(Thursday, February 23rd, 2023 – New York City, Kyiv)
February 15th and 16th, fifteen members of the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency, including four Board Members and the entire Management team, participated in a historic Rebuild Ukraine Forum and trade exhibition event in Warsaw, Poland. The two-day event drew over 6,000 participants from more than twenty countries including multiple government officials, mayors of Ukrainian municipalities, companies and professional organizations. The event underscored the Agency’s leading position in the segment of international private sector economic development, generated superb opportunities for further cooperation and greatly exceeded expectations of most participants.
Chairman of the Board of the Agency spoke at the Forum’s panel – Rebirth of the Nation and later conducted a Master Class to over 100 participants on how to realistically improve investment attractiveness of Ukrainian Cities to the western investors, lenders and commercial market participants.
At the conclusion of the Master Class, it was announced that the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency, along with several member companies and legal partners, will be conducting a series of four additional (3-hour) masterclasses (Cycle I) for the participating municipalities and regional authorities. Each masterclass will be held biweekly, starting 15th of March of 2023.
The Agency will provide scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition of the first masterclass cycle for up to 150 cities and municipalities, which will be selected during the application process. Total scholarship value -$145,000.
The Rebuilding Ukraine Agency is also pleased to announce that one of its Directors will be providing a free training module to the Ukrainian Export Credit Agency to increase the effectiveness in helping Ukrainian exporters expand their international trade.
The Rebuilding Ukraine Agency would like to thank Rebuild Ukraine event organizers, the US Commercial Service, The Mayors Club, Association of Mayors, Rebuilding Ukraine Association (501c3) and all its members and staff for making the Warsaw event a huge success.
Rebuilding Ukraine Inc. is the US-based member-owned international rapid deployment agency, that was founded in March 2022 with the sole purpose of helping Ukraine rebuild after the Russian war.
The agency represents the US, UK, EU, Canadian and Ukrainian professionals, financing institutions and manufacturers under a unified umbrella in order to deliver maximum impact for the rebuilding effort of Ukraine.
The team of professionals has decades of experience working in Ukraine and an impressive list of successfully completed projects in Ukraine and around the world. Members of the Agency successfully completed multiple projects and financings with OPIC/DFC, various Export Credit Agencies, USTDA, IFC, EBRD and capital markets.
Eleven months of constant work on the subject of Rebuilding Ukraine (both during and after the war); eleven months of preparation; of running two daily Telegram channels and reading countless articles on subject; watching videos and listening to podcasts by renowned, well-educated experts and politicians; daily conversations with friends and business associates who live in Ukraine and multiple in person and Zoom meetings with US and UA government officials, IFI representatives, mayors of over forty Ukrainian cities and dozens of corporate representatives.
Over these eleven months, a constant barrage of information and PR promotion from think tanks, government investment agencies, IFIs and reporters. Months of reading about emerging and repeating themes of using confiscated russian assets to rebuild Ukraine, countless high-level meetings with renowned global financial institutions, most of whom have never been in Ukraine before, on how to manage expected billions of dollars expected to flow to the country after the war. Endless talks about need for insurance, insurance and insurance, direct foreign investment and grants, grants and more grants. All these subjects and issues and information flows were part of our daily lives at the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency since the day of its official founding March 24th, 2022! Then, three days in Warsaw, being a key part of the REbuild Ukraine conference and exposition changed it all. Speaking and listening to hundreds of attendees (6,000 attended), tens of exhibitors (254 companies were present) and multiple representatives of the government agencies from at least dozen countries (there were over twenty in attendance) certain things became crystal clear.
Despite what the title of this article says, not all of the folks involved in the subject of Rebuilding Ukraine have it wrong, and many solutions, activities and plans offered are very good, needed and may one day have a shot at being implemented. The problem is not the plans and ideas and available insurance or financing programs. The problem is DISCORD of all the parties involved. There is a very famous 1814 fable by Krylov called Lebed’, Rak i Shuka (Swan, Crayfish and a Pike) (Yes, I know Krylov was russian and no, I will not accept criticism of activists for using this reference here, as it absolutely perfectly illustrates what is going on with respect to the subject of Rebuilding Ukraine). The gist of the fable is that when asked to pull a cart together, the swan, the crayfish and the pike would have easily succeeded had they worked together in unison, yet they failed miserably because the swan was pulling up wanting to fly, crayfish crawled backwards, and the pike was pulling the cart toward the river. With this type of effort, the cart of course remained in place.
The same situation is taking place now with respect to Ukraine. Multiple stakeholders, each with their own self-interest, are pulling the proverbial cart in different directions, while Ukraine remains in one place, all while being raped, tortured and pillaged by the aggressor. This is unacceptable and will not work effectively when the time comes to rebuild the country. Add to that graft and corruption, which exists both in Ukraine and in practically all Western countries, inexperience of many new entrants, protectionism and squatting within Ukraine and the recipe for a failure is almost complete. Below are but just a few factors, which have developed during the war, and which contribute to the discord. Rebuilding Ukraine’s process today is like a star-studded symphony orchestra without a conductor.
