The Uralvagonzavod research and manufacture corporation comprises over 20 enterprises, research institutes, and design bureaus in five federal districts. Over many years, it has been a leader of Russian railway engineering with a strong technical and human resource potential.
The plant's anniversary is celebrated on October 11. On that day in 1936, it delivered its first set of open freight wagons.
Uralvagonzavod was an important industry player during the Great Patriotic War (WWII). Although it was initially set up as a freight railway car manufacturer, the plant had to start producing armoured vehicles during the war.
In late 1941, the plant launched the world's first tank assembly line. From 1942, it was delivering the tank legend T-34 every 30 minutes. The series production volumes totaled 35,000 machines.
Nowadays, the plant is one of Russia's largest research and production enterprises that includes metallurgy, train manufacture, machine assembly, maintenance, and tool-making facilities that make up a closed-loop production cycle. The corporation adopts the latest technology and develops and implements new models for commercial production in its four design bureaus including the parent freight train design bureau, and two institutes.
In a full-scale renovation, the corporation has partnered with leading companies in Russia and abroad, annually invests up to two billion roubles of its own, and attracted funds for these purposes.
The plant's main partners are Russian Railways, Freight One and other domestic carriers as well as the Ministry of Defence and Rosoboronexport.
Within 2010, the plant received a complete order portfolio for freight trains from cargo carriers such as Freight One. Transneft's joint venture Vostokneftetrans is a strategic consumer of tank cars. The corporation's expected rolling stock production is 24,500 items, which is the highest level in Uralvagonzavod's history.
Aside from production goals, the plant addresses the quality of life of its staff members. Working conditions have been improved in all business units, facilities for social life have been developed such as recreation centres, centres for water and ice sports, a stadium, medical centres, and camps.