Minsk Tractor Works

Main entrance to the Minsk Tractor Works plant in Minsk, Belarus

Minsk Tractor Works (Belarusian: Мінскі трактарны завод, Russian: Минский тракторный завод, МТЗ, MTZ) may refer to two entities: a plant in Minsk, Belarus and a plant association in Belarus.

Minsk Tractor Works is a major industrial enterprise in Minsk, Belarus. It is a part of the association "Производственное объединение 'Минский тракторный завод'", or Proizvodotvennoe Obiedinenie Minskiy Traktorniy Zavod (ПО "МТЗ", PO MTZ), or Industrial Association "Minsk Tractor Works". In addition to the main plant in Minsk, the association includes a number of plants that produce parts and attachable tools for tractors and other vehicles produced by MTZ.

The plant was established on May 29, 1946. The first tractor, the MTZ-2 model, was manufactured on October 14, 1953.

As of 2005 it has nearly 20,000 workers. The plant produces over 62 models of vehicles. Its main civil production has been four-wheeled tractors of model "MTZ", known as Belarus. By 1995 the plant manufactured 3,000,000 tractors. In 1999 it produced 58% of all tractors manufactured in CIS. For several years the plant has been holding 8-10% share of the world market of wheeled tractors.

Mtz tractors were exported to western europe.The most popular exported model was Mtz-50(52).There were no major difrences betven the exported ones and not exported ones ,but one major difence was that the exported tractors were painted red.

Since 2000 the tractors of the plant manufactured for export have been certified for the European Union. During their operation in the era of the Soviet Union, they have been awarded the collective titles of the Order of Lenin and the Order of the October Revolution.

In 2013, the plant tractors were certified in USA by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and in Canada by Environment Canada and received full approval for their import and distribution in both countries. Since 2010, distribution of Belarus tractors in USA and Canada is carried on through a local distributor MTZ Equipment Ltd. One of the contributing factors to the return of the MTZ tractors to North America was the fact that the factory started making tractors with compression ignition diesel engines matching the current emissions standards, including Tier 3/4i/4 (USA/Canada) and Euro 3a, 3b, 4 (Europe).

Association's plants

MTZ plant
Сморгоньский агрегатный завод, Smarhon mechanical unit plant
Бобруйский завод тракторных деталей и агрегатов, Babruysk tractor part and mechanical unit plant
Витебский завод тракторных запчастей, Vitsebsk tractor part plant
Минский завод специнструмента и технологической оснастки, Minsk instrument and auxiliaries plant
Минский завод шестерён, Minsk gear plant
Лепельский электромеханический завод, Lepel electromechanical plant
Смолевичский завод шестерён, Smalyavichy gear plant
Гомельский завод «Гидропривод», Gomel hydraulic drive plant
Завод гидроаппаратуры в г. Хойники, Khoyniki hydraulic drive plant
Наровлянский завод гидроаппаратуры, Narowlya hydraulic drive plant
Мозырский машиностроительный завод, Mazyr machine-building plant

Joint assembly production of MTZ tractors, would start in 2013 in Cambodia, its first assembly plant in the ASEAN region. Tractors would be exported to all ASEAN countries. ^[1]

Sport and culture

Until 2010 Minsk Tractor Works was a sponsor of a Belarusian Premier League football team MTZ-RIPO Minsk. Games were played at Traktor stadium, which is located near the plant.

The Palace of Culture of the plant hosts the ballroom Dance Club Mara.^[2]