War effect – this terrible war has affected the lives of tens of millions of people, severely damaged Ukrainian economy and infrastructure, necessitated new skills and knowledge from multiple local participants, and completely upended the traditional means of municipal financing, affected urban development, reconfigured construction supply markets, impacted labor availability, economic development and this is just scratching the surface.
Federal vs municipal – Ukraine’s Federal Government has done a very credible job dealing with the war effort, repairing some infrastructure and planning for the post war recovery. The situation at the regional and local levels has not been quite as smooth and uniform. The fact that the local authorities were left largely to fend for themselves did not help. Most Regional and local entities do not have significant experience dealing with the western businesses and attracting international financing.
Famous vs forgotten – although there are over one thousand cities, towns, municipalities and villages, some like Bucha, Irpin, Bakhmut, Mariupol, Kharkiv, Zaporizh’e Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipro and Odesa became very well known as result of the devastating war and their suffering. This “fame” attracted disproportionate attention from the international community and a disproportionate desire to help rebuild these particular locales. Yet hundreds of other municipalities, some located practically next door to the aforementioned, have also suffered just as badly. What about them? How do they cope not only with the effects of war, but with being dealt a less fortunate hand in the rebuilding process?
PR effect – PR on all levels has been one of the most effective tools during this horrible war. From the national level PR of the President speaking to the parliaments, governments and international financial institutions, to more localized investment promotion agencies, municipalities, countless NGOs, YouTube bloggers and commercial entities constantly appearing in social media and at various international events, PR has made Ukraine the leading global brand and the most attractive destination for rebuilding. This phenomenon has attracted a great many players who have never before done business in Ukraine, or even visited the county.
Award of patronage – many countries, NGOS, individuals and businesses spent the last year helping Ukraine in its war efforts. Countless tons of military equipment, medical supplies, food, clothing and much more were delivered to Ukraine. As the result, the President of Ukraine awarded to some countries priority patronage over rebuilding certain cities. The basis for such awards were unclear, the countries selected were very few and this process did not appear to help the remaining municipalities in Ukraine.
Foreign entrants – It is estimated that businesses, NGOs and governments from about fifty countries are interested to participate in helping Ukraine win the war and to take place in the subsequent rebuilding process. Almost every country has one or more government agencies charged with supporting exports and investments for the businesses from that country. These agencies are very useful in helping their constituents enter multiple foreign markets but could become much more effective if they become a part of the Ukraine-focused international initiative, one that is capable of delivering to their clients the so called “last mile” connectivity with the Ukrainian federal, regional, local and commercial markets and can help them to better understand Ukrainian processes, needs and the local culture.
Foreign money and insurance – from the start of the war, many Ukrainian and international participants (including our own Agency) began to focus on bringing new investment projects and understanding the tools available for financing and insurance in Ukraine today and once the hot phase of the war ends. While FDI, debt financing and Political Risk Insurance (PRI), war insurance, export credit and breach of contract coverages, along with similar instruments are very important, it should be the proverbial number 175 on the list of priorities to rebuild Ukraine. The Rebuilding Ukraine Agency has an extremely deep and capable multi-country team to develop, finance and insure complex projects. We closely work with both government, private and capital market funding, and insurance sources in over 20 countries. Our members have successfully completed large and very complex financing in Ukraine over 27 years. What we see now is a very unorganized and poorly prepared market with a dearth of well-developed projects, deteriorating credit quality, unwillingness of many Western funders and local investors to participate and precious few selected projects ready for the financing/insurance applications submissions. The recipe for fixing this critically important issue will be a subject to a separate post.
Regional vs regional – Lviv region vs Zakorpatye vs Volyn, vs Chernihiv vs Odesa vs Kherson along with the other eighteen regions they all compete. They compete for economic development, for domestic and foreign investment, for more inhabitants, for more resources. During peaceful times, this type of competition is absolutely healthy and normal and should be left alone. Yet these are not peaceful times and the resources for which regions compete are foreign as well as domestic. The demographics are changing with manufacturing capacity and populations moving West or leaving the country completely. It is vital for the new market entrants to understand the effects of these changes in making their investment and financing decisions. It is also vital for the Regional and local authorities to understand the evolving situation and develop plans to make their regions more attractive for economic development, which are based on the new realities.
Local vs local – cities, towns, hromadas and villages – face much the same issues as the regions, but their woes are amplified. There are many of them, they greatly vary in size, economic advantages, location and population. Their credit quality is largely non-existent, or not sufficient to obtain any type of financing, other than from the Ukrainian Federal government, local taxes or utility fees. They education as to what is needed to attract Western counterparties is often below par and the local corruption is often high. All these sources are far from sufficient to help these cities and towns rebuild and jumpstart their economic activities post-war. For the last eleven months their issues have been largely ignored and this needs to change.
Shifting demographics, declining population, PTSD – by various estimates, about ten million people were displaced as the result of the war, about 4.7 million were forced to leave the country, and it is safe to predict that most of the 40 million Ukrainians will suffer the effects of PTSD. Thus, developing a coordinated plan to help welcome those refugees who will be coming back, replace those labor market participants who will not return and set up effective rehabilitation programs for those suffering from PTSD will be vital and will require strong coordination.
