LEADER IN THE RUSSIAN COSMETICS MARKET OJSC Arnest is one of the most successful enterprises manufacturing perfumery-cosmetic products and household chemicals in Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Mr Igor Gubenko, marketing director of the company, talks about the fundamental advantages of the business. Vanja Svacko reports.
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hree main industrial sites - OJSC Arnest, located in Nevinnomyssk in the Stavropol region, Aerozol Novomoskovsk in the Tula area and Divi in Moscow - are working towards the business goal of developing fully integrated systems for high quality manufacturing. From 1971, when the Nevinnomyssk factory for household chemicals was established, until 1993 when it was transformed into the open joint-stock company Arnest, new brands were created through major innovations. The hairspray ‘Prelest’ became the number one beauty product in the Russian cosmetic market. Parallel to it, the newly developed insecticide ‘Dikhlofos’ opened new marketing horizons for Arnest, securing it a place among the five leading competitors in the field of repellents and insecticides. One of the most pressing concerns for the modern company is an environmentally relevant approach to the production process. “Our company is actively pursuing an ecological agenda and was the first 66 Industry Europe
aerosol producer in Russia to switch to eco-friendly hydrocarbon propellants in 1996,” says Mr Gubenko. In 2004 Arnest was certificated ISO 14001 for complying with environmental policies.
Advanced product range Today Arnest offers more than 350 different products. There are three main categories: perfumery and cosmetic products in polymeric and aerosol packaging, household chemical goods (different cleaning products, footwear, furniture and car care products) and insecticidal products and repellents as well as antistatic agents. Arnest also produces its own aluminium spray cans, valves and spray caps, as well as aerosol propellants. In 2014, the company significantly expanded its aluminium can production capacity with the launch of a new high speed line capable of producing 50 million cans per year.