A new motor factory was inaugurated in Saint Petersburg. The company “YAROVIT Motors” will manufacture heavy trucks specially for extreme road and climatic conditions. “YAROVIT” has invested $40 million and plans to put out 1800 trucks annually by 2009.

“YAROVIT Motors” launches its production facility on the territory of Leningrad Metal Works. The multi-axle trucks are designated specifically to operate in extreme road and climatic conditions (the first prototype dump truck is already undergoing tests in the transpolar city of Norilsk). “YAROVIT” has invested $40 million in the new factory and plans to put out 1800 trucks annually by the year 2009. So far, only five trial model vehicles have rolled out the factory gate, which have not yet completed all the test and certification stages.

“Throughout the year 2005 we plan to manufacture up to 250 GLOROS trucks in eight modifications of various wheel formulae and superstructures”, - says Andrei Birukov, President of YAROVIT Group of Companies. During the project second stage conveyor assembling will be organized of 1200 vehicles per year, production of our own cargo platform and a wide array of components will be started. At the moment, GLOROS trucks are built with over 80% of foreign-made motor components. YAROVIT’s indigenous developments list the vehicle design, the engineering solutions and the fiber glass cab. The cab is produced in Belarus. “Eventually, we plan to organize our own production of certain components. Some of the production facilities, such as welding and chassis assemblage will move to Leningrad oblast”, - informs Andrei Birukov.

The trucks slated to be assembled by “YAROVIT Motors” will be equipped with components of the world’s leading producers: Deutz, Cummins andCaterpillar engines, ZF andAllisson transmissions, Sisu axles. Eventually, “YAROVIT Motors” plans to switch over to assembling other truck models - the “Dogmus” and the “Ordex”.

Representatives of “YAROVIT Motors” admit in fact that the project does not progress all too smoothly. “I hope in future YAROVIT trucks will be competitive not only in terms of prices, but in quality as well”, - the Governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matviyenko remarked tactfully in this connection. Indeed, YAROVIT trucks promise to be 25-30% cheaper than similar products made by European competitors. However, the potential customers have certain complaints against the YAROVITs. Tests of the pilot vehicles with the company “Norilsk Nickel” showed that some units of the truck need debugging, the systems of spare parts supply and servicing of the vehicles have not yet been properly established.