Reconciling Ukraine 5.0 with damaged pipes, schools and hospitals today – The mandate of the Ukraine’s government and its lawmakers, which is echoed by a number of private and NGO players, is to rebuild Ukraine better. Smart cities, energy efficient construction, new urban planning and other state-of-the-art features. But Ukraine is badly damaged, not destroyed. Thus, how to reconcile the planning of building an entirely new ultra-modern, energy efficient smart City, of which only maybe 20 percent has been damaged and for which the City administration desperately needs funds to repair broken pipes, streets, schools and kindergarten facilities today!!!! Do it piecemeal and you end up with a quilt patch of mediocre, and there is certainly no funding to do it all at once. Again, strong multiparty coordination is needed.
The Warsaw conference clearly showed the proper unique positioning and the leadership role of the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency. During the conference we have been approached by multiple European Governments and Government agencies, seeking to cooperate with the Agency and for us to assist their constituent businesses. The Agency has also conducted significant discussions with the private sector companies and with multiple Ukrainian municipalities. Current situation calls for completely different tactics. Investment projects and market entrance by the players new to Ukraine have to be curated and carefully developed. The Investment Promotion agencies, while useful, have no depth and expertise needed to see the projects through to their financing and completion. Over the next several months the Agency will significantly broaden its scope and membership roster. Stay tuned!
After two action-packed days, the basic thesis of the Rebuild Ukraine event may be summed up as follows: Private business looking to get into Ukraine and Ukrainian business looking for the western business expertise and financing, should be supported by their respective governments, IFIS and NGOs, but led into action by an international, experienced privately managed economic development organization, which has experience, cross-cultural awareness, stature and independence to act. This organization needs to be comfortable in talking to all Ukrainian and external stakeholders, as it will be a key interface between helping Ukraine get ready for Western investment, lending, insurance, supply and training. Support from international government investment promotion agencies is absolutely vital as is the support from the Ukrainian side on all levels. The analogy I often like to use is that of a major port where large passenger, cargo and at times military ships, come in and each one of them is big and mighty. Yet, in order for the port to operate successfully, small, agile tugboats are needed to coordinate all these large ships. Thus, either as the conductor of a large multinational Rebuilding symphony orchestra, or as the tugboat of the port of call named UKRAINE it is indisputable that Ukraine needs an experienced independent, multinational economic development organization to coordinate the massive rebuilding effort for the western players seeking to help the country. For the last eleven months, the members of the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency have been working on developing innovative training programs, financing solutions and economic development techniques applicable to the new realities of Ukraine. If your organization is interested in helping Ukraine rebuild efficiently and with the maximum benefit, please consider joining our Agency. Our team, and our esteemed members have the technical, legal, cross-cultural and financial tools required to deliver an orderly process where the resources are used strategically and the rebuilding process involving western companies, governments and financial institutions will have the maximum effect for every Hryvna, Dollar, Euro, Pound or Zloty spent.
Only one day to go till the start of the BIG event. Excitement is in the in Warsaw, the hotel lobby is buzzing with the pre-Forum activities. Groups of business folks are everywhere. For our team this is the day to set up the stand, finish gathering up all the arriving team members and hold a few key pre-Forum meetings.
The team from the ECC Corp, – the Agency’s largest member – set the tone for the day and rolled out their wares to be taken to the exposition center.
They were joined by the Agency’s own Sergei Glazunov, our steadfast CEO, Frencisco Anzola, our Board Member and Controller/ our own resident computer wiz, Kseniya Belinska, the Agency’s amazing super-mom VP, without whom our participation in this event would be impossible. Yours truly, along with the Agency’s member Edward Vays of the Berehove Springs project were the remaining members of the set-up group. In addition to the promotional and information materials, Mr. Vays brought with him the world-famous Ukrainian flag, which was displayed by him and his US friends during the USA-Iran football game at the FIFA World Cup in Quatar. The photographs of this group holding the flag made front pages of global newspapers
The entire exhibit hall was bustling and with exhibitors from various countries and Ukrainian cities working hard to complete the set-up, in time for Wednesday’s opening. Thanks to the well-timed help from the organizers of the event, our team made all the last-minute adjustments and completed the set up in a couple of hours. We even managed to get a special table for the ECC’s espresso machine, which will allow all the visitors to the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency’s stand to take the load off and enjoy a freshly brewed cup of coffee, as they move through the vast hall.
When we got back to the hotel, we greeted the remainder of our arriving delegates from Depsol and MI Group. The rest of the day was spent in meetings (Francisco and Sergei’s faces reflect the focus and the intensity) and preparations for Wednesday’s and Thursday packed schedules. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s update on the launch of this marquee event.
First from our group to arrive to Warsaw for the big event was Thomas Lang, head of the Rebuilding Ukraine Association (the 501c3 non-profit spearheading the REUNITE education initiative to help train Ukrainian construction industry professionals and seeking to sign a multiparty memorandum at the event) He is also working to assist a Ukrainian project sponsor on developing a construction block production facility in Ukraine.
