Dnipro-based ARTMETAL manufactures prefabricated buildings for USAID’s modernization of Ukraine’s western border crossing points

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
04 January 2024

Dnipro-based manufacturing company Artmetal Ukraine LLC, under a contract from USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is producing modular or prefabricated buildings for upgrading Ukraine’s western border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain export logistics. Artmetal, which specializes in the manufacture of metal prefabricated and frame structures, is producing a total of 33 structures, to be installed at four priority Ukraine BCPs with Romania, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary.   

The replacement of old modular structures at the borders with new and improved models manufactured by Artmetal, is part of the urgent modernization of Ukraine’s BCPs to increase operational efficiency and improve cargo logistics, trade volumes, grain exports, and overall traffic flows.      

In December, the first six prefabricated buildings were completed by Artmetal, the winner of a USAID ERA competitive tender. Artmetal, one of three Ukrainian bidders, offered the best price and features of the prefabricated units sought by ERA, and therefore won the contract.  

Artmetal is a responsive and adaptable manufacturer, who after receiving the technical solutions shared by USAID ERA, adapted its production to fit the needs of the project. The hardworking team produced the first six buildings in record time, which were delivered by December 22, for installation at the road BCP in the Volyn Oblast on the border with Poland, which will be used as offices by Customs and Border Guard officials.  

“Under the contract with USAID ERA, we are to manufacture 32 modular structures and a canopy, which come in six different sizes and are for different uses including restrooms, canopy, and offices. We are now completing the first batch of such buildings for one of the border crossing points in the Volyn region,” says Oleh Myroshnychenko, Artmetal’s CEO.   

Modular buildings now account for 90% of Artmetal’s product portfolio, as they can be easily and quickly delivered throughout Ukraine and installed whenever needed. The company uses domestically sourced components in its production to support the local economy. If necessary, some components are purchased from abroad. The company currently employs over 50 people and sells its products throughout Ukraine. Its customers include large industrial enterprises, government agencies, and small to medium-sized businesses.  

“To build such a prefabricated building, we source materials not only from our country, but also from all over the world. Rolled metal, wall panels, insulation, slab materials, electrical and plumbing equipment – the list of what we need for production is quite long. Among the countries where we buy components are Turkey, Germany, or Poland, but we understand that we need to support domestic producers to keep the economy going. As a manufacturing company, if we are satisfied with the quality of the materials, we will definitely buy them from a Ukrainian producer,” Oleh Myroshnychenko states.   

Currently, all the company’s employees are involved in the production of prefabricated buildings. The USAID ERA contract alone enabled the company to utilize 25% of its capacity. To produce such prefabs, the company utilizes services from several of its operational areas, including metal bending, cutting, metalworking, welding, assembly, and, finally, on-site installation. Such a prefabricated building measures 2 x 2 m or 2.5 x 6 m and is equipped with furniture (a table and an armchair), electric heating and air conditioning. The sanitary modules (toilets) for each checkpoint feature a ramp, providing easy access for people with disabilities. In early December, the USAID ERA technical team visited the manufacturing site and was able to verify the quality of the materials used and the manufacturer’s compliance with national and international standards for producing prefabricated structures for BCPs.  

 

“Our mission is to make fast construction affordable and to create a comfortable environment for the people who use our products. I want everyone who uses the Customs building to feel warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I am confident that the building will serve them for many years and not require any repairs, if they take good care of it. We hope that our Border Guards and Customs Officers will feel more comfortable and at ease in our buildings,” says Oleh Myroshnychenko.  

The company already has experience in the construction of prefabricated buildings for Border Guards. Similar buildings were made to order for Luhansk Oblast, where a checkpoint was set up to house representatives of various government agencies. Further, after the outbreak of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Artmetal built a complex of prefabricated buildings for internally displaced persons in Chernivtsi.  

“With the financial support of international partners, we also made prefabricated buildings to host administrative service centers in the de-occupied territories of Kyiv Oblast, for example, in Borodianka and Ivankiv, where Russia’s troops had bombed out administrative buildings. It took us from a month to a month and a half to set up an administrative service center, or a post office, pharmacies, or shops, to provide much needed facilities for the local communities as quickly as possible,” says Oleh Myroshnychenko. 

Artmetal continuously develops and monitors the market trends in order to adapt, grow, and develop. It considers large European producers to be its competitors, so it does its best to be in competition with them.  

