Every new year means new hopes and projects; it means advancement. At present, the “Rud” company is actively working over complex preparation accomplishment in new season – in 2010. The President of our plant, Petro Volodymyrovich Rud, affirms that qualified preparation of all services, new ideas propositions compose the basis for future development.

• Petro Volodymyrovich, You are the President of the “Rud” company, the leader of ice cream market in Ukraine, what is Your vision of ice cream market future?
• I suppose, that 2010 becomes the year of consecutive market consolidation. Small companies will keep curtailing production, while major players will work out strategies of future development. We must boost ice cream consumption culture, back off substitute products, because, at present moment, consumer has wide range of purchasing alternatives. Insistent and goal-seeking work showed one of the most valuable indicators of our activity – coordinated team of the Company workers fulfilled core assigned task: to realize more than 21,000 tons of ice cream. We became almost the single company in the sector to demonstrate positive ice cream sales volume positive dynamics, against the 20 percent of sector downturn. I want to accentuate that such considerable results were achieved by coordinated collective of our Company disregarding the fact that half of milk sector plants in Ukraine are unprofitable and can hardly survive.
• Petro Volodymyrovich, in 2009 many plants have cut down social programs, what is Your opinion concerning this cause?
• I assume this cause inadmissible, because people – are the main business assets, its driving force. This year, plant wage fund increased by 5.5 percent, average monthly wage of staff members increased by 16 percent. To achieve these numbers, the whole system of financial worker stimulation measures kept going on the plant. In the current year almost 4 millions of hryvnas were aimed at such stimulating goals. We keep implementing improving measures of workers’ labor and life conditions (repair and reconstruct production, service and recreation facilities, purchase computer equipment, toolware and materials if needed). Our coworkers and their children had a chance to strengthen their health in sanatorium-and-spa and other health-improving institutions, some workers had an oversea vacation – in Turkey.
• Petro Volodymyrovich, at present, it is impossible to develop business without innovation approaches. What measures are effected in this direction?
• Innovations – are our competitive advantage, in contemporary market conditions you can hardly survive without innovations and develop even less so. Our innovations are related to the product itself, production process and its sales. We keep learning experience of successful companies and think over the usage methods in order to implement the best heritage and, at the same time, keep our own production and sales traditions. WE have real specialists at work: high-qualified product engineers, marketing analysts, regional managers that are aware of innovations and in close cooperation generate and embody original ideas. At the same time they are researching Ukrainian and foreign markets, carrying out samplings, experimenting - all of it is made for plant development to keep “Ice cream #1” status on market. This year we have launched new project – frozen potato products. I suppose they have a great future!
• Will You share the secret of team cooperation to realize plant projects?
• I had been always treating, am treating and will treat every worker with respect, disregarding his position of top manager or worker. One should value person’s tendency of self-realization, development, note his competence and integrity at work, respect people as professionals and persons. You can not avoid problems, but the main thing is to find and overcome them in time. I suppose there is nothing impossible, the most important is to seek goals and reach them along with team!
• Present distribution means stable partnership that allows development for producer and companies that sell and promote production in markets. What is Your evaluation of partners in 2009?
• Our distributors have priceless experience in production promotion in market with tough competition. Our partner collective – is a team of like-minded people, who react on our propositions and we carry out our common projects. I would like to thank all our distributors – they have been fruitfully working. And above all, we all understand that only together we may overcome market confusion, as well as our business rivals.

To all of us I wish mutual understanding and welfare, to everyone and Your dearest ones personally – strong health, happiness and wellbeing in new year! May the angels of Christmas keep safe all of us!