黑洞社区

Around a month before Russian tanks began to roll across his country鈥檚 border, Anatoliy Chegusov was preparing a risk analysis for his clients in the west. The owner and managing director of a glass facades business in Kyiv, Chegusov told his UK customers there were three possible scenarios for the months ahead.

Scenario one was that there would be no war, an outcome which they believed to have a roughly 43% probability. Scenario two 鈥� estimated at 45% 鈥� described minor acts of Russian aggression, confined to the east of Ukraine. The third scenario, Anatoliy told his clients, was a bloody massacre, culminating in a third world war.

鈥淭he first two scenarios were wrong,鈥� Chegusov told 黑洞社区, speaking over Zoom from an under-siege Kyiv last week. 鈥淚 really hope the third will also not be correct.鈥�

Much has been made of the bravery and perseverance of the Ukrainian people in defending their country, and Chegusov has such tenacity in spades. Since 2001, he has run EVB, an aluminium facades and windows specialist which has glazed many of Ukraine鈥檚 tallest towers and which he claims is the market leader in the country.

Among the firm鈥檚 projects is a new purpose-built student accommodation block 鈥� Compass Birmingham 鈥� in the Curzon Circle area of the UK鈥檚 second biggest city. Astonishingly, despite the conflict raging around them, Chegusov is insistent that he and his employees will deliver the project.

鈥淣otwithstanding the war, we have to fulfil our obligations,鈥� he told 黑洞社区. 鈥淲e have to continue with Compass, because students have to start living there from the beginning of September.鈥�

To do so will be no mean feat 鈥� the company has to manufacture the facade units at a plant in Kyiv before shipping them to Birmingham to be installed by their UK subsidiary.

But they can no longer access new glass units from Poland and the coating facilities for their aluminium units is out of order following the bombing of a gas pipeline to the north of the city.

On top of that, around 60% of the company鈥檚 200 workers have fled the region, while a further 20% have been conscripted into the army or joined up with territorial defence units.

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There has also been the challenge of attaining the correct documentation from a government under attack. 鈥淢any different problems appear, but we manage them,鈥� Chegusov said.

The suspension of EVB鈥檚 Ukrainian contracts due to the war has helped to reduce the staffing challenge, but the firm has been forced to adapt in order to deliver the project on time. Some glass units have been shipped to the UK directly from Poland for final assembly with the rest of the Ukraine-built facade unit.

EVB鈥檚 factory has been in operation since 15 March, after a weeks-long pause immediately following the invasion. 鈥淭here was a week or two of panic and concern with everyone,鈥� admitted Christopher Smith, director of EVB鈥檚 UK subsidiary.

鈥淸But] we had all the material, they carried on making it, we told [the developer and contractor] Torsion that was the case 鈥� they did look at other options, but I think they realised there was no other option than letting us do it that made any sense to anybody.

鈥淭here have been some issues around logistics and transportation and customs documentation, but we鈥檝e continued to operate and will continue to operate. From where I sit it鈥檚 nothing more than a miracle.鈥�

鈥淚ssues鈥� might be putting it lightly 鈥� a blockade of the main roads out of the capital meant EVB was unable to use long-track lorries to get its product beyond Kyiv. Instead, it had to arrange a fleet of smaller trucks to take the goods to a logistics centre in the suburbs, where they were picked up by trucks which had been carrying humanitarian aid to the east of the country.

鈥淥n the way back they were empty and they picked up our goods and delivered them to the west of Ukraine, where it was relatively calm, and then logistics companies picked up the cargo from the west of Ukraine and went directly to Birmingham,鈥� said Chegusov.

Some may question why, given the circumstances, delivery of the Compass Birmingham project is important, but for the Ukrainian the answer is simple. 鈥淟ife goes on, even during the war where you hear blasts and air raid alerts,鈥� he said.

鈥淪ome of our employees, they lost homes because they were destroyed. One of our employees, his father was killed 鈥� shot from a tank.

鈥淓ven in this situation, probably the worst situation is to have no activity 鈥� to just sit at home and read the news, this is what makes you really crazy and nervous. So everyone is trying to do something.鈥�

Beyond this, he said, the company needs to deliver the project in order to receive payment and continue to support its employees. All the money paid to the company is going towards maintaining wages, with whatever is left over spent on supporting the army.

It was Vladimir Putin鈥檚 first major act of aggression towards the country 鈥� the 2014 annexation of Crimea 鈥� that first pushed Chegusov to look into exploring export activities, having previously been an entirely domestic business. After small-scale projects in Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Iceland and Georgia, the company decided to set up shop in the UK in 2016.

The 15-storey, Glancy Nicholls-designed Compass Birmingham development is EVB鈥檚 second project in the UK. Before that it glazed Hadrians Tower, the tallest building in Newcastle which was built by local contractor Tolent.

EVB鈥檚 UK business usually employs around five people, with plans to increase to 12 as more projects come in. Chegusov said he was hopeful about expanding the UK business but said the war had made this more challenging.

According to the MD, the company had been the preferred contractor for a 拢6m project in Manchester. EVB spent four months on the tender but was told just a few days before the invasion that it would no longer be considered for the work because of the war risk.

Alexey Ermolenko, EVB鈥檚 operational director, said the company was 鈥渞eady to create jobs for people in Ukraine鈥�, but that they need contracts in the UK. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want anything for free but affordable financing is something that would definitely help,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be from the government. I鈥檓 pretty sure there would be lots of investors who would be looking to assist the Ukrainian economy.鈥�

For now though, the firm is focused on just keeping going so that employees who have fled have a livelihood to return to 鈥� two EVB employees on the call with 黑洞社区 were in Berlin and South Africa, respectively.

EVB hopes to complete the manufacture of the facade by the end of April and have it shipped to Birmingham and installed at Compass by the end of May. 鈥淲e will continue operations here in Ukraine if nothing worse happens,鈥� Chegusov said.

鈥淲e want to show our reputation that we are a reliable partner 鈥� reputation is what works best in each and every market.鈥�

For his part, Chegusov has no intention of leaving Ukraine unless he absolutely has to. 鈥淲e all want to live in Ukraine and stay in Ukraine,鈥� he said.

While Putin鈥檚 focus appears to have switched to bombarding territory in the east of the country, EVB is hoping that the situation in Kyiv might improve. 

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to move anywhere, but I would have to if Russians occupy Ukraine 鈥� that is not a question for me, I would not stay here.

鈥淏ut this is the only condition for me to leave my country. Nothing else would make me move somewhere else.鈥