THE SUCCESS STORY OF SAN MARCO LLC: THE "MADE IN RUSSIA" CERTIFICATE AS A STEP TO NEW MARKETS

San Marco LLC from Ulyanovsk is a modern manufacturer of sanitary products made of cast marble. The company produces furniture sinks, sinks over a washing machine, over-the-top sinks, and countertops. Each product is not only practical and durable, but also aesthetically pleasing: it has a warm surface, impeccable whiteness, correct geometry, and a long service life.

The company's key technological advantage is the use of gelcoat, a high-density coating. This material provides reliable protection against fungus, yellowing, and mold. The surface remains flawlessly white and new-looking throughout its lifespan. The products are made from natural ground marble and polyester resin as a binding agent.

Five years ago, the company reached saturation in the domestic market and decided to enter the export market. "The path to international partners was not easy. First, we had to overcome the language barrier when we signed our first contract through LinkedIn. Then, we faced a problem with the documents when we shipped our first batch of products, which could have caused delays at customs, but we were able to resolve the issue quickly. Additionally, we faced unexpected high demand in one of the countries, which required us to increase our production capacity urgently. There were also difficulties related to cultural differences in negotiations, and the team had to quickly adapt to the specifics of business communication abroad," says Alexander Konyukhov, Head of the Foreign Economic Activity Department.

Today, Uzbekistan is the main sales market. The company's plans include expanding its export geography to the countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Middle East. Partners regularly highlight the advantages of San Marco's products compared to those of its competitors. These advantages include the whiteness of the products, the variety of models, the manual polishing process, the high-quality service, and the reliable packaging that ensures the safety of the products.

Cooperation with the Russian Export Center (REC) has become an important milestone in the company's development. Using the My Export platform, the company participated in business missions to Turkmenistan, China, and Iran, found a partner in Turkey, and its employees improved their skills through the RCE Export School's training materials and webinars.

The result of our systematic work was the receipt of a voluntary "Made in Russia" certificate in the "Uniqueness" category. This certificate opens up new opportunities for the company: it increases the trust of foreign partners and customers, simplifies entry into new markets, and serves as an additional confirmation of product quality. In addition, it creates the preconditions for increasing export volumes and developing new products that meet the needs of foreign customers.

Alexander Kolotov, the company's CEO, comments on the current situation: "The current unstable geopolitical situation in the world, with its consequences in the form of new difficulties and barriers, is our point of growth. Once we overcome these challenges, we will leave our competitors behind, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future. From barriers to triumph."

The Made in Russia export promotion program offers free certification for manufacturers of non-commodity goods and services. The certificate can be obtained based on five criteria: quality, reliability, uniqueness, environmental friendliness, and organicity. All you need to do is submit an application on the REC website, attach the necessary documents in electronic form, and sign the automatically generated questionnaire. The program is coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, and the main functions for its implementation, according to the International Cooperation and Export National Project, are assigned to the Russian Export Center (REC, VEB.RF).