Russia
Technically, Uhde GmbH was comparatively late in gaining a foothold in Russia. The company took over the Gipropolymer Institute in 1995. But the company’s Russian history began decades earlier. Today’s thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions (RUS) LLC has its origin in the engineering department of the “Caprolactam” plant in Dzerzhinsk in the Gorky region, located 400 km east of Moscow – later known as the Gipropolymer Institute. At that time, “Caprolactam” was one of the leading plants of the Dzerzhinsk industrial district, with the main task of the State Union Construction Institute 3 team being to help with the engineering and construction of local companies.
tk IS Russia has handled local parts of Uhde contracts in the former Soviet Union and pursued business with Uhde’s local customers. For example, an ethylene oxide plant commissioned for SIBUR Neftekhim in 1982 has already been successfully modernized four times. The company has also cooperated intensively with Uhde Inventa-Fischer in the polyester sector. Today, it is mainly the extensive experience of working with renowned customers, competence in the field of Russian and international engineering standards and the highly qualified employees that form the basis for the high international reputation of the Russian location of the plant engineering and construction company.
The institute entered into its first relationships with German chemical plant engineering and construction companies in 1968. In 1969, it was restructured into an independent institute for the development of polymer materials (“Gipropolymer”). The institute’s cooperation with Uhde GmbH began in 1973 – very successfully, as shown, among other things, by the largest joint project, the construction and later revamp of the Kalush vinyl chloride plant to a capacity of 370,000 metric tons of VCM per year. In 1991, Uhde and Gipropolymer set up a joint venture to implement projects for the construction of VC and PVC production plants in the former Soviet Union. In 1995, Uhde acquired a majority shareholding of 76 % in the company.
Interesting to know: The Society of Women Engineers claims that only 13 % of engineers are women. This has never been an issue at Gipropolymer or tk IS Russia, where over 60 % of engineers are female.
