Русский
The St. Petersburg-based Arnest Group has opened its Unigroup Navoiy plant in Uzbekistan with an investment of ₽5 billion (US$66.7 million).
The Arnest Group is a manufacturer of perfumery, cosmetics, and household products and has recently been notable for its growth through the acquisition of Western corporate assets in Russia after these brands exited the Russian market. This has included brands previously belonging to Unilever.
The company stated that its Uzbekistan investment “was implemented under the management of Arnest UniRus and has become the company’s first foreign production asset. It will be targeting the Central Asian markets.”
The plant is located within the Navoi Industrial Development Complex special industrial park. Total investment in the project amounted to ₽5 billion, of which ₽4.2 billion was allocated for equipment and engineering infrastructure and ₽800 million was allocated to acquire intellectual property rights to 23 trademarks in 40 countries.
The first phase of the plant’s production will house a full cycle of cosmetics and home care product production, as well as in-house plastic packaging production.
Arnest Group president Alexei Sagal said, “Around 75% of our Uzbekistan output will be exported. For us, this not only represents an entry into new markets but also a strengthening of our supply chains: initially, the annual purchase of raw materials and components from Russia for the plant’s needs will amount to ₽1.7 billion; however, this will subsequently be gradually reduced through localization.”
The government of Uzbekistan provided infrastructure and financial support for the project. The Uzbek government supported the project with an investment of US$20 million for the construction of the complex and a 10-year preferential tax and customs regime. Uzbekistan is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, which also includes Russia, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The Arnest Group of Companies is the largest manufacturer of aerosol products in Russia (more than 53% of the Russian market, 2.6% of global production). As of 2025, the group includes 19 factories in various regions of Russia.