The incomparable Thomas Lang
After Thomas, our own Edward Vays made his way to Warsaw. Edward is the Principal Owner and Developer of a unique Berehove Springs Thermal Rehabilitation Project. Due to its unique location and access to healing mineral water, which comes from1.3 km deep well drilled by Edward’s company, the Berehove Springs project aims to become the leading PTSD veteran and family rehabilitation center in Ukraine. Soon after his arrival, Edward found himself engaged into intense discussions with the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency’s Board Member Aleksandr Stefansky, who arrived in the afternoon loaded with a 70lb bag of Agency’s presentation materials.
Aleksandr Stefansky, Rebuilding Ukraine Agency Board Member and Construction Committee Co-Head
Edward Vays, Principal Owner, Berehove Springs Thermal Rehabilitation Center and Wellness Community project
Others, including yours truly, continued to arrive and their stories and the story of the Rebuild Ukraine event will unfold over the next few days. Symbolically, Warsaw met the visitors with grey and dingy weather, which reflected the somber mood over the current situation in Ukraine. Yet, after walking around in the Old Town, one could see splashes of color and lights, which to me symbolized the hope and the bright future events like Rebuild Ukraine will bring after the war to this long-suffering country.
On a housekeeping note. All my photographs from the Rebuild Ukraine event will be put into a separate album, the link to which will be available in the last post covering this trip.
It is Sunday February 12th. I awoke to the news of more russian missiles falling on Kharkiv and on other Ukrainian cities, more news on the devastating earthquake in Turkey, US shooting down a third! flying object in a week, as the country prepares for today’s Superbowl. Yet amidst the ongoing wars, diplomatic conflicts and natural disasters, an important event will be taking place this coming week in Warsaw, Poland. It will be focused on the bright future of beautiful, resilient, war-torn Ukraine. Over the next week, I will attempt to document this event from the insider’s perspective. I will try to post daily, but given the schedule ahead, it may not be feasible. So please bear with me over the few days and I hope you find these diaries interesting and helpful.
As I write this, thousands of men and women from over twenty countries have begun to make their way to Warsaw for the Rebuild Ukraine Forum and Conference. This event is laser-focused solely on construction segments and will cover significant topics such as demining and handling of unexploded ordnance during the rebuilding, infrastructure restoration, construction material recycling, increasing Ukraine’s capacity to produce and supply vital construction materials such as insulation, plate glass, precast concrete, as well as developing real-estate projects, which will address Ukraine’s new realities such as shifting demographics and the need to restore and rehabilitate post-war the physical and mental health of the nation. The event will also be focused on how to finance, insure and develop projects, which will help Ukraine rebuild.
Unlike other political, macroeconomic, and academic events dedicated to the subject of the Rebuilding Ukraine, the Warsaw conference and exhibit is driven by the private business – the infantry of the recovery process. This is very important, as these folks vote with their own dollar, euro zloty or hryvna and are the first to go in and engage. What is even more important, is the fact that this event will facilitate a direct dialogue between the Ukrainian Government, multiple Ukrainian regions and municipalities and is expected to act as a starting point for several viable investment, construction and recovery projects.
After four months of preparation for the event, our own Rebuilding Ukraine Agency will be well-represented. Our delegation of 25 men and women will consist of the several Agency’s Board Members, the Agency’s CEO, Vice President and representatives of several Agency-member companies who will be showcasing their projects and capabilities. Although our Rebuilding Ukraine Agency is US-based and will be unofficially representing the United States at the event (other countries are having government-sponsored pavilions), the Agency is international in nature, and our Warsaw delegation will have members from six countries at the exhibit pavilion. Even though the event has not yet started, our Group’s meeting calendars are already well-booked, with meetings starting two days before the actual February 15th and 16th conference dates. Our Agency has been one of the co-organizers of the Rebirth of Nation panel and I will be speaking there on the financing and insurance opportunities available to foreign and local investors. Our Agency team is putting final touches on a Master Class for Ukrainian municipalities on how to develop and package projects for investment and financing by the international community.
So today, t-3 days until the official events kickoff, is the travel day for most of us. Overnight flights on LOT and Delta from the US, car and train rides from Ukraine, Italy, Germany and Croatia. Presentations and marketing materials are being delivered from Kyiv, where they were printed, despite drone attacks and power outages. As the self-appointed photographer for the Agency i will be chronicling the conference and activities taking place at our Agency’s pavilion. My luggage contains over 25 pounds of photographic equipment, including multiple lenses. Given the gravity of the events taking place in Ukraine, as this conference will be taking place, I am thinking of shooting the entire reportage in black and white. Have not yet made up my mind on this though.
Special thanks to everyone who has been involved in the preparation for this significant event. Our wonderful video and presentation designers, along with our terrific CEO and VP, members who supported the exposition, exhibit organizers and Board members who volunteered their time to make sure that the Agency is well-prepared not only for this event, but to help Ukraine, as it gets ready to REbuild itself after this devastating war. Stay tuned for additional coverage of the Warsaw conference in the upcoming issues.
