Global Analytical Report: Ecosystem of Pre-Engineered Building (PEB) and Metal Structure Manufacturers in Ukraine — 2024-2025

Section 1. Macroeconomic Context and Raw Material Security of the Industry

Understanding the potential of PEB manufacturers is impossible without analyzing the foundation on which the entire industry stands — the rolled metal market and raw material base. A factory’s ability to fulfill orders depends not only on the availability of welding robots, but also on guaranteed access to steel of the required grades.

1.1. Transformation of Raw Material Flows: From Ore to Finished Beam

A critical factor in the industry’s viability has been the ability of metallurgical holdings to provide PEB manufacturers with raw materials. The Metinvest Group, being the largest steel producer in Ukraine, demonstrated exceptional logistics flexibility. After losing control of assets in Mariupol and suspending mine operations near Pokrovsk due to the approaching front line, the company established imports of coking coal from its enterprises in the USA. The first batch of 80,000 metric tons, received in 2024, became a signal to the market: the Zaporizhstal and Kamet-Steel plants will continue operations. This has a direct causal relationship with the stability of PEB manufacturers: the availability of domestic rolled products allows maintaining construction costs at a competitive level compared to imported alternatives.

1.2. The Role of Metal Traders in the Value Chain

Parallel to direct supplies from manufacturing plants, specialized metal traders gained significant weight. According to market analysis, the TOP-5 players include Metinvest-SMC, AV Metal Group, Vartis, Vikant, and Metal Holding. Their role has transformed from simple intermediaries to financial partners of construction companies. By accumulating significant warehouse stocks, they dampen price fluctuations and ensure delivery rhythm even during logistics crises.

Special mention should be made of the company “Eurometal,” which occupied a strategic niche of rapid imports. Understanding that Ukrainian factories often need specific steel grades that are temporarily not produced in the country, the company established a system for supplying European rolled metal within 2-5 calendar days. This allows Ukrainian PEB manufacturers to undertake complex engineering projects requiring European steel grades without freezing construction for weeks waiting for raw materials. Moreover, this model promotes the integration of Ukrainian factories into European production chains, allowing them to act as subcontractors for Western partners.

Section 2. Market Architecture: Institutional Support and Standardization

The PEB market in Ukraine is not a chaotic collection of disparate enterprises. It has a clear structure supported by specialized organizations.

2.1. Ukrainian Center for Steel Construction (UCSC)

The central element of the ecosystem is the UCSC Association, which unites more than 60 leading industry companies. Its members include not only metal structure manufacturers (such as CKS, Euroformat Steel Construction, Ukrstal), but also manufacturers of enclosure structures, design organizations, and fire protection suppliers.

The importance of this structure lies in providing engineering support. The UCSC Engineering Center offers free consultations and project adaptation, which allows optimizing the metal intensity of buildings. This is critically important for the customer, as reducing the frame weight directly affects the reduction of foundation and logistics costs. In addition, the Association actively works on harmonizing Ukrainian building codes with Eurocodes, which opens the way for exporting services of Ukrainian designers and manufacturers.

Section 3. Leadership Through Innovation: In-Depth Analysis of Key Manufacturers

Let’s examine in detail the production and technological features of leading players, analyzing their competitive advantages and strategic positioning.

3.1. BF Zavod LLC (BF Zavod): Technological Flagship of Exports

The Kyiv-based BF Zavod plant (Kyiv, Studentska St. / production may be located in the region, specifically an object in Vasylkiv is mentioned) is a vivid example of how investments in high-tech equipment convert into export potential and leadership in the domestic market.

Technological Arsenal and Production Processes:

The enterprise bet on full process automation, which minimizes the human factor and guarantees stable weld quality — a critical parameter for exports to the EU.

1. Production of SIN-beams (corrugated beams): The plant uses a robotic line from the Austrian company ZEMAN. This technology is revolutionary for the PEB market. The essence lies in using cold-rolled steel only 2-3 mm thick for the beam web, which is profiled (corrugated) to provide rigidity.
   • Consequence: This allows reducing the metal intensity of the frame by up to 30% compared to traditional hot-rolled beams. For the customer, this means direct cost savings, and for the manufacturer — the ability to offer solutions for spanning over 40 meters without intermediate columns.
2. Metal Processing: The equipment fleet includes MESSER (Germany) thermal cutting machines, FICEP (Italy) drilling and processing centers, and GIETART (Netherlands) shot-blasting chambers. Shot-blasting is a mandatory stage before applying anti-corrosion coating, ensuring the durability of structures that meets European standards.
3. Energy-Efficient Enclosure Structures: The plant has installed a CANNON (Italy) line for producing sandwich panels with PUR (polyurethane) and PIR (polyisocyanurate) fillers. The use of PIR panels is a trend in recent years due to their increased fire resistance and energy efficiency, which allows optimizing heating costs for finished buildings.

