OJSC MINSK KRISTALL has been awarded the Government Prize for the seventh time

Topic news The 25th award ceremony for the winners of the annual competition for the Prize of the Government of the Republic of Belarus in the field of quality was held on July 17 in the Palace of the Republic. Among the best enterprises awarded with the prestigious award was OJSC MINSK KRISTALL - the management company of the holding company MINSK KRISTALL GROUP. Natalia Belaya, Deputy General Director for Quality of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL - the management company of the holding company MINSK KRISTALL GROUP, tells us how the enterprise maintains the best traditions of quality, anticipates consumer expectations and uses innovative technologies.
- Natalia Mikhailovna, we congratulate the team of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL on a well-deserved victory in the prestigious competition. Once again, the enterprise confirmed its status as an undisputed leader, which is probably not easy to maintain for so many years. Please share how your company manages to maintain this high bar?

- In the conditions of ever-increasing competition, rapid change of technologies and significant reduction of time to market, it is really not easy to maintain a leadership position. In this regard, when developing a long-term development strategy, our enterprise focused on quality as a determining factor in competitive stability.
Quality is what the consumer expects first of all when choosing a product. This is also the compliance of the product with the requirements of technical regulatory legal acts, including safety indicators. In 2023, the production laboratory of the enterprise became the first in the country's alcohol industry to be included in the national part of the unified register of conformity assessment bodies of the EAEU with the right to issue test reports for compliance of alcoholic beverages with the requirements of the technical regulations of the Customs Union - TR CU 021/2011, TR CU 029/2012. The testing laboratory successfully passes the assessment and confirmation of competence for compliance with the requirements of GOST ISO / IEC 17025. The stable quality of our products is largely due to the effective functioning of integrated management systems.
It should also be noted that the quality of manufactured products directly depends on the quality of the processes at the enterprise - both production and those supporting this production. - What steps are you taking to maintain the image of a successful enterprise? What do you focus on today? - Indeed, for many years, MINSK KRISTALL OJSC has been manufacturing products of the highest quality, which have earned recognition not only in Belarus but also abroad.




In order to successfully compete in the market, it is necessary to develop in accordance with the requirements of the time, taking into account megatrends and focusing on anticipating consumer expectations, working on the release of fundamentally new products. In 2023, the share of innovative products in the total production volume of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL exceeded 25%.

We also pay much attention to improving technologies, technical re-equipment: thus, in the production of premium products, a unique technology of "ice" processing of sorts has been introduced, which allows us to obtain the best organoleptic characteristics of the product. We also use modern IT technologies. For example, the "augmented reality" technology is used in the design of products of one of the brands of our enterprise.
The constant search for new solutions, the introduction of innovative approaches, methods and tools into practice are what contributes to the gradual and sustainable development of the enterprise today. Participation in national competitions in the field of quality is also one of the ways that stimulates further development, gives an opportunity to evaluate our successes. We are proud that we have confirmed our title of laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Republic of Belarus for achievements in the field of quality for the seventh time. Of course, this is a great source of pride for the enterprise and an important merit of the entire team. Such an assessment, recognition at the state level are very important for employees. We demonstrate to the whole country, our consumers, customers and competitors that we are capable of a friendly team, a team of professionals who know how to work effectively and achieve the goals of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL, producing truly high-quality, popular and profitable products.
- Having participated in the competition and received recognition so many times, it is probably not difficult to win, all the nuances are known in advance?
- For the first time, OJSC MINSK KRISTALL was awarded the title of laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Republic of Belarus for achievements in the field of quality in 2000. But, you know, confirming it is often more difficult than winning the award for the first time.
In accordance with the procedure for holding the competition for the Award, the evaluation of the contestants is carried out by competent experts in two stages according to seven criteria. At the first stage of the competition, the experts assessed the quality of the preparation of the report containing a description of the practical implementation of measures to improve the activities of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL with an assessment of the indicators for the current period and the last three years. The indicators must be relevant, accurate and consistent with the strategy, needs and expectations of the relevant stakeholders. As a result, we became finalists for participation in the second stage. Subsequently, an on-site assessment was carried out. During the work, issues related to the applied methods of effective management, the leading role of management, work with personnel, satisfaction of consumers, partners and much more were considered. The experts also assessed the effectiveness of the applied new ideas and approaches in the work of structural divisions.
Having received the Government Award once again, we understand and realize well: in order to be the first among the first, it is not enough to become a leader once. You need to keep the bar high day after day, constantly prove your superiority and strive for improvement and new victories.
- Thank you, Natalya Mikhailovna, for the interview! We wish the team of OJSC MINSK KRISTALL new achievements and victories in competitions, further improvement and development.
Everyone has opportunities for growth The team of OJSC Minsk Kristall is more than 1000 people. The level of qualification of the employees is quite high - about 600 employees have higher education. They value their work, many have more than two decades of experience, and in the work book - the only entry.
- This year we established labor distinctions - veteran of labor and honorary veteran of labor of OJSC Minsk Kristall and on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belarus from the Nazi invaders, in a solemn atmosphere, we presented them to those honored workers of the plant who were awarded these titles, - says Deputy Director for ideological work, legal and general issues Viktor Lutsein. - We do not forget our veterans, invite them to holidays, congratulate them on their birthday - these people have contributed to the development of the enterprise.
Young personnel are also given close attention, they are motivated to develop and improve their qualifications.