It has been eight long and painful months watching Ukraine and its brave people fight and suffer during the brutal war brought on by its neighboring “broZer”. During seven of those months, Rebuilding Ukraine Agency had its own complex journey riddled with victories, potholes and disappointments.
Formed a month after the war, our member-owned international rapid deployment Agency has one clear mission – help Ukraine rebuild by bringing together likeminded US, UK, European and Ukrainian companies, along with international capital and risk management solutions.
The Agency is organized along several key industry segments – construction/real estate, energy, agriculture, and healthcare. Approximately fifty members strong today, the Agency’s members represent a broad array of companies. From single-person professional practices, to very large architectural, engineering, agricultural and energy firms. As the world’s governments and major financial institutions have been working with Ukraine to develop recovery and rebuilding mechanisms, the Agency quietly took a lead in creating a “closed cycle approach” of developing, financing and insuring projects using its broad toolbox of financing and insurance mechanisms, coupled with building of multidisciplinary teams capable to address the project needs at each stage. Current projects in the Agency pipeline range from development and financing of the state-of-the-art insulation production facility, development of a precast concrete production facility, development of a wellness/rehabilitation center and housing subdivision, to co-financing of a nuclear reactor and of alternative energy powered powerplant facilities.
Despite of the uneven support from the various government agencies and from the international financial institutions on both sides of the pond, the Agency’s Board and staff have persevered and have been moving forward with the laser focus. Rebuilding Ukraine is a rapid deployment agency and that ability to quickly decide, mobilize and act has thus far served as an unbeatable advantage. The Agency entered into several key alliance with established organizations, both in Ukraine and in the US, and through regular roundtables and social media channels has been in the forefront of curating the “Rebuilding Ukraine” topic to a broad audience in several countries. The Agency’s invitation-only Telegram Channel 1 has been critically acclaimed and has become the go to place on the subject.
However, Rebuilding Ukraine journey has not been without its challenges. At the time the Agency was formed, the pro-Ukrainian sentiment was very high worldwide, the war was in the headlines and the world’s outpouring of humanitarian and emotional support has been tremendous. A number of members who joined the Agency at that time have joined guided largely by emotion and having no clear understanding of how they may benefit Ukraine’s rebuilding. When it became apparent that the war will not end quickly and the Agency’s strategy would need to be revised for the long-term, the Agency experienced an attrition of about ten percent of its members.
Another significant obstacle has been investor/donor fatigue, which has developed across the entire “Ukraine” space and the Agency’s capital raising efforts have been impacted by this. As the economic situation in Ukraine deteriorated and bombings escalated, it has become increasingly difficult to develop bankable projects and to even keep up certain meeting schedules due to electricity blackouts, facilities of Agency’s clients being attacked and forced air raid evacuations.
Since the entire Agency staff, Board members and supporting professionals have been volunteering their time, sometimes their “day jobs” took priority and certain Agency initiatives did not unfold as quickly as desired.
When, in March, the Rebuild Ukraine Agency started delivering the message of Private Sector being the key driver in the Rebuilding of Ukraine process, the media and various forum spaces were dominated by theorists and pundits who would put out opinions on how to Rebuild Ukraine without any practical basis. As the time passed, multiple relevant parties understood the importance of the Rebuilding Ukraine with the private sector and started to piggyback on the Agency’s message. I guess imitation is the sincerest from of flattery.
Based on the analysis of the problems, obstacles and successes, the Agency’s Board and Officers have working on putting together a strategic plan, which would allow the Agency to maintain its leading position in the Rebuilding Ukraine space, expand its financing toolbox with equity and possibly NFT offerings, transition its key staff away from the volunteering role, develop cost-effective due diligence and compliance procedures and grow its membership roster to 100 members in 2023.
The Agency is planning a major in-person event in the middle of February in Poland to participate in the Rebuild Ukraine conference and exhibit being organized to accelerate the rebuilding process and we expect 2023 to be the year this horrific war finally ends and the recovery and rebuilding of Ukraine will start in earnest with the Rebuilding Ukraine Agency leading the way for its members.
(June 24, 2022, Washington, DC, Kyiv). The Rebuilding Ukraine Agency, with support of the National Investment Council of Ukraine, the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine and the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, proudly announces that the Agency has been engaged to spearhead construction development, arrangement of financing and political risk insurance for a state-of-the-art building insulation manufacturing and distribution facility, to be inaugurated in Ukraine in the next several months.
The proposed $25 million facility is being developed by the Depsol Technologies Group of companies– an experienced, US-based supplier of chemical raw materials to the construction industry in Ukraine and the Baltic countries. The planned facility will be located in the Central Economic District of Ukraine in close proximity to the markets most affected by the wartime destruction. The new plant will produce highly energy efficient and fire-resistant polyurethane insulation material ranging from flexible insulation to rigid structural panels, which will be used for construction and insulation of residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
Given the substantial destruction of Ukraine’s existing insulation capacity and anticipated needs during the upcoming rebuilding phase, the planned initial production and distribution capacity of the Depsol facility will be 3 million sq.m. of insulation per year. The Depsol facility will have its own solar energy generation plant and will be built to the most rigorous international energy efficiency standards. Over 500 jobs will be created during construction and operation of the plant and of the adjoining distribution center.
