Sales of Fish Processing Machinery Driven By Strong Demand from Russian Salmon Processors

The Russian market for salmon processing machinery is far from saturation and, profiting from this opportunity, Vladivostok-based Process Equipment Co., Ltd ("Tehnologicheskoye oborudovanije" Company in Russian) has been doubling or even tripling manufacture and sales of separate machines as well as complete plants in the last few years, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ based on an interview of the firm's marketing and development director Anton Sukhorukikh.

In particular, in the first half of 2011 the company has sold 25 Cold Brine Preparation Plants (UKhPT 1000 and 2000), 20 Slotted Belt Conveyors and in excess of 70 pneumatic or electromechanical head cutters, both as standalone machines  and as part  of complete plants.

In fact, the whole stock they have been able to produce for the current salmon season in the Russian Far East has been sold out, said Sukhorukikh.

The company is only about ten years old and in the last couple of years they have generated three new lines of business development.

First, those have to do with design and manufacture of fishmeal plants based on Alfa Laval decanters.

Second, to be able to handle order peaks independent production of serial items has been organized to include head cutters, brine stations, slotted conveyors for salmon machines, fish washers, a whole line of salmon roe processing machines, etc. With this capability the company expects that in most cases by the next salmon season it will be able to supply complete plants actually from stock.

The third new lane covers complex design and erection of turnkey fish processing factories including the general building work as well as supply of construction materials. 

As regards new machines, the company is manufacturing and testing prototypes of an automatic feed salmon head cutter, a separator for mechanical screening of salmon roe, etc. They are being tested during the current salmon season to be put into serial production in autumn later this year. Salmon roe separators are a special breakthrough because previously only Japanese machines would be in demand but not now with the radiation scare after the disaster in Japan.

Export

The company is trying to diversify its markets and claims successful negotiations at the recent Seafood Processing Europe with potential customers from Norway and Latin America.

Niche

Anton Sukhorukikh, Marketing and development director says that nowadays the niche where the company works is very popular.  Fish processors are afraid of buying Japanese equipment because of the natural disaster (radiation scare) and shortage of power in that country.  The customers say, they can't be surely sure in delivery of their orders and/or spare parts in time and mitigate the risk with purchase of Russian equipment.

Machines produced by the company are "golden middle" in the total range.  Some companies use cheap outdated equipment and their production lines need a lot of manpower.  Others install state of the art machines so expensive that they cannot be paid back under real Russian conditions.  "Tehnologicheskoye oborudovanije" sells efficient solutions at reasonable price.  That is the best strategy not only in Russia, but in most countries.