Strategy and Sales Markets:

Having ISO 9001:2008 and EN 1090 certificates, BF Zavod actively exports products to Germany, Kazakhstan, and Moldova. A unique business model is the offer of re-export of welded structures for EU partners — the plant acts as a production hub for European brands, using the advantages of lower production costs in Ukraine while maintaining European quality.

Among landmark projects in the domestic market is cooperation with the Kulynychi Group of Companies (construction of a production workshop in Vasylkiv) and development of a woodworking plant project with an area of 75,000 sq. m, which indicates the ability to manage large-scale industrial facilities. The total volume of manufactured structures exceeds 42,000 tons.

3.2. ThermaSteel LLC (ThermaSteel): Vertical Integration and Digitalization

The Poltava-based company ThermaSteel demonstrates how combining in-house material production and advanced IT solutions allows controlling the entire value chain.

Production Base and Capacities:

The company operates production areas of over 10,000 sq. m in Poltava (Zinkivska St., 52). The structure includes two specialized plants:

1. Metal Structures Plant: Specializes in welded I-beams.
2. Enclosure Structures Plant: Produces a wide range of materials.

The capacities are impressive in their scale:

• LSTK (light steel thin-walled structures): up to 200 tons/month.
• Roofing and facade materials: up to 150 tons/month.
• C- and U-shaped profiles: over 500 tons/month.

Digital Ecosystem:

The key competitive advantage of ThermaSteel in the LSTK segment is the deep integration of software and production equipment. Under the leadership of Yuriy Bahno, head of the LSTK department, the company implemented the Vertex BD CAD system. This software is directly integrated with Royal Systems rolling machines.

• Why this matters: Such integration allows automatically generating assembly drawings and material specifications, minimizing human errors at the stage of data transfer from designer to workshop. This significantly accelerates the production process of frames for cottages, extensions, and commercial buildings, making LSTK technology competitive in speed and accuracy.

Certification and Standards:

ThermaSteel positions itself as the first plant in Ukraine to receive a certificate of compliance with the European standard EN 1090 from the international body Bureau Veritas. Additionally, the welding quality control system ISO 3834:2005 has been implemented, which is a mandatory requirement for responsible building structures.

3.3. Promstan Corporation: Mobile Production Innovations

Promstan Corporation (Mykolaiv), founded by Oleksandr Zubko in 1997, has traveled the path from a local profiled sheeting manufacturer to a national player. Their approach differs with a focus on the agricultural sector and unique installation technologies.

MOBILLOT Technology:

One of the company’s most interesting developments is the MOBILLOT mobile rolling mill. Unlike the classic scheme, where long profiles are transported from the factory to the site (which is limited by transport dimensions), this equipment allows manufacturing bent profiles directly at the construction site.

• Advantages: This allows obtaining seamless panels and profiles of unlimited length. The absence of joints and overlaps guarantees better roof sealing, which is critically important for large logistics centers and grain storage facilities, where leaks can lead to product spoilage. In addition, this removes transport restrictions on the delivery of long cargo.

Specialization in the Agricultural Sector:

The company has developed its own types of profiles for greenhouse farms (hydroponics), which allows creating structures adapted to the specific loads and humidity conditions inherent in agro-industrial facilities. Greenhouses made from such profiles have the ability to tighten screw connections during operation, which increases their durability.

3.4. LLENTAB Ukraine: Safety Culture and Scandinavian Standards

The representative office of the Swedish company LLENTAB (LLENTAB UKRAINE LLC, Sofiivska Borshchahivka village) brings Western corporate culture to the Ukrainian market.

Construction Philosophy:

LLENTAB focuses on using high-strength galvanized steel profiles, which are assembled primarily with bolted connections. This eliminates the need for welding work on site, which speeds up installation and increases the anti-corrosion resistance of the frame.

Occupational Safety as a Product:

A unique feature of the company is its approach to occupational safety. Occupational safety engineer Taras Salienko notes that the company systematically works to minimize risks at the construction site, considering negligent behavior the main cause of accidents. For international investors entering Ukraine, compliance by contractors with strict HSE (Health, Safety, Environment) standards is often a more important selection criterion than price. This makes LLENTAB an alternative-free partner for Western brands building their capacities in Ukraine. An example of a completed project is the “Ukr.-Az. Druzhba” facility in Sumy Oblast (Stetskivka village) with an area of over 2,800 sq. m.

3.5. CKS (Center of Frame Construction): Industrial Power of Dnipro

The Dnipro-based company CKS (TM TsKS), founded by Mykhailo Shtompel, is a heavyweight in the market, focused on large shopping and entertainment and logistics complexes.

Scale and Achievements:

The total volume of manufactured and installed structures exceeds 137,770 tons. Such volume indicates colossal experience in managing large projects. The company is known for its participation in landmark constructions in Dnipro, such as the Most-City-Center shopping center and the Materyk shopping center (Dniprodzerzhinsk/Kamianske), where PS-panel facades and profiled sheeting were used.