The financing for the project is expected to be a combination of equity and European-export-credit-agency-(ECA)-backed loans. Political risk insurance is expected from the US-based government agencies.
About:
Depsol Technologies LLC. is a chemical company focused on distribution of construction insulation materials and production inputs, as well as plastics in and oil and gas chemicals in Ukraine and the Baltic countries.
Depsol’s senior management team has more than 20 years of experience in distribution and trading of plastics and industrial chemicals throughout FSU countries. Prior to establishing Depsol Technologies, Drs. Alfred and Irene Roth founded Dipol Chemical, a major distributor for Dow, Nova, DuPont, Solvay, Clariant in the region, which in 2008 has been successfully sold to the worldwide chemical distributor Brenntag.
Rebuilding Ukraine Agency (www.rebuildingUA.com) – Rebuilding Ukraine Inc. is the US-based member-owned international rapid deployment agency, that was founded in March 2022 with the sole purpose of helping Ukraine rebuild after the Russian war.
The agency represents the US, UK, EU, Canadian and Ukrainian professionals, financing institutions and manufacturers under a unified umbrella, in order to deliver maximum impact for the rebuilding effort of Ukraine. The agency’s team of professionals has decades of experience working in Ukraine and an impressive list of successfully completed projects in Ukraine and around the world.
National Investment Council – Office of the National Investment Council is an advisory body to the President of Ukraine. It addresses Ukraine’s needs in support for the design and implementation of policy reforms and institutional capacity building, as well as investments. The National Investment Council of Ukraine was established by the Decree of the President of Ukraine N365/2016 and comprises the highest-ranking state officials. Chairman of the National Investment Council is President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Secretary of the National Investment Council is Halyna Yanchenko
Members of the National Investment Council are leading international companies that have already invested in Ukraine or are planning to invest, as well as international financial organizations.
Confederation of Builders of Ukraine – formed 11 years ago, the Confederation of Builders of Ukraine is the largest specialized association, which unites more than 700 participants in the country’s markets for real estate, construction and construction material supply.
US Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) – The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council was established in October 1995 to advance U.S. companies’ trade and investment interests in Ukraine’s significant emerging market, advocate for measures to improve conditions for bilateral trade and investment, and generally promote strong, friendly bilateral ties.
For more information contact Tamara Zykova at management@rebuildingUA.com
Before the sunrise hits the roofs, Before the birds begin to sing, As drops of dew roll off the grass, We hear the bells of global deals ring
Their energy provides the fuel to drive the shipments cross the globe, The email bits are cold and cruel, They’re deals’ blood and players’ hope
The deals take us to strange places, Exotic towns, abandoned mines, Through deals we learn people’s faces, And find the truth between the lines
The deals are like drugs and vices, They make us high, and crashing lows they bring, We chase them hard; we sometimes take bad chances, and yet like junkies, we pursue them and ignore their sting
As Covid global business shuttered, and havoc wrecked across the world, It forced us to rethink the future of handshakes, business flights and ways our goods are sold
And as we wait, and hope for cure to this once-in-a-life pandemic, two things of which we can be sure better than any Academic:
The global business will continue, and deals will certainly rebound, Thus offense in this time of chaos, is strategy, which is most sound And though video for meetings has served a major role and found its place, There is no way for it to ever, in-person interaction fully to replace
(London, UK – June 24, 2016) On this historic day of the “Brexit” referendum, Broad Street Capital Group announced that it has been appointed as the exclusive financial adviser for for financing of a state-of-the-art data center in the Baltic States. The proposed $100 million project, called AmberCore DC, will launch in 2017 and will be financed through a combination of owner and investor equity, coupled with senior debt to be provided by the UK Export Finance (UKEF).
CBRE of London and PACT Consulting Inc., based in Bethesda, Md., have been selected as the data center’s marketing consultants and will be responsible for introducing anchor clients to the project.
“We are delighted to serve as the financiers for this project,” stated Alexander M. Gordin, Managing Director of Broad Street Capital Group. “With the worldwide explosion of cloud computing services, significant demand exists for quality data hosting facilities in emerging markets. Not only does the proposed project enjoy a strategic location and terrific connectivity, but it is also being developed by an experienced, highly reputable teleport operator and satellite services provider with a diverse international clientele. Despite strong geopolitical winds, which have slowed the project down over the last 24 months, the owners persevered and have remained completely committed to the project. “, said Gordin
“We aim to attract large European and US-based corporate customers from the IT, oil & gas and financial sectors. who are interested in a professional Tier III certified data center facility strategically located in close proximity to some of the fasted growing emerging markets,” said Vitaliy Malashevskiy, Director of Ambercore DC and a co-owner of Satgate UAB, the project’s sponsor.
