As the market continues to improve, Russian truck maker Kamaz has said it has returned to a full working week.
The company suspended production altogether several times last year due to uncertainties in demand and has been operating a reduced week for many months.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Late last year it was forced to go to Volgo-Vyatsky Bank, a subsidiary of Russian state-controlled Sberbank, for a RUB4.3bn credit line. Kamaz used the funds to finance its production operations.
However, in December Russia’s largest truckmaker said it has seen a gradual improvement in sales over 2009 and expects 10-15% growth in 2010.
Head of marketing and advertising Ashot Arutyunyan said in December that the company, 10% owned by Daimler, was seeing monthly sales about 25% below pre-crisis levels of 4,000 trucks a month, but this is up from around 1,000 a month in November last year.
He said: “2010 will be very hard. I’m waiting for 10%, maybe 15%, growth in the truck market in Russia.”
He added that 2011 should be better, with market growth of around 30%.
