First steps, or how it all started
The decision to launch a plant for the production of peat machines was taken by the Communist Party Central Committee in 1930, pursuant to the state electrification plan (GOELRO) for promoting electrification and economic development. A facility for producing iron structures to build equipment for the future plant began functioning in May 1932, and the plant was officially opened as Ivtorfmash on 1 July that year.
The plant’s activity in prewar years was mainly focused on manufacturing peat machines. Already in 1933 five peat suction and six stumping cranes for handling hydro-peat, and five multi-bucket excavators for raw peat harvesting were built.
Production increased significantly – from just 16 machines in 1933 to 35 in the flowing year. In addition to peat suction, stumping cranes and multi-bucket excavators, we also built Zakharov system forming wheels, Shashkov system loaders and Typermas ditchers.
The first years of our plant's activity were mainly characterised by wide product range and experimentation.
1936 saw experimental machines and production, with the building of a prototype milled peat harvester (УМФ-4). We also made trough type peat harvesters, a stumper, bridge crane, crawler cars for transporting peat at production sites. The plant also received a government assignment to produce petrol trailers (BP).
Another assignment for Iftorfmash came in 1937 – to build two gantry cranes for an All-Union construction project, the Moscow –Volga canal. This task was successfully fulfilled.
A major event in the plant’s activity in 1939 was the approval of a project to build a foundry and a pilot shop, modelling storehouse, walls around the blanking shop, annexes to the machining and metal structures shops.
Tree-lined drives, rest canopies and tennis courts were created to the design of engineer P.A. Ratin.