“There are other manufacturers of prefabricated buildings in Ukraine, but we do not want to compete with them. We are competing with large European manufacturers from Austria, Poland, and Germany. Before we started producing prefabricated structures in Ukraine, they had to be delivered from Europe. Now there are hardly any prefabricated buildings from foreign manufacturers in Ukraine – they know about us, they call me and ask how we are doing, and we communicate. They are our competitors,” says Oleh Myroshnychenko.   

In line with aspirations set out in Ukraine’s rebuilding agenda, Artmetal is one such company, that is experienced, equipped, and ready to meet the restructuring needs, creating jobs, boosting the local economy, and supporting Ukraine’s grain export to reach the world.   

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.  

USAID ERA evaluated nearly 50% of Ukraine’s priority border crossing points

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
03 January 2024

USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) is modernizing Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs) with Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania, to improve efficiency, accessibility, and the capacity of logistics for cargo export and strengthen trust in standards and processes. 

In December 2023, a team from USAID ERA and contractors from Green Powered Technology and CDM Engineering conducted a comprehensive visit to 7 of the 42 priority BCPs in the Odesa and Chernivtsi regions. With this visit, ERA has now assessed 20 of the 42 Ukrainian road, rail, and port BCPs, constituting 48% of the priority BCPs targeted for upgrade. 

During the visits, the team identified and assessed the conditions of the BCPs in order to develop the scope of work, budgets, technical specifications, and implementation plans for the work to be done at the various BCPs. The goal is also to determine the main design works that need to be carried out to begin improving the operation of these BCPs. A rapid upgrade has also been planned, which has already begun with installing signs, barricades, and lighting at four priority BCPs.  

USAID ERA contractor, CDM Engineering Ukraine, was established in 2013 to provide high-quality engineering and environmental consulting services that meet international best practices. The company offers a full range of project management services, such as design, procurement, technical supervision, and quality control from the start of work to commissioning. 

Green Powered Technology is an international consulting firm in the energy, engineering, and development assistance sectors. It was founded in 2010 with the mission of promoting the development of sustainable, innovative energy and engineering solutions worldwide. They pioneer green energy and provide sustainable, cost-effective energy solutions for government and commercial projects. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.   

USAID ERA delivers six prefabricated buildings to upgrade border crossing point in Volyn region 

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
27 December 2023

From December 18-22, under USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), six modular or prefabricated (prefab) buildings, were delivered for installation at the border crossing point (BCP) in the Volyn region. Manufactured by the Dnipro-based manufacturing company Artmetal Ukraine, the modular buildings will be used as offices by Customs and Border Guard officials.  

“In cooperation with our international partners, the Agency for Restoration is already actively modernizing the border crossing points that we have taken over. Capital repairs, improvement, restoration of border highways – this complex of works is necessary both for increasing the carrying capacity and for the comfort of people”, says Mustafa Nayem, the Head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (SARDI).

The necessary ground preparation, dismantling of the existing prefabricated buildings, and connecting the telephone and internet networks, will continue throughout December and into early January. When the installations are completed, each prefab building will boast of power supply, lighting system, telephone and Internet access, heating, air conditioning, and office furniture.  

“Under the contract with USAID ERA, we are to manufacture 32 modular structures and a canopy, which come in six different sizes and for different uses including restrooms, canopy, and offices. We are now completing the first batch of such buildings for one of the border crossing points in the Volyn region. Our mission is to make rapid construction accessible and to improve conditions for those who use these mobile buildings, so that people can work comfortably and conveniently”, says Oleg Myroshnychenko, CEO of Artmetal Ukraine. 

The Volyn road BCP, which connects Ukraine with Poland, holds significant strategic export importance and is a priority BCP for improving the country’s logistical infrastructure. The modernization of Ukraine’s border crossing points will facilitate more efficient export of grains to international markets. For Ukraine, being one of the leading global grain exporters, this not only contributes to strengthening the country’s economy but also plays a key role in preventing a global food crisis. 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes. 

Miyamoto Ukraine is conducting technical inspections of unfinished cargo terminals in the Zakarpattia and Volyn regions

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
19 December 2023

USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is upgrading Ukraine’s border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain export logistics, and as part of this, from December 6 to 8, subcontractor Miyamoto Ukraine undertook a visit to inspect three key priority BCPs near Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

During the visit, the Miyamoto team inspected the condition of the unfinished terminals at the two road BCPs in the Zakarpattia region, and surveyed the area designated for the expansion of the cargo terminal at the road BCP in the Volyn region. Miyamoto Ukraine had formed three teams, with each team consisting of engineers, building inspection specialists, and architects, and assigned to work separately on different BCPs. The technical inspection of these BCPs is scheduled to continue until the end of December 2023, after which they will start preparing the draft report on the unfinished terminals. Following the December visit, the pre-design survey of the Volyn region BCP will commence in December 2023.

