Group DF

Group DF

Company type	Business
Founded	2007
Headquarters	Ukraine
Key people	Dmytro Firtash (owner, founder) Borys Krasnyansky (managing director) Oleh Arestarkhov (Head of Corporate Communications) [1]
Products	nitrogen, titanium, gas, banking, media, sodium carbonate, energy, real estate, agribusiness
Number of employees	100

Group DF is a diversified international group of companies whose assets are concentrated in the chemical industry, ^[2] titanium production, gas, and banking sectors. In addition, the group has interests in several other areas: agriculture, ^{[3] [4]} media business, sodium carbonate, ^[5] energy infrastructure, and real estate. Group DF operates in 11 countries in the Eurasian region. In Ukraine, the group is developing businesses that can transform the landscape of industries ^[6] and increase the country's competitiveness in the global market. The founder and owner of Group DF is businessman ^[2] and philanthropist Dmytro Firtash, who in 2007 consolidated the assets he owned into the group. The managing director of the group is Boris Krasnyansky. In 2012, Group DF's consolidated revenue amounted to more than US$6 billion. ^[7] This figure was announced by Boris Krasnyansky at the conference, "Ukraine – Inside View" (organized by The Economist) in March 2013 which was held in Vienna. ^[8] The Group plans to continue to increase and consolidate assets across all of its business sectors, including fertilizer, titanium, gas distribution, and agriculture. ^[9]

History ^[10]

• 2014, Group DF expanded the regional distribution network of UkrAgro NPK, increasing the number of warehouses from 15 to 28 to enhance the delivery of mineral fertilizers. The same year, the Crimean Soda Plant began producing baking soda, establishing itself as the only producer of this product in Ukraine. Additionally, Group DF supported two significant international initiatives: the World Economic Forum in Davos, where discussions centered on "Scenarios for the Development of Ukraine," and the Days of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, an international cultural project aimed at promoting Ukrainian heritage and culture.

• 2013, Group DF expanded into the media industry by acquiring a controlling stake in Inter Media Group, which owns several prominent television channels, including INTER (one of the leading national TV channels in Ukraine), as well as K1, K2, NTN, Mega, Enter Film, Zoom, and Pixel. Additionally, Group DF became the investor in Zaporizhzhia Titanium and Magnesium Combine, the only producer of titanium sponge in Europe. This material, essential in the production of titanium ingots and alloys, plays a key role in various high-tech industries.

• In 2012, Group DF launched its first agribusiness project with the development of Synkiv Agro, a greenhouse complex located in Synkiv, Ternopil Oblast. The Group also acquired a controlling stake in UkrAgro NPK, Ukraine’s leading mineral fertilizer distribution network, and began using it to distribute its own products more effectively. Additionally, Crimea TITAN completed the construction of a new sulfuric acid plant with an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes. This expansion enabled Crimea TITAN to increase its annual titanium dioxide production capacity to 120,000 tonnes. In December of the same year, Group DF consolidated full ownership of Crimea TITAN, acquiring 100% of its shares.

• 2011, Group DF International was founded as the corporate hub for Group DF, tasked with overseeing the transformation program and ensuring its successful implementation. The Corporate Centre also set the strategic direction for the group and its businesses, addressing key strategic matters. During the same year, Group DF expanded into the banking sector by acquiring a controlling stake in Nadra Bank, one of Ukraine's largest commercial banks. Additionally, OSTCHEM strengthened its position in the mineral fertilizer industry by acquiring controlling stakes in several major Ukrainian producers, including Azot (Cherkasy), Severodonetsk Azot Association, and Rivne Azot. This consolidation of Ukraine's top nitrogen fertilizer producers, alongside Concern Stirol, allowed OSTCHEM to optimize its operations across investment, production, marketing, logistics, and sales, while reducing operating costs. To further enhance its fertilizer distribution network, OSTCHEM acquired a controlling stake in the Nika Tera Specialized Seaport in Mykolayiv, a strategic Black Sea port also involved in the transshipment of grains, edible oils, sulfur, rock phosphate, and coal.

