Set on Steel Resilience: How “Kryvbas-Metiz” Kept Going Even During Blackouts

When Ukraine’s construction market came to a standstill and businesses across the country were shutting down due to the war, Kryvbas-Metiz not only kept its team together — it also entered new markets. Thanks to persistence, exports, and support from the Kryvyi Rih District Recovery Program, the company continues to grow and has ambitious plans for the future.

The Beginning

Kryvbas-Metiz was founded by Ruslan Riabukha in 2015. The company started with a single wire drawing machine and gradually expanded its capacity, brought in partners, and focused on the production of cold-drawn wire. Today, the company specializes in construction materials, including wire, nails, welded mesh, and chain-link fencing.

“We had always worked for the Ukrainian market. But in 2021, we made our first export shipments — first to Germany, then to Poland, Hungary, and Moldova,” Ruslan says.

The War That Didn’t Stop Them

After the full-scale invasion began, the company halted for just one week — and then immediately resumed work. “We had to prepare our families, support our employees. So we made the decision to keep working. Since then, we haven’t stopped for a single day,” the entrepreneur recalls.

The biggest challenge was the blackouts: the production process is extremely energy-intensive, and regular power outages brought operations to a standstill. Another major obstacle was  staffing issues — some employees left the country, while others were mobilized.

“We currently have 28 employees, but staffing remains our number one challenge,” Ruslan admits.

Growth Through Export

In response to the crisis, the company pivoted — actively developing its export direction and launched new production lines for manufacturing nails and wire mesh.

“The Ukrainian market collapsed at the time, so to survive, we started expanding abroad. That gave us the push we needed — now we work both in the domestic market and in export,” says the founder of Kryvbas-Metiz.

Gradually, the company returned to its 2021 production volumes. Despite ongoing challenges and threats, Kryvyi Rih remains its main base — the facilities were not damaged, and there were no human losses.

A Step Forward Thanks to Support

In 2024, the company took part in the “Support and Recovery of the Kryvyi Rih District” Program and received a grant to purchase a Renault Master cargo vehicle.

“We had long wanted to get a vehicle to cut logistics costs. Now we deliver our products ourselves and pick up lubricants and consumables. It’s a significant saving,” Ruslan says.

This was the company’s first-ever grant. The paperwork process was quick and straightforward. Soon after, the vehicle helped reduce costs and improve delivery efficiency.

“I recommend all entrepreneurs to take part in such programs — they’re incredibly helpful. And of course, if the opportunity arises, we’ll definitely apply again, because we plan to expand our product range and create more jobs,” the entrepreneur concludes.

ℹ️ For reference:
The program is implemented within the framework of the “Support for Recovery of Kryvyi Rih Rayon” project, funded by the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency (LuxDev) and the Business Development Fund.

Authorized banks: Oschadbank and PrivatBank.