USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) together with Ivan Fedorov, Mayor of Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast presented the first Investment Directory of business profiles of Melitopol companies for international partners. The directory includes information about 22 companies in Melitopol; over time it will be updated with contacts from other manufacturers.
Melitopol was also visited by Joe Deacon, Director of Distag QSC Ltd., Ireland, which manufactures agricultural machinery and buys spare parts from various countries around the world. Deacon visited more than ten local producers to learn about their production facilities. This visit was organized by ERA and the Melitopol Development Agency through the FAME (Farm Machinery, Automotive Parts, and Machine Building Enterprises) initiative implemented by ERA to develop relevant companies in the region.
ERA collaborated with the Melitopol Development Agency to create a profile portfolio of Melitopol manufacturing companies while attracting potential buyers in Europe for specific parts and solutions.
The city of Melitopol was chosen to pilot this initiative due to its strong manufacturing heritage and base of industrial enterprises, as well as light engineering companies.
In 2022, ERA will focus on training and building the capacity of eastern Ukrainian enterprises to help manufacturers systematically improve their ability to respond to the needs of international customers. According to ERA experts, this could shorten the supply chain in Europe heavily affected by COVID-19 related crises and disruptions of goods and supply chains from Asia.