Shop: Refrigerator Pre-Production 
A Refrigerator Starts Here
From left to right: Samandar Makhmudov, Oksana Platonova, Maxim Nikolaev, Alexander Alexandrin, Andrei Turasov, Vladimir Abramov, Sergey Drobidontov, Ekaterina Afanasyeva, Alexei Lyubeznov, Ekaterina Danilyuk
There’s no such thing as a “more” or “less” important shop in manufacturing. Each section, like a part of the body, plays its own vital role – together forming a single, living factory “organism.” Still, the Refrigerator Pre-Production Shop (RPP) holds special significance, as it is here that the foundation of the product takes shape: the body and freezer liners are made in this very section.
A Team of Entrepreneurs

Andrey Turasov,
Shop Manager

– I’ve been working at the Beko plant since 2016. After graduating from university, I had the chance to stay in Moscow – but I felt my hometown needed my knowledge more. I started as Technician, later became Engineer, and in 2021, I was appointed Shop Manager. At the time, it was a partly strategic move: although there was no crisis, the shop's performance had plateaued, so I took on the role of a kind of Crisis Manager.

A new role brings great responsibility – but the tougher the challenge, the more exciting it is. Together with the team, we managed to drive real growth. Depending on the season, our shop employs between 40 and 60 people across two key areas: extrusion and vacuum forming. The extrusion section produces semi-finished materials, while vacuum forming turns them into refrigerator interior components – like the inner linings for the bodies and doors – ready for the assembly line.

At first glance, our shop may seem compact: two extruders, seven forming units, and a recycling station (crusher). But the output is substantial – just one extrusion line processes over ten tons of raw material daily, while the forming section produces up to 6,000 parts per day. To keep up with this volume, we continuously work on modernization. That’s never easy – bringing something new to life always takes effort – but modernization gives our work a new edge, like salt brings out the flavor in food. It also makes us more efficient. In 2022, we launched a new extruder. In 2023, we transitioned from European to Chinese raw material suppliers. In 2024, we introduced new tooling for the updated models. And now, our next challenge is to localize our supply chain by switching to Russian contractors – and, of course, to master the production of new models. That’s essential for moving forward.
40–60 employees work in the RPP shop, depending on the season
Of course, none of our achievements would be possible without a strong team, both in the office and on the shop floor: Equipment And Tooling Specialists, Planners, Control Systems And Quality Management Technicians, Foremen, Machine Adjusters, Quality Inspectors, Equipment Operators – each contribution is vital and cannot be overstated. What’s more, our team has a deep understanding of the production process. Without that, it’s impossible to trace the root cause of a problem, let alone reach top performance.

But knowledge alone isn’t enough. I believe the real driver of progress is how we interact as a team. By plant standards, the RPP shop is relatively small – which, in my view, is actually an advantage. People here have known each other for years, and we communicate on a very personal, almost friendly level. Because of that, I can give each employee more room for creativity and independent decision-making – knowing their colleagues will always have their back. That’s the principle I follow: each person should think of themselves not just as a factory employee, but as an entrepreneur running their own business – always looking for ways to cut costs and improve quality. We focus on long-term strategy instead of chasing short-term gains by boosting a single metric. In the end, this mindset brings more value to the company and creates opportunities for team members to grow – whether in position or in pay. This approach is already yielding tangible results: record-low levels of defects, critical errors, and workplace safety incidents, among other achievements.

As I’ve mentioned, we also have several ambitious and complex tasks lined up for 2025—the kind we’d call “starred” assignments. But I have no doubt that our outstanding team will handle them just as successfully as they always have.
Coming to Work Feels Like Coming Home

Vladimir Abramov,
Senior Foreman:

This year marks 11 years since I joined the Beko plant. I’ve grown from Pouring Machine Operator and Adjuster to Foreman and now Senior Foreman. Each step has helped me develop new skills and move forward, but the key factor behind this progress has always been our team. There’s a saying: ‘Find a job you enjoy, and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ That’s exactly how I feel here – I come to work with a sense of belonging. Whenever you approach a colleague, they are ready to support you, share their expertise, or offer guidance. And I try to do the same – acting as a mentor when needed, offering advice, or helping resolve complex technical challenges.
The RPP shop manufactures the core components for 1,200,000 refrigerators annually
I believe this is the core value of our shop: almost every employee is not only engaged in their own work but also interested in what others are doing. It's rare to find someone who comes to work just to get through their shift as quickly as possible and rush home. On the contrary, no one acts aloof or detached from the team – everyone makes an effort to approach their duties with care and responsibility, participate in joint projects, and ensure that the tasks we set for ourselves are always completed.

