‘The two major non-ferrous metallurgical enterprises in Sverdlovsk Region, Electrolytic Copper Works of Kyshtym and Karabashmed CJSC, are part of Russian Copper Company,’ General Director of Zinc Plant of Chelyabinsk Vsevolod Geihmann announced at the meeting of PROMASS, the Organization of Employers of Chelyabinsk Region.

‘It is certain that the copper and zinc producers have a brilliant future ahead of them. Suffice it to say that the global output of zinc comes to 10.5 million tons per year. This amount appears to be unsatisfactory, so there has definitely been some zinc shortage that has already led to non-ferrous metals quotations soaring (there was an increase of five times) at London Metal Exchange in the fourth quarter of 2005. Even today, non-ferrous metallurgy is not in a crisis of any sort either globally or domestically. Thus, the net profit of Zinc Plant of Chelyabinsk came to 24 million RUR in the first quarter of 2005 and to 344 million in the first quarter of 2006,’ Mr Geihmann said.