The AmberCore DC project will be the second high-tech facility in the Baltic States for the SatGate Group. It will be scalable up to 30MW of power and 5,000 racks, due to the modular design approach, which will utilize the latest cooling technologies to maximize the efficiency and minimize power consumption.
“This project will showcase the latest technological advances, and will open up a superb opportunity for UK and U.S. cooperation with the Baltic region countries,” Gordin added.
About Ambercore DC – a project company formed to develop a TIER III data center strategically located in the Baltics. To date, the project’s sponsors have invested over $6 million in property acquisition, design, engineering, development, certification and marketing of the project. The design has been certified TIER III by the Uptime institute. It is the only facility in Europe with proprietary access to an adjacent uplink/downlink teleport facility, which has been developed and is being operated by its parent company – Satgate UAB
About Satgate UAB – SatGate UAB is a leading satellite services provider, based in Lithuania. Operating a unique satellite teleport facility located near of Vilnius, SatGate provides a full range of satellite communication services in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia to ISPs, telecoms, the oil and gas industry, and other corporate and private customers. SatGate integrates and manages turn-key communication solutions of any complexity. For more information, please visit http://www.satgate.net
About Broad Street Capital Group-Based in the World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower in New York City’s financial district, Broad Street Capital Group is an international private merchant bank, which since 1988 has served several foreign governments, multiple state-owned companies, as well as SMEs in emerging markets. The Firm focuses on arranging project financing in the $50-500 million range, providing political risk mitigation, export management services and cross-border market development advisory. Although the Firm has clients ranging from Bangladesh to Oklahoma, its primarily geographic focus is on the countries of Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia.
The firm works closely with all trade and development agencies of the U.S. Government and Export Credit Agencies of several European and North American countries. Since its inception, Broad Street Capital Group has been involved in multiple high-profile cross-border transactions in IT/telecom, aerospace, healthcare, energy generation, food security, nuclear safety, hospitality and franchising sectors. The firm’s current advisory portfolio exceeds $675 million. For more information, please visit www.broadstreetcap.com, or contact Rustem Tursynov at info@broadstreetcap.com
Hopes for an American export boom are wilting under the weight of a strong dollar and global economic strains.
U.S. exports are on track to decline this year for the first time since the financial crisis, undermining a national push to boost shipments abroad. Through July, exports of goods and services were down 3.5% compared with the same period last year. New data released Tuesday by the Commerce Department showed that exports of U.S. goods sank a seasonally adjusted 3.2% in August to their lowest level in years.
The weak trade performance is restraining overall economic growth, a sign of how troubles in China and other major economies are dinging the U.S. economy.
“Foreign demand remains the weakest part of the economy,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at consulting firm High Frequency Economics.
It didn’t seem that way in 2010, when President Barack Obama set a goal of doubling exports over five years. Some big cities took up the challenge, including Portland, Ore.
Facing a battered economy at home, Vanessa Keitges, president of Portland-based Columbia Green Technologies, lined up sales in Belgium and New Zealand. In Canada, she chased public-building projects and Wal-Marts. Within three years, one-quarter of the green-roofing company’s sales were outside the U.S.
But that proved to be a high-water mark for the company’s foreign ambitions. Ms. Keitges is now focusing on the strengthening domestic market for the company’s rooftop planters as weak growth abroad tempers demand and a strong dollar creates pricing problems.
Exports seemed a golden opportunity as Portland and the rest of the nation emerged from the 2007-09 recession. Foreign sales were a major contributor to U.S. economic growth in 2010 and 2011, outstripping past recoveries. Political leaders hoped selling goods and services abroad would offer a sustained boost to the job market at home.
But the dream of an export boom has faded.
As unemployment has declined, American consumers have reasserted their dominant role in driving economic growth. And a strong dollar and weakness overseas have helped turn international trade into a drain on overall economic growth in four of the past six quarters.
The Federal Reserve worries exports will be a persistent drag on the broader economy going forward. Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer in August said it was “plausible to think that the rise in the dollar over the past year would restrain growth…through 2016 and perhaps into 2017.” If the Fed begins to raise short-term interest rates later this year, that could provide new fuel to push the dollar’s value even higher.
Exports of goods and services grew 80% from 2003 to 2008, but then expanded only 48% from 2009 to 2014, according to Census Bureau data.
A Commerce Department official described President Obama’s export-growth initiative as “catalytic and a success,” driving exports “despite strong global economic headwinds and macroeconomic factors outside our control.”
The administration is looking to spur trade growth through agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Senior officials from around the world are meeting in Atlanta, trying to complete the expansive trade deal after talks stalled earlier this year.
It isn’t just the U.S. where exports have been a disappointment in recent years. Globally, growth in trade volume is set to trail the pace of economic growth for the third year in a row, and trade growth has been averaging just half its pre-financial crisis pace. In the immediate aftermath of the recession, confronted by weakness in the domestic economy, U.S. policy makers saw opportunity in global markets.
