The story
The production site includes a hot extrusion shop and a cold-drawing shop, which, until 2000, were part of the largest in Ukraine industrial complex for seamless pipe production, the Nikopol Southern Pipe Plant (NPTZ). In 1959, the drawing shop No. 2 started operating and produced its first cold-drawn pipe. In 1961, hot extrusion shop No. 4 was commissioned.
In the 1990s, during the post-communist privatization phase, industrial complex for seamless pipe production was formed as a family business by the Atanasov family. The new holding included the stainless steel pipe mill in Nikopol and an extensive network of trade companies and agents in Western Europe, the USA, and CIS countries. The company began its transformation from a regional leader into an international player capable of competing globally.
In 2007, the "Centravis" brand was introduced to the global metallurgy industry. The official launch took place on 6 November 2007, at the Stainless Steel World exhibition in Maastricht, Netherlands.
During that period, a comprehensive modernization program was implemented at the company's production facilities, with a total investment exceeding 130 million USD. This included the installation of a new high-performance press line in the extrusion shop, featuring advanced equipment from German manufacturers SMS MEER and IAS. In the drawing shop, several upgrades were made, including the introduction of KPW-25 cold-rolling mills, flexible U-shaped tube machines, a continuous heat-exchanger tube production line, and an updated quality control system.
In 2022, despite regular shelling in Nikopol and the difficult situation in the region and country following the full-scale war, Centravis continued operating.
The company helps its employees, the Defense Security Forces, and civilians affected by the hostilities. During 2022, Centravis provided over UAH 9 million in aid.
In 2023, the company opened a new specialised production facility in Uzhhorod, in a bid to move production away from the frontline city of Nikopol. The new niche, specialised facility manufactures small-diameter cold-drawn pipes, for use in precision applications such as automotive fuel lines, aimed at export customers such as the EU automotive industry. The total investment amounted to over 50 million UAH. In the first half of 2023, the Uzhhorod facility produced approximately 176 tons or over 900,000 meters of tubular products for automobiles, which is enough to equip around 450,000 to 600,000 cars.
In July 2026, Centravis announced the mothballing of its plant in Uzhhorod, only three years after its opening, due to restrictions imposed on Ukrainian products as part of the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. General Manager Yuri Atanasov stated that the country had failed to defend its economic position in negotiations with the EU, and that new restrictions would significantly impact the wider Ukrainian economy. Atanasov warned that the country risks the loss of its export market, and associated foreign exchange earnings, in the face of competition from China and India. The company reported that EU quota restrictions could result in a loss of 43 to 47% of exports to Europe. The quota for the country is set at 6,524 tons, while in 2025 exports amounted to 11,306 tons. All existing production would be consolidated to the companies facilities in Nikopol.
From Wikipedia’s article on Centravis, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4