- As an example, we have two shop managers - young people under 30, - emphasizes Viktor Ilyich. - All conditions for professional growth have been created, and young people appreciate this, they stay to work at the enterprise.
The tradition of mentoring has also been revived in production. Each young specialist is assigned an experienced worker. For three months, they undergo an internship and pass an exam, which gives an opportunity to understand the level of training of the young specialist in the educational institution, to find out his abilities and motivation for further growth. All categories of employees undergo training annually, improve their qualifications: everyone has opportunities for growth.

OJSC MINSK KRISTALL - the management company of the holding MINSK KRISTALL GROUP - a single production complex, which includes structural divisions territorially located in Minsk and the Minsk region: production workshop No. 8 in the urban settlement of Urechye, Lyubansky District, Minsk Region, where the starch and starch products production site is located, this workshop also includes two alcohol production sites: one is located in the village of Shkolny, Stolbtsy District, the second - in the city of Berezino; agro-industrial complex "TUCHA" - a branch of OJSC "MINSK KRISTALL" - the management company of the holding "MINSK KRISTALL GROUP", in the structure of the plant and the production workshop in the village of Snov, where dry potato starch is produced. All production areas are provided with modern equipment.

Last year, "MINSK KRISTALL" celebrated its anniversary - 130 years. The starting point of the history of the enterprise is 1893. Then in Minsk on today's Oktyabrskaya Street, and at that time Nizhne-Lyakhovskaya, brothers Yankel and Zelman Rakovshchiki founded a yeast distillery. An anniversary publication was prepared for this significant date. The book "MINSK KRISTALL. Taste of Centuries" is dedicated to the past and present of the enterprise, it examines in detail all periods of its development, production technologies, tells about the services and employees, as well as all the enterprises included in the holding "MINSK KRISTALL GROUP".

Traditionally, the enterprise also takes care of the active leisure of its employees, at their disposal is their own FOK with a gym and a small gymnastics hall. At the expense of the enterprise, classes are organized in rented game halls for volleyball and mini-football, in the SOK "Traktor" and FOK "Adrenaline" - for swimming, in the shooting and sports club DOSAAF - for shooting training. The team of OJSC "Minsk Kristall" is a regular participant in the workers' Spartakiads of the Leninsky district of the capital, they also organize corporate sports competitions, hold creative competitions, traditional festive events.

Anna MASLYAKOVA, photo - Tatiana MATUSEVICH