Following Mr. Obama’s lead, the Portland metro region in 2012 set its own goal to double its exports in five years. “This is how we fight for jobs in the next economy,” then-Portland Mayor Sam Adams declared. In the past year, Portland has quietly shelved that aim. The value of Portland-area exports actually declined slightly between 2012 and 2014, according to tallies from the Commerce Department and the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
After Portland set its goal, economic conditions started to shift. The value of major currencies declined relative to the dollar, making American-made goods more expensive for foreign customers. Growth slowed in key markets such as China and Canada. At home, the U.S. economy regained its footing.
Over the past year, Portland first was caught up in a labor dispute that caused gridlock at ports along the West Coast, then it lost regular ocean-bound container service. Local officials also came to realize export growth depended overwhelmingly on chip maker Intel Corp., MMINTCMM which has extensive facilities in the Portland suburbs.
Exports of computer and electronic products helped drive a more than doubling of the metro area’s exports between 2003 and 2008, according to Brookings. But Intel has suffered from a slowdown in demand for personal computers.Measurable gains from smaller companies are likely to take years to materialize. Federal estimates show only about 5% of U.S. firms export, with nearly two-thirds of the annual value concentrated among 500 companies.
Hand-tool maker Astro Tool Corp. in the Portland suburb of Beaverton has seen many of the challenges up close. Over the past year, general manager Mike Barnes dedicated half his time to chasing foreign customers, while still overseeing day-to-day operations of the 30-employee company. He faced a steep learning curve. “We, A, didn’t know how to do it, and B, we didn’t have the money to do it,” he said. “You can’t just go to the Internet and say, ‘Where do we find foreign opportunities?’ ”
He eventually landed a small grant to hire a consultant and tapped connections for advice. The share of Astro’s business coming from overseas climbed over the past year to 25% from 15%. But he also watched at a trade show as a foreign competitor sold a cheap, knockoff version of a product similar to his.
The Portland region is trying to court foreign companies that already incorporate exports into their business model. But those companies aren’t immune to global pressures.
Two years ago, exports were nearing 70% of the sales of Shimadzu USA Manufacturing Inc., a subsidiary of the Japanese maker of instruments to test everything from wine fermentation to the urine of Olympic athletes. Now the plant in an industrial park at the far southern edge of metro Portland is getting closer to 50-50 as domestic growth outpaces sales gains abroad.
Foreign customers “can get it cheaper from Japan now than they can from the United States. We’re not as competitive as we were,” said Joe Shaddix, vice president of operations and manager of the factory, referencing the strong dollar.
At the same time, domestic demand for test instruments is developing among marijuana growers as states move to legalize the drug. The factory has expanded what it can make, becoming U.S. Food and Drug Administration registered.
Mr. Adams, the former mayor, remains a strong advocate for the goal of doubling exports—if not by 2017, then eventually. He worries the Portland economy isn’t keeping up with the quality of life that draws twenty- and thirty-somethings at an enviable rate.
“Obviously the timeline will move, but keeping that goal front and center is key,” he said.
Write to Mark Peters at mark.peters@wsj.com and Ben Leubsdorf at ben.leubsdorf@wsj.com
MoMBIT (Museum of Merchant Banking & International Trade)May 18, 2023
"Shrouded in secrecy, steeped in legend, they are the most fascinating and enigmatic of all aristocracy. They are the merchant bankers - the fabulous financiers whose family decisions have shaped the fates of kings and nations." Joseph Wechsberg, Merchant Bankers 1966
Having extensively studied international trade and its finance, we have realized the enormity of the impact this subject has had on development of humanity. Yet very little has been done to focus the attention of ordinary members of our society on the truly fascinating history of the subject.
Thus we thought a comprehensive, world-class museum may be a good start. We hope that once open, this museum will educate, inform and empower the visitors to strive and create additional economic impact through trade and finances, two pillars on which our society has been built and which will carry it into the future.
What's more, our museum will be state-of-the-art and will utilize latest advances in virtual reality, remote access information technologies and interactive engagement. Using MoMBIT's exhibits and archives as a platform, we will also launch educational centers to help samll and medium size companies seeking to expand their international trade operations and to attract students to the amazing fields of trade and finance.
International Project and Trade Financing
international Merchant Bankers providing Project and Export Finance services to private enterprises and government-owned companies
About Satgate UAB – SatGate UAB is a leading satellite services provider, based in Lithuania. Operating a unique satellite teleport facility located near of Vilnius, SatGate provides a full range of satellite communication services in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia to ISPs, telecoms, the oil and gas industry, and other corporate and private customers. SatGate integrates and manages turn-key communication solutions of any complexity. For more information, please visit 
About Broad Street Capital Group-Based in the World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower in New York City’s financial district, Broad Street Capital Group is an international private merchant bank, which since 1988 has served several foreign governments, multiple state-owned companies, as well as SMEs in emerging markets. The Firm focuses on arranging project financing in the $50-500 million range, providing political risk mitigation, export management services and cross-border market development advisory. Although the Firm has clients ranging from Bangladesh to Oklahoma, its primarily geographic focus is on the countries of Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia.
Alexander Gordin
Valerie Antoinette
Fluent In Foreign Business 