In 1991, a small section was created at an armaments plant for the production of kitchen or fast food equipment. Based on international experience, it was decided to begin producing a product that was new for our country – hot dog roller grills. Beginning in March 1991 with five grills, we gradually increased their number to 150 grills per month. The grills were our only product, as rising demand didn’t allow us to think of new products. The temporary stability of the ruble, decrease in industry and open borders led to a market flood of high-class imported equipment. The first firms selling imported equipment appeared. Customers were justified in becoming more demanding of quality and appearance of goods. Russian equipment was less in demand, and our volume began to decrease. In 1992 we created a development strategy, which we use to this day. The enterprise created to realize this project took the name ATESY.

The enterprise strategy is aimed at full satisfaction of the client’s demands, high product quality and formation of a market for Russian high-tech equipment.

The enterprise created and developed kitchen equipment in its first years. Starting with almost nothing, in five years ATESY produced eight types of roller grills, three kinds of oil fryers, three types of chicken grills, two doughnut makers and an electric cooker.

Considering the growing demand for quality equipment, in 1997 the enterprise switched to producing goods from foreign materials and parts.

From the beginning, ATESY did not neglect the market of street vender equipment, which was distinguished by dynamic growth. A large number of wholesale markets appeared in Russia, which made it necessary for their creators to provide visitors and merchants with affordable food that could be cooked without bulky or power-hungry equipment. This class of fast-running equipment is very attractive for payback and turnover of investments. In a very short time, ATESY developed a series of products that enjoyed immediate market success. This product provides fast preparation of hot food right in front of the customer. The enterprise began supplying this market sector with devices for cooking gyros, pancakes, dumpling, meat pies, and more. We also began producing carts with umbrellas for transporting coolers for the sale of ice cream and cold drinks.

In 1997, ATESY began producing equipment for cafeterias and caterers by creating a concept of a closed technological cycle whose basic objective is producing all the equipment needed for preparing, storing and delivering food to the table. ATESY offered standard equipment to this sector, having significantly raised the bar.

The enterprise also dedicated attention to the sector of equipment used in small “family” cafés that consist of two or three employees. In 1998, the Series 400 miniature kitchen line was offered to the customers of this sector, made with consideration of the special demands on this type of equipment.

By the beginning of 2000, ATESY was a small but dynamically developing enterprise with a full stock of equipment, ensuring production of roughly 1,000 units per month, from the simplest tables and sinks to the most complex electric ranges and food dispensing lines.

ATESY emphasized its participation in the following segments of the general technological equipment market:

• delicatessen (fast food);
• street vendors;
• cafés and mini-cafés;
• cafeterias and caterers;
• restaurants.

ATESY regularly continues its structural modernization, begun in 2004, which concerns production, product range, the design and technology service, logistics, and personnel and sales policies.

In the course of modernization, the company paid particular attention to the issues of selecting and training personnel. It was for this purpose that ATESY founded a training and production center at its Serpukhov factory in 2005 for training, instruction and apprenticeship of employees and new hires in all specializations needed at the factory. As a result, experienced specialists who understand the tasks set before them entered the enterprise.

Changes to the appearance and design of products, more convenient both for production and in operation, caused a reorganization of the design and technology subdivisions. Today, our design and technology departments operate on the unified system of Client-Order-Production. The Client is the head of this chain, with his needs and demands. All of these factors necessitated training in new technology for enterprise specialists with subsequent certification, and new hires had to join a solid staff of workers under the principle “We work for the Client.” The result of this policy was the gradual change from 2005 to 2006 in the appearance of all our products (in the future, these changes will be made every three years). A new line is being prepared for release to replace the Bella-Neva 2004 food distributing line.

The enterprise secured three patents in 2006:

• a patent for a rotation regulating system in chicken rotisserie grills that stabilizes rotation with uneven loads on the grill;
• a patent for a doughnut maker dispenser head that makes doughnuts with any consistency of dough;
• a patent for and electric burner for electric ranges that increases the service life of new ATESY electric ranges.

ATESY’s widened range of equipment necessitated significant changes for the logistics and sales departments.

To ensure quality and effective customer relations, and also to promote our products, a 1,500-m² office center was built at the Lyuberetsy factory in 2006 to provide distribution services, and work is now being completed on expanding and renovating the exhibition hall and master class studio, where clients and partners will see presentation of new products and training seminars will be held.

Growing sales volume created the need to construct additional warehouse terminals: warehouse facilities were built in Lyuberetsy with a total area of 1,500 m², and the enterprise commissioned a 2,000 m² warehouse in Serpukhov in 2006, which satisfies the needs for warehouse space for the coming years.

As a result, it was decided to modernize production in Lyuberetsy and Serpukhov.

The fundamental principles of organizing production were reviewed; the old planning system gave way to the new system of TPS and 6σ. This lead to release of production space which was modernized and reoriented for producing new products, and also for satisfying the growing demand for product output.

Changes in production organization led to significant decreases in the workforce, accelerated order fulfillment, and decreased needless warehouse stock, and also made production more flexible and receptive to the quickly changing tastes of our clients.

In the course of regular modernization of the enterprise’s production facilities and upgrading to new machines from the AMADA Company, Mr. Amada (the company’s principal shareholder) visited ATESY in 2004. Finding the modernization successful, he noted the high role of new, progressive systems of production management and organization.

The implementation of new equipment led to increased quantity and quality of products, as well as changes in their appearance. According to specialists and dealers, our equipment has reached the level of European companies, and this enabled the enterprise to participate in the largest European exhibition, HOST-2005, in Milan in November 2005. This further raised demand for ATESY products.

In order to meet the growing demand, 1,000 m² of assembly space was commissioned in 2005 at the Lyuberetsy factory, as well as 1,200 m² of assembly space at the Serpukhov factory in early 2006, and in May 2006 the enterprise began working around the clock.

Mr. Takagi, AMADA General Director, visited ATESY in order to evaluate the enterprise’s new development prospects.

During this visit, stages for implementing new technological equipment were laid out and a plan was drafted for cooperation between the two companies for supplying ATESY with new high-precision and high-tech equipment.

Increased quality of ATESY products and its speed and precision of production further increased demand for ATESY products, and after consultation and meetings with our dealers and partners, opportunities were found for securing credit for ATESY’s further development. As a result, the enterprise opened its third factory in Tambov in August 2006, which will be oriented toward producing professional neutral equipment. The factory’s first products will come off the line in 2006.

Steady and stable growth of the enterprise has attracted the attention of foreign partners, who have discerned an opportunity to find a reliable production enterprise in Russia for joint realization of mutually profitable projects.

In June 2006, ATESY signed a joint production contract with the leading German producer of combi steamer ovens.