LORI IS UNITED
With the large number of population Lori is the first marz in Armenia. By having a big potential of human resource, the marz was, is and with a great possibility will be the most important business platform of Armenia. It is also exceptional one, maybe the only one, where the included regions with the climatic, geographical, cultural and other characteristics do not differ from one another.
Tashir, Tumanyan, Stepanavan, Spitak all together make a complete and comprehensive space with the firmly connection of many factors. This integrity is directly expressed in the business environment with some local features. For example, the industrial capacity of marz’s center are supposed to the agricultural potential of northern territories, whereas touristic opportunities are limitless literally for every region of the marz.
THE REFELCTION OF THE PAST
It was even in Sovet Union years when Vanadzor was the second city with industrial power heavy and light industry with dozen of factories. Sadly, almost nothing is left from that power, but it is a fact, that nowadays with business activity, Vanadzor is the second city after Yerevan. It is expressed in a manner that Vanadzorian small and medium many companies plan to be present in Yerevan market too. “Gloria”, “Lucia Food”, “Sokhakyan Design”, “Astery”… This list can be continued with many other companies that show business “aggressiveness” not only in local market.
Nowadays it is tried to re-establish not only the once-reputed textile industry, but also to create new directions. Vanadzor entrepreneur Karo Dolmajyan, by founding manufacture for fuel bricks, tries not only strengthen Armenia’s energetic independence, but also to form new approaches in industry organizing and management fields.
YOUNG PRESENT
At the start of 2018 in the center of Vanadzor I was presenting my book “Your Own Business in Armenia”. It is remarkable, that the greatest interest to the book was in Vanadzor. For the last 3 years several seminars I have held in Stepanavan, Alaverdi and Vanadzor with the topic “Own Business in Armenia”. Everyone wants to begin an own business, everyone in their community: hotel, children’s developing center, adventure and rural tourism, public catering centers. At the same time, the total majority are youngsters, and even more, some of them have already succeed.
The development of rafting in Armenia, which has initiated Gevorg Vardanyan, is the best example of how it is possible to make incoming tourism attractive and profitable. In Lori marz, particularly in Vanadzor, entrepreneur soul is living. Although there is a problem: many of them think similarly, have the same ideas, same approaches. There is still a lack of global thinking, problem solving readiness and global challenges’ acceptance.
ECONOMICAL PRIORITIES
In the point of view of tourism, the nature and strategic location of Lori marz create the best opportunities to be centered not only on external, but also on internal markets. The marz can become the sportive center of Armenia. With quick steps new hotels are opened, ensuring few days of stay of tourists in the marz.
The ones-famous reputation of light industry is recovering due to the newly created production, the biggest of which is “Gloria”. The lion part of the production is exporting, due to which more than a hundred stabile work places have been created. The founding of several similar enterprises is already in the future plans.
Farmers in Stepanavan start to become the leaders in organic agriculture in Armenia producing non-traditional and different types of vegetables. The food processing belongs to Tashir, which cheeses are famous not only in Armenia, but also abroad.
TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE OF LORI
With all these things, Lori is positioning as innovative and technological center. After Gyumri, due to EIF, Vanadzor technology center was opened, which has changed the mood in the marz. And in 2018, when Armenia’s children charity foundation has opened COSAF SMART educational center in Debet community, Lori put the foundation of the future even stronger. This branch can provide agricultural, touristic and industrial activities, giving an opportunity to raise the competitiveness of the marz’s economical potential not only in Armenian, but also in international business platforms.
