Pavlodar Tractor Plant: sad history of the production giant

More than 25 years ago, a mighty world power, the USSR, collapsed, and many factories and factories still operate in the territory of the post-Soviet space. Unfortunately, "to stay afloat" was not destined for all organizations of the former Union of Socialist Republics. Pavlodar Tractor Plant, which used to be one of the largest machine-building centers, also suffered an unfortunate fate.

PTZ was founded in 1966 as an enterprise focused on the production of a special tool and technological equipment, and two years later it became an independent factory specializing in the production of the most massive diesel tractors. What happened to him?

The beginning of the way

In the middle of the 60s of the last century virgin lands of the Kazakh steppes were actively developed. The government understood that it was possible to achieve serious success in this direction only by applying modern (at that time) technology. Therefore, in the city of Pavlodar a plant was created. The main task with which the Pavlodar Tractor Plant was to cope was the production of DT-75 caterpillar machines.

At that time, the release of DT-75 was the exclusive privilege of the Volgograd Tractor Plant. The decision to create a new base was dictated by the need to provide virgin lands with a lot of powerful and cheap equipment. Therefore, starting in 1967, the parts of the transmission to the DT-75 tractors were produced in the plant's workshops, and by 1968 the company's own production facilities were deployed. And the machines produced here were called DT-75M "Kazakhstan".

Rise and fall

As soon as Pavlodar Tractor Plant fully mastered the production of new agricultural machines, the production of all DT-75 tractors completely fell on the shoulders of the enterprise. This model existed without special changes until the 1980s. The tractor was recognizable thanks to its characteristic coloration - the blue hull and the white roof. On the side of the hood it was possible to read the inscription "Kazakhstan". But unfortunately, now it is possible to meet only large-scale models of this tractor.

The peak of the company reached its apogee in 1984, when more than 55 thousand pieces of equipment were produced. Subsequently, the engineers of the plant created several modifications of the tractor - DT-75ML, DT-90P (for works in the industrial sector) and DT-75T (for agricultural needs). After that, Pavlodar Tractor Plant began to take positions.

By 1997, the output was less than 2,000 pieces of equipment per year. The main reason for the decline in production was the collapse of the Soviet Union and the formation of a market economy. As a result, in 1998, unable to withstand the toughened conditions of competition, the plant recognized its bankruptcy.

The further destiny

The new management of the company - JSC "Piston" from Almaty - at first wanted to resume production of DT-75 tractors. Pavlodar Tractor Plant was to become a center for the development of agricultural machinery in Kazakhstan, to enter into cooperation with the Minsk Automobile Plant and to arrange the production of modern agricultural machinery.

But all the grandiose plans suddenly collapsed, when the leadership was again replaced. In part, this was due to the unprofitableness of production facilities. At the moment, the capacity of the enterprise was transferred to private companies. The most successful of these became Kasting LLP (steel products) and KSP Steel LLP (the production of pipe products). So the tractors of the Pavlodar Tractor Plant (some are still in operation) survived the workshops, where they themselves were created.