"Aroghj Sunk"- success isn’t measured by money

Monday, 31 August, 2015
"Aroghj Sunk"- success isn’t measured by money

The History of successful business with a starting capital 50 thousand USD can be considered as the establishment of the Company ‘’Aroghj Sunk’’ (Healthy Mushroom), which is specialized in the production and preservation of mushrooms. Starting its production activity in 2004 from a small room in 100 – 105 sq. meters, company now has several businesses in different regions of Armenia, which is the major mushroom producer at the former Soviet Union district. This is not a limit of the enormous potential of this company.

Pioneersofdomesticmushroomcultivation

The founder of the company “Aroghj Sunk” LLC infects enthusiasm from the first minutes of communication with him. Young and energetic, this person is with a new way of thinking and modern approaches to the management activities.

INFREQUENTLYYOUWILLMEETINARMENIAAHEADOFLARGECOMPANY, who has a broad knowledge and skills, starting from financial and economic skills, represented about modern technologies of production and ending by the ability of coordinating all parts of the production process.


To the birth of the his child he was preparing thoroughly. Since 1998 he was working in international organizations specialized in agriculture and in 2001 he graduatedpostgraduate studies of Armenian National Agrarian University. And then he firmly decided that he will be engaged in the business of this sphere focusing on the developing of mushroom production. Then followed two-years study in USA, wherehe studied all the niceties and nuances of mushroom cultivationon the experience about 20 states.

- Choice of the following business profile had several reasons. At first, being an economist I analyzed, that business – risks in the agricultural sector on the open ground are more higher, because in this case production much more depends on climatic conditions. Secondly, at that time there were few people engaged in the cultivation and processing of various' types of edible mushrooms in Armenia. And in 2004 by receiving a grant in a sum 50 thousand USD from USAID was established a small production in Merdzavan community, Armavir region, - Mr. Azoyan told the prehistory of the company's establishment.

Rebuilding the Ruins


A little more than 10 years has passed from that moment.Step by step by the attracting credit resources from different financial institutions the company “Aroghj Sunk” was rebuilding the empty and robbed industrial premises of the Soviet Periods by constructing instead of them modern factories. Today in the assets of company areAbovyan, Hrazdan, Yeghvard, Byureghavan, community Mayisyan in Armavir, as well Tasir in Lori region.

- IDERIVEAGREATSATISFACTIONBYEXPANDINGMYBUSINESS, at the same time I gave a new life to the dilapidated industrial enterprises once built by our parents. In general, over the last 11 years we have been able to bring under our control about 70-80 thousand sq. meters territories by building about 9 different enterprises, - stated our collocutor.

There were not any infrastructure for mushroom cultivation in Armenia: neither base for raw material, equipment, technology nor specialists. We had to create everything from scratch gradually improving technologiesin this sphere, training and educating young specialists, whose knowledge is highly estimated by the foreign experts. The achievements of the company are so noticeable, that foreign investors were interested in it and as the result in 2011 was established Armenian – Norwegian joint company ''ORWACO'', specializing in the production of organic fertilizers. Today the production of this company is used in different sectors of crops by providing productivity growth in the range 15-70%, which depends on the type of culture as well as the level of usage of agro-technical rules in a given sector.

Responsiblebusiness

As for the ready raw material base, in the communities Byureghavan, Kotayq regionwas established compost producing factory, equipped with the latest technology from leading European producers.

RAWMATERIALCOMPONENTS - straw, chicken manure, gypsum, peat and etc., the company purchases from the Armenian market. Considerable resources were spent for the recycling poultry manure, and now this cost is not relevant for them as there is an opportunity to sell the accumulated waste. Furthermore, if the farmers had to burnsimply the straw in the fields, thereby creating environmental problems, now Aroghj Sunk purchases it in the volume 8-10 thousand tons annually by creating for them an additional and very significant source for income by providing an income sum about 400-500 mln AMD.

Actually, I must say that success of the Company ''Aroghj Sunk'' isn't measured by money. Namely that social responsibility that he carries in relations to the simple farmers by creating for them an additional and very significant source for income, and, of course, with the respect to his consumers cultivates ecologically pure mushrooms: Champignons, Portobello (Royal Champignon) and Oyster mushrooms.

- We do not use any chemicals in the cycles of production process, adhering to the idea, which was originally founded in the name of the company “Aroghj Sunk”, - supplying to market only healthy products of organic production, - explained the head of company.

- In the market the production is well-known under the brand “White Cap”, by using new technologies in the factories of “Aroghj Sunk” LLC and efficiency of production process the company successfully competing with the leading Western producers

Rigid Climate Control

I could check it on the example of Abovyan farm, where mushroom is cultivated and processed.

In Soviet times here was operated “Sirius” factory, from which were left only walls and roof. But on the thanks of the scale investments of the company “Aroghj Sunk” the company was put into cooperation, however, in different profile.

And we are going along a wide corridor, along which are massive metal doors, as if it’s an entrance to the bank safe. For each of them is a separate room for the mushroom cultivation. In totally there are 18 rooms and the total production area is about 9 thousand sq. m. Before me was opened one of the doors, wow, what a saturated flavor of fresh mushrooms. Each room is a long rectangular room about 500 sq. m., where on the big shelves one above another are laid compost briquettes. Just when in one of the rooms the champignons start to grown up in the next it is picked up. Climate control is toughest, where all the management for the “mushroom weather” is detailed automatized. Thetemperatureofmushroomcultivationvariesfrom +16 up to+18 ºC. If it raises, the humidity is increased slightly or indicators are changed according to СО2, the possibility of competing molds will be increased several times.

If we speak in numbers, the total volume of the company's mushroom production now is about 1.2 tons, which occupies the lion’s share in the local market.

However, in the plans of ''Aroghj Sunk'' LLC is the increasing volume of production due to the extension of industrial areas.

With the coverage of boarder villages

- Get at least our farm in Abovyan, where is an opportunity for the construction of new rooms for mushroom growing.

Due to it we are planning for the next three yearsto increase the production volume up to 8 thousand tons, at the same time increasing the indicators of the export for all products for the current 3 mln. USD up to 30 mln USD in a year. In this scenario, naturally, will start to develop other areas of activities (peat mining, compost production, organic fertilizers), whereupon there will be a necessity for the new job places. If today in our company is employed about 200 people, then after implementation of new program for the business extension the job site will be increased up to 1000, - shared his plans for future the founder of the company “Aroghj Sunk”. The developing of mushroom production in Armenia is planned through the attracting farmers from the boarder regions of the country. Recently a corresponding plan was sent to the Government, where was outlined the substance of a new program, consisting in fact, that company is ready to carry out investment and provide raw material to the farmers from boarder villages, by providing them a required technical support for the obtaining a knowledge in mushroom production. By estimated counting, the realization of this program will carefree employment up to 250 farmers and the total value of mushroom production will be about 1 thousand ton annually.

- Our aim is to demonstrate the high efficiency of the business – projects' realization in the boarding villages (that are tax-free according to the government's decision) by attracting other entrepreneurs.

Job security of the local population will improve not only the standard of life, but also will be a stimulus for the people to return back to the border areas, who left their homes in search of earnings. We pay an enthusiastic attitude towards this program and are sure, that Government will assist in its successful implementation, - concluded Mr. Azoyan.

http://www.golosarmenii.am/

Did you know that...

Champignons contain as much Vitamin C as apples and raspberries.