Important Construction Technology Learned on the Slavutych Study Tour
16 Case Studies – November 2001Contents
U.S. Host Companies
Introduction
Case 1: Viktor Galamay, Lead Engineer, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, 23
“Sarcophagus” Unit Construction Department
Case 2: Valeriy Koryagin, Director, Spetsenergomontazh
Case 3: Vyacheslav Pochep, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Department Head, 30
Capital Construction Department
Case 4: Lyudmyla Ivanova, Chief Engineer, Ukrenergobud
Case 5: Yuriy Ostryanin, Deputy Department Head, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,
Turbine Department
Case 6: Yuriy Fomichev, Director General, SKS
Case 7: Valeriy Moshel, Chief Engineer, Electrospetsstroy – Slavutych
Case 8: Olena Sheydorova, Deputy Director, Spetstechnologiya
Case 9: Sergiy Skreka, Director, Slavutichstroyservice
Case 10: Yuriy Yegorenko, Director, Grand-Service
Case 11: Valentyn Melnyk, Director, YUTEM
Case 12: Vyacheslav Vaniyants, Director General, Atma – Story
Case 13: Fedir Kravchenko, Director General, Chernobylatomenergobud
Case 14: Vadym Ivanovskyy, Director, Dioro Ltd.
Case 15: Mykola Linnik, Director General, Nerafa Ltd
Case 16: Oleksandr Zayats, Director, ADI CompanyU.S. Host Companies
American Homes. Decatur , Indiana
Armstrong Ceiling, Cincinnati , Ohio
Bar Code Industrial Systems, Cincinnati , Ohio
Bobcat Co., Cincinnati , Ohio
Cinergy – East Bend Station, Cincinnati , Ohio
Cinergy – Zimmer Station, Cincinnati , Ohio
Contractors Materials, Inc., Cincinnati , Ohio
Contractors Warehouse, Cincinnati , Ohio
Drivet Systems, Cincinnati , Ohio
Dugan & Meyers, Cincinnati , Ohio
Florida Tile Co., Erlanger , Kentucky
Formica Corporation, Cincinnati , Ohio
Franklin Brick, Cincinnati , Ohio
Fujitec Elevators, Cincinnati , Ohio
H.C. Nutting Co, Cincinnati , Ohio
Janell, Cincinnati , Ohio
Marvin Windows, Warroad , Minnesota
Ohio Valley Precast, Cincinnati , Ohio
Senco, Cincinnati , Ohio
Southern Ohio Fabricators, Batavia , Ohio
South Down Cement Co., Cincinnati , Ohio
Timberline, Cincinnati , Ohio
Tri-State Software, Cincinnati , Ohio
Turnbull Concrete, Cincinnati , Ohio
Turner Construction, Cincinnati , Ohio
Introduction
At the completion of the Slavutych Construction study tour to the U.S. , the Center for Economic Initiatives (CEI) conducted conferences with each of the participants to discuss the U.S. company visitation program and to assess the technology learned by the participants. It was anticipated that there would be few benefits to the Slavutych firms in the field of marketing, but benefits in management and technology were expected. The tour concentrated on structural and testing sectors of the construction industry.
Many of the participants talked about their great interest in U.S. management and organization methods in construction. Much of this is based on the fact that they do not use Pert Charts and other tools to identify timing sequence problems and bottlenecks ahead of time. They also do not have clearly defined job responsibilities. As a result, critical materials and items often arrive late to the site with the result that the overall project is negatively impacted.
The results based on what was learned indicate that dramatic improvements for Slavutych and Chernobyl facilities can be achieved. In summary, key improvements learned in the U.S. for application in Slavutych as stated by several of the participants include:
“I think, if you take all the information I have learned on the tour, I will be able to use 60 to 70%. This is the amount that I really will be able to implement in reality.”
“I will absolutely be able to reduce costs and increase profits. There are two areas. The first is that I will try to get or develop at my plant a special computer program or database because what I need is a database of suppliers of materials. I also definitely need information about the competitive companies so I will know what position my company occupies in my field in the current Ukrainian market.”
“I am going to make changes which will definitely decrease costs and increase the efficiency of production. I will reorganize the hierarchy of my company and the work-in-process schedule. Since I saw how it was organized in the US , I will definitely review my entire system of production.”
“We have a huge problem in Slavutich with our roofing because most of our roofing is just the regular flat roofing and we use presently available roofing sheets. Unfortunately, the sheets do not have a life guarantee of as much as 20 years. It is actually significantly less than 20 years. I have looked at new roofing materials in the U.S. and can definitely say that it is really going to last at least 20 years – if not more. That we don’t have right now.”
“I cannot give percentages of savings in roofing material and labor costs, but if we get the deal we need, in the best situation we will save 40%.”
“I would say that there is a possibility of building a small experimental plant like Marvin Windows in Slavutich. Of course, it would take some time to study the market, to study the demand, to see how the final product can be sold in this market.”
“We want to establish an association of construction companies on the basis of the example of the Allied Construction Industries Association. It will be very good to exchange information, to help each other to get the necessary information and data about contracts, and to know what is going on in the construction industry.”
“I think that probably the way leasing is done here in the United States is the second most important thing for me. This I learned here in the U.S. and I’m going to try at least to change the situation in Ukraine relating to this issue.”
“There is a great demand for a Bobcat even though the labor cost is still low in a lot of big cities in Ukraine , and in particular in Slavutich. The members of our group from Slavutich saw how much you can reduce expenses and how much you can accelerate the finishing of the construction project using this type of mechanical device. Yes, there is a great need for Bobcats. We have a great demand for this type of machine.”
“Right now you cannot even expect Ukrainians to invest in Ukraine . Now in the current situation there are people who are ready to invest their money but they just don’t because they don’t know what is going to come out of it.”
“The most impressive thing for me, and the thing I am going to implement, is a quality control system. I will implement it everywhere – at any type of production facility, and at any company. Our quality control system is based on totally different principles.”
“Out of all the video tapes the study tour members are filming we are going to make one complete film. And in addition we would definitely like to have a photo exhibition.”
“I really liked the testing labs here, especially the testing equipment. I liked the variety of re-enforced cement blocks at the sites we visited. These blocks are really needed in Ukraine .”
“I am considering making prefabricated homes. I already have a plant which is not very big, but it has a sufficient capacity.”
“Most of all I liked the organization of the construction process. From the technological point of view I cannot say that I saw anything totally new, unseen, and unique, but the way construction is organized is really impressive.”
Finally, all members were impressed by the organization of the U.S. firms. They will return to Slavutych and try to implement many of the new ideas they learned on the CEI study tour.