2020 was a year of unusual situations and non-standard decisions, re-evaluation of
values and changes in activities for many business sectors. The strong and flexible have moved forward, redirecting to
new unexpected instruments and even activities. This year the company has traditionally been in the forefront,
responding to new trends and being a model of strategically reasonable and responsible business for others. To be a
leader means to be ahead and to predict, rather than to react. “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it
has been.” At present we are ready to face the challenges of the future which are waiting for us. The company has become
stronger and is ready for new victories.Thus, the unexpected 2020 has taught us to:
Appreciate reliable friends and partners
NIBULON’s history is a model example of efficient partnership and reliable
cooperation. During the 29 years of its activities, NIBULON has been enjoying the confidence of foreign financial institutions
and first-class European and Ukrainian banks, thereby demonstrating the company’s good business standing. The
management from Credit Agricole Bank, the company’s long-standing strategic partner, visited NIBULON’s
transshipment terminal and NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard in June 2020 and noted
that the company continued operating efficiently despite the coronavirus pandemic and the world economic downturn,
becoming an important impetus to develop the economy. These are certainly NIBULON’s management merits. In July,
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the largest international financial investor in Ukraine and
NIBULON’s long-standing partner, provided NIBULON group with a loan of up to US$27 million to ensure sustainable
trading volumes despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The financing is part of the EBRD Solidarity Package, which focuses on ensuring
continuity of key businesses and services threatened by the economic impact of Covid-19. The EBRD expects to dedicate
its total business investment of up to €21 billion in the period 2020-21 to combat the coronavirus crisis.
Expand geographically
In 2020, despite the coronavirus crisis, the company invested USD 23 million in constructing
its new transshipment terminal in Marianske village (Apostolove district, Dnipropetrovsk region). The newly built
Zelenodolska branch has become the tenth facility of the company located on the Dnipro Cascade and the first one in
this region. The company constructed the terminal in three months, complying with all the safety measures to prevent
the spread of COVID-19. NIBULON managed to create 1,500 working places for builders from 73 various companies
within Ukraine and to overcome all the obstacles to receive equipment produced and delivered to Ukraine by world
leading manufacturers from Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, and other countries. In January 2020, the company put into operation new grain storage silos at the
Voznesenska branch transshipment terminal (Mykolaiv region) and in December – the grain storage silos at
Holoprystanska branch.
Be victory-oriented
Good traditions were also present in 2020. The
National Maritime Rating of Ukraine recognized
Oleksiy Vadaturskyy as the “Person of the Year on Water Transport” for the third time.
The leading experts recognized O.Vadaturskyy’s contribution to the development of inland waterways,
shipbuilding, as well as cargo transportation along the Dnipro River. He was named “the only
businessman who is trying to develop the sea and river transportation as well as to construct vessels in the Ukrainian
shipyards”. Traditionally, NIBULON is an absolute leader under the “Fleet Renewal”
category. The company received an award for the construction of the NIBULON MAX 140-m floating
vessel, the largest one in the history of Ukraine’s independence, built at NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard.
Among the river transport achievements in 2019, the experts also mentioned NIBULON’s high-capacity
transshipment terminal for grain and oilseeds shipments which was put into operation in Ternivka village (Vilniansk
district, Zaporizhzhia region) and also the construction commencement of NIBULON’s transshipment terminal in
Marianske village (Apostolove district, Dnipropetrovsk region).
Meet the highest standards
In June 2020, the company celebrated a really historic event. It was certified for IMS
compliance with the ISO international standards covering quality management (ISO 9001:2015 “Quality Management
Systems. Requirements”), environmental management (ISO 14001:2015 “Environmental Management Systems.
Requirements”), and occupational health and safety management system (ISO 45001:2018 “Occupational Health
and Safety Management Systems. Requirements”). The shipyard’s IMS complies both with the ISO international
standards and DSTU national standards. This will enable the company to successfully develop its positions in the
domestic market and international market of small and medium-tonnage shipbuilding and ship repair. NIBULON
shipbuilding and repair yard has the Certificate for Compliance to conduct ship repair, shipbuilding, design and
engineering works, issued by the Shipping Register of Ukraine. Today NIBULON shipbuilding and repair yard is Ukraine’s
most modern shipyard which employs every fifth shipbuilder
of the country. The shipyard launches a new vessel almost every month. The shipyard processes 10 thousand tons of
shipbuilding metal, including steel and aluminum. All vessels that have been built at our shipyard are our own
projects. They have been developed taking into account our extensive experience in building and operating the
fleet.
Achieve independence
In 2020, the company started to move hopper cars from the Mykolaiv-Vantazhnyi railway
station to the transshipment terminal.
NIBULON bought 108 hopper cars (19-6869 model) to transport grain, a TGM 4 locomotive, as well as
built and put into operation a hopper car maintenance point to inspect, repair, and
wash locomotives. Having received a permit from Ukrzaliznytsia, NIBULON’s locomotive will transport
hopper cars from the Mykolaiv-Vantazhnyi railway station to the company’s transshipment terminal, thereby
optimizing its own work and saving money. According to Oleksiy Vadaturskyy, the railcars must not be just
considered as storage, but rather as an efficient vehicle to deliver goods.
Appreciate and care about your health and
others
This is, probably, the main conclusion made in 2020. Health plays an important role to implement the most ambitious plans. In 2020, Ukraine, like the rest of the world, faced the COVID-19
pandemic. Ukrainian medical institutions were not ready for such a challenge. The company made efforts to
fight the spread of coronavirus. Consequently, the company started to implement its large-scale comprehensive project.
Firstly,
the company has organized
a modern laboratory to carry out analyses for the presence/absence of coronavirus by using the PCR method in the Mykolaiv Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine by giving its own equipment. It can conduct up to 400 analyses per day.The next step was the reconstruction
of the Mykolaiv Regional Center of Infectious Disease Treatment, a basic medical institution to fight COVID-19,
which was in a terrible condition and was not ready to fight the pandemic at that time. NIBULON has turned this
medical institution into a modern medical town in 30 days, having conducted practically impossible work in such a
short period of time.NIBULON continues to assist in fighting COVID-19. NIBULON completely repaired a medical gas supply system and installed 38 new oxygen
supply points in the wards of the Mykolaiv City Children’s Hospital No.2. The company implements charitable
projects in Mykolaiv City Hospital No.1, thereby considerably increasing its capacity. The company gave
protective suits (about 4,000 units), protective shields, respirators, and express tests to diagnose COVID-19 to
medical institutions across Ukraine. NIBULON also gave artificial lung ventilation machines to Mykolaiv City
Emergency Hospital and Holoprystanska Central District Hospital (Kherson region). The company spent about UAH 100
million to fight COVID-19.The company has 7,000 employees. The health and welfare of its employees and their
families are extremely important to NIBULON. The management does much to ensure their welfare, working places, and new
receipts to the state budget, which will soon be needed by Ukraine. The company continues to implement its investment
program, following all the requirements to avoid spreading COVID-19 among NIBULON’s employees.The events of 2020 are called a Black Swan scenario for the world economy. These
events have entered our lives unexpectedly and taught us to be ready for challenges, to develop strong points. To be
honest and transparent, to be an innovator and investor, leader and philanthropist are the principles which NIBULON
has been following
for 29 years. The company has changed and become stronger. We are not disappointed in our friends and
partners. NIBULON continues its investment activity; it has obtained new knowledge and preserved the most important
thing – health and a will to new victories. We are waiting for new events in 2021.