Production is certified to the highest execution class EXC 4 (EN 1090-1+A1:2011), which allows manufacturing structures of any complexity and responsibility, including dynamically loaded elements.

3.6. NTK LLC (Kharkiv) and Regional Features

The Kharkiv-based NTK plant (founded in 2005) is an example of business resilience in a frontline region. The plant not only continues to operate but also maintains a reputation as a reliable partner for national chains.

Customer Focus:

A key marker of reliability is long-term cooperation with ATB-Market. Reviews indicate product supply for three years without deadline failures, which in retail is a critical indicator. In addition, the plant cooperates with the pharmaceutical giant Lekhim-Kharkiv JSC.

The range includes a complete set for the building’s external contour: sandwich panels (60-200 mm), profiled sheeting (for example, H-57, which customers note as durable corrugated roofing), and metal tiles.

Section 4. Analysis of Market Trends and Strategic Insights

A detailed study of the activities of these companies allows identifying several key trends that will shape the market in the coming years.

4.1. Import Substitution and “Windows of Opportunity”

Before 2022, imported materials occupied a significant market share. However, as Andriy Ozeichuk, CEO of Rauta company, notes, in 2023 the share of Ukrainian sandwich panel manufacturers grew to 2/3 of the market. This happened due to import price increases of 25-30% as a result of logistics difficulties and border blockades with Poland.

1. Insight: This situation created a “window of opportunity” for Ukrainian factories (such as ThermaSteel, Promstan, BF Zavod) to modernize production. Customers who previously chose Polish Balex or Pruszynski panels were forced to switch to Ukrainian products and, convinced of their quality, will likely remain with domestic manufacturers even after logistics stabilization.

4.2. Technological Shift: PIR versus Mineral Wool

There is a clear trend toward reducing the share of mineral wool panels in favor of PIR-filled panels. This is due to strengthened requirements of DBN V.2.6-31 regarding building thermal insulation, as well as growing demand for facilities with lower fire resistance requirements (up to EI45), where PIR is acceptable. Companies that invested in PIR lines (like BF Zavod) found themselves in a winning position, offering the market a more energy-efficient product.

4.3. Secondary Market and Economy Segment

The budget solutions segment should not be ignored either. Companies such as Alex Spetsbud and Angar-Pid-Klyuch offer not only new but also used hangars, as well as dismantling and frame relocation services. Under conditions of working capital deficit among farmers, demand for used frames or simple arched hangars (costing from 400 UAH/sq. m) remains consistently high. This indicates market stratification: high-tech factories work for industry and exports, while small businesses serve farmers’ needs for cheap storage space.

4.4. Legislative Harmonization Problem

An important barrier to full participation of Ukrainian manufacturers in reconstruction projects financed by European donors is regulatory non-compliance. Andriy Ozeichuk emphasizes the need to implement EU Regulation 305 (Law “On Making Construction Products Available on the Market”). Without a complete transition to European standards for declaring product characteristics, Ukrainian companies risk losing tenders for Ukraine’s reconstruction to foreign suppliers who already operate in this legal framework. This is why the presence of EN 1090 certificates among market leaders (BF Zavod, ThermaSteel, CKS) is not just a marketing move, but a strategic investment in future survival.

Section 5. Recommendations for Customers and Investors

Based on the analysis conducted, practical recommendations can be formulated for businesses planning PEB construction in Ukraine:

1. Assessment of Logistics Risks: When choosing a contractor, the geography of their production should be considered. Ordering structures from a Kharkiv plant for a facility in Lviv may be economically impractical due to delivery costs, despite an attractive “factory” price. Vertically integrated companies with a network of branches or mobile equipment (like Promstan) may offer better terms.
2. Certification Requirement: For facilities with significant investments, it is strongly recommended to require confirmation of EN 1090 certification from the manufacturer and the presence of automated welding equipment. This guarantees that the building frame will be manufactured in compliance with technology, not by “artisan” methods.
3. Energy Audit at the Design Stage: Considering the trend toward energy efficiency, it is advisable to consider projects using PIR panels and solutions that minimize thermal bridges (for example, perforated LSTK profiles from ThermaSteel or hermetic seamless roofing from Promstan).
4. Raw Material Verification: It is worth inquiring about the origin of the metal. Companies that have direct contracts with Metinvest or reliable European traders (Eurometal) are less prone to deadline failures due to steel shortages.

Conclusion

The Ukrainian PEB manufacturers market in 2025 demonstrates high maturity and technological capability. Market leaders — BF Zavod, ThermaSteel, Promstan, CKS — are not inferior to European competitors in product quality, actively implementing robotization and modern IT solutions. The industry successfully overcomes wartime challenges, reorienting to its own raw material base and energy-efficient technologies. For investors and customers, this means the availability of a wide choice of reliable partners capable of implementing projects of any complexity: from budget grain storage to high-tech factories certified to EU standards.