand to new geographical markets since 2003, offering a full range of business support services: from developing strategy for successful market-entry to helping arrange or optimize accounting, reporting and financial planning processes and establishing efficient IT infrastructures.

500 top experts in 11 countries take care of all resource-consuming non-core business tasks, so our customers can focus on achieving their business goals. We offer services in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Austria, Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Russia and Uzbekistan, with minor regional variations. Get in touch via our contact form to request details of specific service packages available in your target country.

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