Penza, 16 September 2014. PenzaNews. Grand opening ceremony of a new cheese production of JSC “Dairy plant “Penzensky,” a part of DAMATE Group, was held in Belinsky, the Penza region on Tuesday, September 16.

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The event was attended by the governor of the Penza region Vasily Bochkarev, the chairman of the regional Legislative Assembly Ivan Belozertsev, administration of Belinsky area, as well as by DAMATE Group top management and partners.

During the opening ceremony, Vasily Bochkarev recalled the poor state of Belinsky milk processing plant before the investments.

“DAMATE bought this company from the Russian Agricultural Bank, where it was pledged, invested new technologies, developed a good project, purchased the equipment, trained the staff and began processing milk. Currently they are processing 200-250 tons each shift. This is a good enterprise, and I think it is very much on time — there is a present opportunity to enter the area of trade networks and supply Penza products not only to the local market, but also to the neighboring regions,” the governor said.

Naum Babaev, the chairman of the DAMATE Group Board of Directors, reassured that the cheese at the new plant will be made only from natural milk.

At the end of the opening, Vasily Bochkarev suggested that the recovery of the enterprise in Belinsky is opportune in the view of embargo on food from abroad.

The governor noted that the authorities now need to begin to work closely with the dairy farmers and support them, attracting more investors in the construction of dairy farms.

In the course of these remarks, Naum Babaev, chairman of the DAMATE Group Board of Directors, said that the Penza region is the leader in the Russian Federation in terms of investment assertiveness.

DAMATE Group acquired the property complex of cheese production in Belinsky in summer 2013 — the company became a part of “Dairy plant ‘Penzensky’” as a unit for cheese production.

The amount of investment in the new production amounted to over 200 million rubles. These funds were spent for automated milk acceptance line, improved cleaning system, modern equipment and innovative freon cooling system at the warehouse.

The company is expected to become one of the largest cheese productions in the region.

Range of new production in Belinsky consists of semihard Russian and Dutch cheeses. It is planned that in the near future, DAMATE will present cheese under a new brand.