The year of 2008 was very difficult in many aspects of our firm's activity. Considerable (more than 25%) growth of production rates caused problems with personnel hiring, because we were not able to hire enough workers in Volovets district. So in 2008 we made a huge efforts to find any possibilities of increasing the amount of workers. Thereto specialized bus lines were opened in the following directions::
- N. Vorota, Zavadka, Verbyazh;
- N. Vorota, Latirka, Bilasovytsya;
- Huklive, Pidpolozzya, Studeniy
After all the potential of human resources in Volovets district was used, we began to search for free personnel in the neighbouring Mizhirya district.

In the begining of July 2008 a new production workshop TRW FORD was opened. New project was established in cooperation with the specialists from DELPHI, Neumarkt (Germany). It was a brand new project not only for our firm, but for the FORD concern itself, because absolutely new equipment and modern precision processes were used there. New technology caused much difficulties, but they were overcome, and work process stabilized.

Air Bag harnesses production had a large production volume growth in 2008 (more than 66%), and microswitches production rate was increased by 19%. Also in 2008 our firm began to produce VORWERK microswitches for vacuum cleaners.

To provide the necessary conditions for establishing new projects, we began the roofing of main production building in 2008, and our builders covered over 5500 square meters of the roof with new tin. 500 more square meters still are not covered, we're planning to cover them in 2009.

Our builders also repaired plant's fence - from the eastern side of the territory they mounted 15 new panels, and fixed old panels as well. High humidity of the air and soil makes big problems for the construction in mountain regions. So in 2008 we insulated all the facade of main production building with ornamental stone. Also we're working hard on improvement of favourable working atmosphere on the plant. Our workers laid out many flower beds on the territory of the plant, and made paths to them.

In addition to this, the following events were made in in the scope of social policy of the enterprise:
- apartment for celebrations, meetings and conferences was renovated;
- repair of amenity rooms on 4th floor of administration building was carried. Now we can receive our foreign guests and colleagues.

Our efforts in searching for personnel were supported by Volovets district employment agency. Together with the specialists of the agency and its director Mr. I.Pankulitch we visited villages Latirka, Bilasovytsya, and organized meeting with Mizhirya employment agency. Due to this meeting we were able to find new employees in Studene village. Also the employment agency of Volovets district organized open day at our firm. Almost all unemployed people of Volovets district came there.

Arrangement of two-shift mode of operation makes no problems in the West, because transportation of the workers is provided by public conveyances. But in Volovets district this is a big problem. The only transport company is Electron Service, and it is not able to provide effective transportation of our employees because of the high value of the tickets. So Polymer Technika Ltd. bent before its employees and undertaken the costs for the transportation.

In october 2008 we overstrained oneselves because of very hard production plans, undertime for their accomplishing, additional after-hours shifts, not able to keep abreast with growing demand for our production. Workers were hired without any criterias, and we employed everyone who wished to work, ignoring a person's education and social status. Of course, it caused problems with discipline and quality of the work. Claims for replacement of defective goods began to increase in quantity. But such situation is inadmissible for Polymer Technika Ltd. that works for the world leaders of motor industry with their strict requirements of quality.

I always compare October 2008 and November 2008 with a bubble which is about to burst. And the bubble really bursted in November 2008. Nobody expected the coming of economical crisis in the United States. A month later automobile concerns began to close. At first, the OPEL concern closed. Orders at our OPEL production line reduced to zero, the same thing happened to MERCEDES production line.

When the large concerns had overcome the first period of crisis, they began to build the policy of survival in the international market. In January 2009 we got to know, that DELPHI concern plans to relocate all its production facilities to Turkey, because Turkey offers less expensive labor power. Resembling policy was undertaken by AMPHENOL concern, that decided to relocate its production facilities to Tunisia. AMPHENOL built its own plant in Tunisia, but the launch of a plant was not quite successful. For that reason, the terms of closing of production of AMPHENOL at Polymer Technika Ltd. were changed many times until the production was finally closed in September 2009. It's obvious that all these changes made many extra problems for us, because we had to correct employment agency reports for many times.

For the reason of world enomical crisis, Polymer Technika Ltd raises the following tasks:
- to preserve current production rates;
- to preserve qualified personnel, if possible.

Even despite not easy conditions that emerged in the world market, our firm pays the premiums and financial supports without fail, motivating the personnel and caring about it. During the period between 2009 and 2010, the quantity of the workers will average 350 employees. After passing the first period of crisis, we plan to increase the amount of workers to 400-450. Because of hard competition in the world market, we're focused on increasing the quality of production.
Initially, we thought that we shouldn't be able to find new customers in current conditions. But we were wrong, because our image of high-quality manufacturer is well-known in Europe. We've received some proposals from the concerns, which are searching for manufacturers in Ukraine due to world economical crisis.

At the present time we were able to establish relations with a new customer MAGNA, and implemented the production of wire harnesses for AUDI autos. Qualified personnel, which formerly had worked on MERCEDES and OPEL workshops, returned from employment agency and got to work on a new production line.

MAGNA is the world concern, which constists of 240 firms, 86 engineer centers in 25 countries around the world, 27200 employees work there. It's interesting to note, that MAGNA was the financial group which bought OPEL concern together with russian enterprise Sberbank.
In march 2009 we received proposal from ELECTROLUX - world manufacturer of household appliances. Our firm was visited by mr. Alan Harson, who is responsible for production deliveries from Eastern Europe.
In april 2009 PEKM firm (czech representative of the american concern CVG) made us a proposal of organizing joint manufacture. After the visitation of our firm, PEKM representatives sent us a plan of establishing the production in 6 stages. After 6th stage the rate of discharged production will be half as much again as our current production rates. Next step in our cooperation is holding the negotiations in the middle of august 2009.
In july 2009 our plant was visited by representatives of the world concern EICHENAUER, which produces heating elements for automotive industry. After the examination of our enterprise, the conclusive conference took place, where representatives gave high praise to our plant and told us that production is organized according to european quality standards.
Our partner ZF Electronics (formerly Cherry) is working on a growth strategy in period of 2009-2011. This strategy also specifies the growth of microswitches production rates on our plant (planned growth is about 200% of current production volume).
In 2009 we'll try to hold our positions in the world market. Retention of the jobsites, qualified personnel, customers, production rate - these are our main task at the present time.

Polymer Technika Ltd. has a great potential for expansion of production. Many available workshops and free personnel in employment agency give the possibility to launch new projects, expand the existing productions, and to fulfil all the requirements of our customers.

In July 2009 we read an absurd article in local newspaper 'Golos Verhovyny'. In article was said, that we had sacked most of our employees, and our workshops should be used to establish a production of fuel wood briquettes. We created in Volovets district the enterprise that meets the requirements of the world motor industry, and I hope that we'll be able to maintain our level, so there will be no necessity to produce fuel wood briquettes.

Mrs. Venka Petrova
Deputy director
Representative of the founder of Polymer Technika Ltd.
21.07.2009