Small operation sets high standards in Russia
11 September 2007
On 30 August, NEPCon handed over an FSC certificate to the private company OOO Mospromstroimaterialy-Vyatka, based in the Kirov Region. The company manages a forest of around 4,300 hectares - the smallest area which has so far undergone FSC certification in Russia.
The handing over of the certificate took place as part of a ceremonial event, in which members of the Timber Industry Association of the Kirov region, representatives of local authorities, and the coordinator of the Russian Forest and Trade Network participated.
”The certification shows that small operations are not excluded from FSC certification in Russia”, says Alexei Klochikhin, lead auditor during the preceding certification assessment.
”The general perception here is that only large operations can benefit from FSC certification. But that’s not necessarily the case. It depends more on the management style and approach of the operation.”
Corporate responsibility
At the ceremony, the operation's director Leonid Shupletsov told that the enterprise aims to be leading among Russian companies who integrate sustainability aspects in their business. He stressed that he did not regard the certificate as a reward, but rather as a responsibility.
Klochikhin notes: ”This is the smallest forest area ever FSC certified in Russia. And yet it ranges among the best-prepared operations in my experience as an FSC forest management assessor. We only had to issue five minor Corrective Action Requests, which is absolutely in the low end for a first-time assessment.” He points out that the operation had ensured thorough preparation for its certification by involving the non-profit consulting organization Kirov Certification Center in the process.
In addition to environmental safeguards, the company pays attention to the needs of people living in the town and settlements adjacent to the concession area. For example, providing jobs for women is important since women’s unemployment is a pronounced local problem. Thus women make up around 80% of the company's 300 employees.
About the company
In addition to its forestry production, Mospromstroimaterialy-Vyatka is a producer of sawn timber, windows and glued products, with glued pine beams as the most important product. The certification took place even though there is so far no demand for FSC certified building material on the domestic market, and the company doesn’t export the beams. However, for two other products the FSC certificate is likely to be of economic value: The company sells pulpwood to one of Russia's largest pulp and paper mills, which needs FSC-certified pulpwood. And the operation has initiated a production of pellets, expected to be sold on ecologically sensitive markets in Europe.
The operation was established in 2004 as a daughter company of one of the largest Moscow construction holding companies, Mospromstroimaterialy, in order to supply building materials to the Moscow market.
NEPCon conducted the FSC forest management and chain of custody assessments on June 14-15. Based on the assessments, the FSC certificate was subsequently issued by NEPCon's accredited FSC partner the Rainforest Alliance. The operation's certification code is SW-FM/COC-002575. |