Our RPP shop has cultivated a unique sense of synergy – a strong alignment between leadership and team members. Management ensures that employees have what they need to perform their duties safely and effectively. In turn, this enables us to focus on our work without distraction, resulting in high product quality and consistent performance improvements.

Of course, there are always nuances that arise in each project, but thanks to the many experienced employees on the team, we can always work together to resolve any issues and tackle any problems.
The Pre-Production Shop Hits the One-Million Refrigerator Milestone

Ekaterina Afanasyeva,
Supervisor, Refrigerator Pre-Production Shop:

Working in the Refrigerator Pre-Production Shop is a source of real pride for me – after all, this is where the refrigerator-making process begins. Over the past eight years at the plant, I’ve gone from being a plastic welder to a section supervisor, and my passion for the job hasn’t faded – it’s only grown stronger. These days, I manage not just machines, but people as well. I also work closely with other departments to ensure our efforts aren’t wasted. For instance, we might be ready to produce a refrigerator body, but without the necessary parts from another shop, final assembly would grind to a halt. So I coordinate with other teams in advance to check what components are available, and based on that, we decide which models to build that day.

We may be a small unit, but we handle every task management gives us. A big part of our efficiency comes from the fact that we run two critical processes under one roof: in addition to manufacturing the refrigerator bodies, we also produce our own plastic. This lets us control the supply of raw materials and keep the workflow smooth. In our shop, reducing production losses and improving quality are top priorities. For example, when we get a defective housing, we shred it and reuse the material in production. This kind of self-sufficiency helped us hit a major milestone two years ago: producing one million units in just 12 months. It was a huge achievement – one we celebrated plant-wide. It wasn’t easy. We worked overtime and had to think on our feet when certain parts weren’t available. But in the end, teamwork and experience carried us through.

Speaking of teamwork – that’s one of the best parts of this job.If you run into a tough problem, you can always count on a colleague to help figure it out. I especially want to mention our Senior Supervisor, Vladimir Abramov. I’ve worked with him for seven years now. He’s not just my mentor – he’s a mentor to everyone. He always has time to offer advice or lend a hand.That spirit is typical of our team. Experienced employees make a point of mentoring younger ones, helping them settle in and learn the ropes. That continuity keeps our production culture strong.

One of the most rewarding moments in my work actually happens outside of it. Sometimes, when I’m out shopping, I’ll wander into an appliance store to look at refrigerators. I can’t help myself – I want to see if any of them came from our plant. If I spot one, I can even tell which shift made it by looking at the markings. And every time I realize I helped make that product, I feel proud. It’s a reminder that all our hard work really matters – because that refrigerator will become part of someone’s home and life.
Speaking With Our Eyes

Alexey Lyubeznov,
Production Line Technician:

What is the key element of production? In my opinion, it’s the equipment that enables us to manufacture the right products. And to keep this heart beating, we – technicians – are like doctors, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Of course, much depends on the experience of the "doctor", but over the four years I’ve worked as a technician for automated lines, I’ve gained the knowledge necessary to keep the equipment in good working condition. I take particular pride in preparing the tooling on time – because if a hose suddenly bursts or the pneumatics fail, we won’t be able to produce a quality casing, and the efforts of many colleagues will be wasted.

Naturally, equipment has its own service life, and no matter how skilled you are, breakdowns can still happen. That’s why we strive to regularly modernize our machines. For example, right now we’re upgrading a molding machine: it used to be set up for a single model, but soon it will handle two. This greatly reduces setup time, allowing us to boost output.

No matter how advanced the equipment, we wouldn’t be able to meet our production targets year after year without the team in our shop. There aren’t many of us, but we know each other so well that sometimes we don’t even need to speak—everyone understands their role, and we can communicate with just a glance. It’s this cohesion and mutual understanding that make the RPP shop truly unique.
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