• 2010, Group DF launched a comprehensive transformation program to enhance corporate governance, improve transparency, and streamline its legal structure. To lead this initiative, the group enlisted Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), a prominent international audit and consulting firm. At the same time, OSTCHEM acquired a majority stake in Concern Stirol, a major Ukrainian mineral fertilizer producer located in Horlivka, Donetsk region. Crimea TITAN also achieved a production milestone, producing a record 105,000 tonnes of titanium dioxide.

• 2009, as part of Group DF's strategy to improve energy efficiency at its production facilities, Crimean Soda Plant installed a steam turbine that now generates 20% of its energy requirements, significantly enhancing its sustainability and operational efficiency.

• 2008, Crimea TITAN began the construction of a new sulfuric acid plant, aimed at significantly increasing its titanium dioxide production capacity. Meanwhile, the Crimean Soda Plant achieved a record soda ash output of 764,000 tonnes, further expanding its production capabilities.

• 2007, Dmitry Firtash founded Group DF, an international conglomerate designed to streamline the management of his assets across various industries, including energy, chemicals, and real estate. This marked the Group’s entry into the real estate sector, further expanding its portfolio and solidifying its position in global markets.

• 2006, the Irshansk Mining and Concentration Complex, a subsidiary of Crimea TITAN, launched three new sites dedicated to ilmenite production, bolstering its capacity in the titanium industry.

• 2005 and 2008, RosUkrEnergo AG began supplying natural gas from Central Asia to Ukraine and other European countries, significantly expanding its reach. During this period, EMFESZ Kft also secured a license to supply natural gas to Poland. These successful ventures provided the financial foundation for the eventual creation of Group DF, consolidating Dmitry Firtash's business interests in various sectors.
• 2004, Dmitry Firtash partnered with Gazprom (Russia) to establish the joint venture RosUkrEnergo AG. That year, he also became a shareholder in Crimea TITAN, a Ukrainian titanium dioxide producer, and acquired a majority stake in the Crimean Soda Plant, Ukraine's sole soda ash producer. Additionally, Firtash founded the OSTCHEM holding company to consolidate his chemical industry investments under a unified structure.

• 2003, Dmitry Firtash established EMFESZ Kft, the First Hungarian Natural Gas and Energy Trading and Service Provider, with the goal of developing a significant gas and energy business in Hungary.

• 2002, Dmitry Firtash’s company, Eural TransGas Kft, secured exclusive rights to transport Turkmen natural gas to Ukraine.

• 1993 to 2001, Dmitry Firtash expanded his business ventures by establishing trade relationships in several Central Asian countries. He organized the exchange of consumer goods for natural gas, focusing on growing and diversifying this trade network over the following years.

• 1988 to 1992, Dmitry Firtash launched his business career by establishing and managing commodity trading operations across Ukraine and Russia.

See also

• Ostchem Holding
• Sievierodonetsk Association Azot
• Azot (Cherkasy)

References

1. "Invaders Shell Sievierodonetsk Azot, 2 Workshops Damaged – Group DF". Ukrainian News - ukranews.com. June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
2. "Evacuation from Azot plant in Severodonetsk now "impossible," according to regional leader". CNN. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
3. "Ukrainian port terminal owner reports attack". WORLD-GRAIN.com. June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
4. "Satellite Images Detail Destruction at Major Ukraine Crop Port". Bloomberg. June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
5. ""Крымсода" запустила линию по производству пищевой соды стоимостью 60 млн грн". УНІАН (in Russian). August 13, 2013. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018.
6. "Корреспондент: Пошел в рост. Интервью с управляющим директором бизнес-группы Дмитрия Фирташа". Korrespondent . February 19, 2013. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022.
7. "Выручка компаний Фирташа за 2012 год составила 6 миллиардов долларов". Минфин. March 19, 2013. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
8. "Выручка компаний Фирташа за 2012 год составила 6 миллиардов долларов". Минфин. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
9. Севгиль Мусаева (May 14, 2013). "Борис Краснянский: К 2015 году хотим подготовить один-два бизнеса к IPO". Forbes.ua. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
10. "History". Group DF. Retrieved December 3, 2024.