Sandora is owned by Igor Bezzub, Raimondas Tumenas and Sergey Sypko. 1995, Mr. Sypko, at that time professor at the Mykolayiv ship building university, came up with the idea of establishing a greenfield fruit processing/juice packing business in Mykolayiv, Southern Ukraine, an area with abundant supply of quality fresh fruit and vegetables. After searching for investors, he partnered with two Lithuanian citizens, Igor Bezzub and Raimondas Tumenas, who provided start-up capital for the venture and developed marketing and sales. Today, Merrs. Bezzub and Tumenas own each 45% of Sandora and Mr. Sypko, who serves as the company’s General Director, owns 10%.

The total project cost is estimated at $30 million. The proposed IFC investment is a $10 million A loan for IFC’s own account.

20.0 million (USD)

Product Line	IFC Investment (million USD)
Risk Management
Guarantee
Loan	20.0
Equity

* These investment figures are indicative

Juice and fruit puree production is located outside of Mykolayiv on a site of a former cannery, purchased by Sandora and subsequently refurbished, re-equipped and expanded to a modern state of the art facility. The plant has installed capacity to produce in excess of 500 million liters of juice and nectars per annum. Electrical power is supplied from the national grid and water is drawn from 11 ground wells 60-80 meters deep. The plant drainage is discharged into municipal system. Fruit wastes are sold for industrial use and animal feed. Sandora recently purchased and operates a small fruit processing facility located in Simferopol.

The project promotes the production of value-added products and supports local entrepreneurship as well as technology transfer by importing the latest fruit processing and packaging equipment and training Ukraine nationals to international standards in quality control, operational, and marketing skills. It will also contribute to the development of the fruit sector in Southern Ukraine by creating consistent demand for local fruits purchased from private small farmers. The key role of IFC will be in providing long-term financing necessary for carrying out the Company’s expansion and diversification plans. IFC will also play an role in assisting the company with the introduction of ISO9001, HACCP as well as with improving supply management.

This is a Category B project according to IFC’s Procedure for Environmental and Social Review of Projects because a limited number of specific environmental and social impacts may result that can be avoided or mitigated by adhering to generally recognized performance standards, guidelines or design criteria. The review of this project consisted of appraising technical and environmental and social information submitted by the project sponsor and a visit to Company operations in Mikolayiv. The following potential environment, health and safety and social impacts of the projects were analyzed.

- Systematic management of quality and food safety, environment and occupational health and safety;
- Sustainability and quality of potable water supply
- Electric power supply;
- Wastewater management;
- Solid waste management;
- Air Emissions;
- Use of Refrigerants;
- Occupational Health and Safety;
- Sandora farming operations; and
- Technical and material support for independent supplier farms.
Location of environmental documents in locally affected community
Environmental documents are available for public viewing at Sandora’s offices located at 17, N. Zavodskaya str., Mykolayiv, 54028, Ukraine