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.