“The team of professionals at Miyamoto Ukraine is helping us with the resolution of the most complex and socially important reconstruction projects. The modernization of checkpoints is among the most urgent. This is about the development of economic potential, transportation of humanitarian and military cargos. We thank our partners for their help in these important projects,” says Mustafa Nayyem, the Head of the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (SARDI).

Miyamoto Ukraine has formed three teams, each consisting of engineers, building inspection specialists, and architects. Each team has been assigned to work separately on different border crossing points (BCPs). The technical inspection is scheduled to continue through December 2023, after which they will start preparing a draft report on the unfinished terminals.

 

Miyamoto International has an official presence in 27 countries worldwide. The Ukrainian branch boasts an engineering team of approximately 128 professionals based in Ukraine. This team will provide design and quality assurance for the BCP construction work under ERA. Miyamoto Ukraine is also actively collaborating with the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine and working with regional and military administrations in various parts of the country.

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.

USAID ERA modernizes lighting systems at road border crossing points in Volyn and Zakarpattia regions

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
14 December 2023

On December 6, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) began the upgrade of lighting systems at key crossing points on the borders with Poland and Slovakia, by replacing and installing 479 LED lights. The work will continue throughout December and early January. These two border crossing points (BCPs) are among the first nine priority BCPs receiving USAID ERA’s rapid modernization assistance, which is aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s export-logistical infrastructure including ports, rail, and road transport, to increase operational efficiency.  

“The modernization of border crossing points is an important component in strengthening the export logistics infrastructure as a whole. Particularly important for us are the crossing points on the borders with Poland and Slovakia. The two BCPs where work is currently underway are among the nine that are being supported through USAID’s rapid modernization assistance. The new lighting systems will improve the operation of the BCPs and significantly help in the uninterrupted movement through them,” says Oleksandr Kubrakov, Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery of Ukraine – Minister for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine. 

The crossing points with neighboring Poland and Slovakia are important export gateways for Ukraine and have strategic significance in the country’s export logistics. Timely and substantial upgrades, such as these lighting systems, improve the overall functionality of the BCP infrastructure. Therefore, such updates are crucial for ensuring the continuous flow of goods from Ukraine, guaranteeing grain export. 

“Border crossing points have become strategically important for development, and support of export and import. With the start of the war, part of the border was closed, effectively shutting down ports. At the same time, we made a huge leap towards European integration. We thank our partners for their help. On our part, we started implementing changes at the crossing points, which will provide comfort for users,” says Mustafa Nayyem, the Head of the Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine (SARDI).

Timothy Madigan, ERA’s Chief of Party remarks on USAID ERA’s modernizing of BCP activities: “Every step in the modernization of Ukraine’s infrastructure opens new horizons for its economic development and international integration. Systematic updating of key border crossing points not only enhances Ukraine’s export capacity but is also a symbol of resilience and progress in the face of challenges. These lighting system upgrades provide not only a brighter road for transport but also a brighter future for the country.”

 

Background: Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes. 

USAID installs 50-kW generator at the railway border crossing point in the Volyn region

BCP Renovation and Reconstruction
12 December 2023

On December 6, USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) delivered a 50-kW generator to the railway border crossing point in the Volyn region. The generator will provide backup power to one of the largest cargo BCPs on Ukraine’s borders and help manage the disruptions to the flow of cargo out of Ukraine.

As Ukraine continues to deal with challenges brought on by the war, and Russia’s attacks on critical infrastructure in particular, support such as this is vital in managing the disruptions to the flow of cargo out of Ukraine, thereby safeguarding grain exports.

“Continuing to secure the railway infrastructure with alternative power sources and enhancing its energy resilience is of paramount importance. The previous batch of industrial generators received from USAID has been installed at our facilities throughout Ukraine, and this generator will provide backup power for one of the international border crossings. Even in the face of electricity shortages due to hostile shelling, we will be able to maintain the transportation of goods. Thanks to our partners who assist us in managing these challenges,” said Oleksiy Statnik, Director of the Electrification and Power Supply Department at JSC Ukrzaliznytsia.

USAID ERA is working on the rapid modernization of the BCPs to increase operational efficiency, to improve the logistics of cargo transportation, and increase the volume of trade and the export of grain.

Between 2023-2026, USAID, through the Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), is dedicating $115 million to support the State Agency for Restoration and Development of Infrastructure of Ukraine (SARDI), Ukrainian Railways (UZ), and State Customs Services, to upgrade border crossing points (BCPs) to improve grain trade and export volumes.