Dairy factory sees better days ahead

Photo By Sgt. David Turner | Ahmed Adnan Hashim keeps watch at the dairy factory he manages with his brother...... read more read more

Photo By Sgt. David Turner | Ahmed Adnan Hashim keeps watch at the dairy factory he manages with his brother Qahetan in Bada, a small town south of Baghdad. Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Division recently delivered two industrial generators donated by a factory in Iskandariyah to help the dairy plant stay on its feet.  see less | View Image Page

ISKANDARIYAH, IRAQ

08.19.2008

Story by Sgt. David Turner 

4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs

✔ ✗ Subscribe

10

By Sgt. David Turner
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – Ahmed Adnan Hashim is passionate about yogurt. He's passionate about cheese and cream and the other products produced at the Nu-Nu factory in Bada, a small town in northern Babil province.

With his brother, Qahetan, managing the factory, Nu-Nu produces what Ahmed said is the best yogurt in Iraq.

"One of the reasons local citizens depend on our products is that we deal in high quality," Ahmed said.

Buying locally-made Iraqi products isn't just a matter of pride with Ahmed. Imported products contain additives, he said, something he doesn't need to do, since his products are shipped fresh and tested regularly. To demonstrate the quality, he opened a container of his yogurt and held it upside-down, and the yogurt stayed inside.

"You couldn't do that with the imported stuff," he said. "People in Basrah and Nasariyah in the south, or Mosul in the north, always ask us to provide them with products. It's a good sign for us that people still want high quality," he said.

The business, which currently employs about 175 people, used to employ nearly 300.Unsafe roads restricted fresh milk deliveries from local farmers, reducing production.

"We faced a hard situation when the insurgents and militias took over the neighborhoods here," Ahmed recalled. "We faced a lot of problems, especially with the power."

The decline made room for cheaper, poorer quality imported products in the marketplace. Unreliable power generation makes it difficult to keep machines working and products refrigerated.

During a recent visit to Ahmed's office, the lights went out twice. The two large generators, which provided most of the factory's power, were so old and in such disrepair that they barely worked at all.

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, attached to 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Inf. Division, learned of the factory's problems during an assessment of businesses in the area. They tracked down two one-megawatt generators at the Iskandariyah Industrial Complex, which the large, state-owned company was willing to donate.

With a pair of heavy-equipment transporters, 2-502nd Inf. Regt. Soldiers delivered the generators to Nu-Nu factory, Aug. 5, 2008. Though slightly used, the generators represented a huge savings to the factory; purchased new, the pair would have cost almost $1 million.

"We discovered this was something they were lacking, and not only would it bring revenue and jobs, but it would also help the whole country as well," said Capt. Robert Slubowski, executive officer of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2-502nd Inf. Regt.

The generator delivery is only half the battle, though. The generators require repairs and maintenance before they can take over the job of supplying the factory's electricity needs. The biggest obstacle is obtaining the parts, which may cost as much as $40,000.

Slubowski, from Branford, Conn., is now working on locating those parts at the best price for the factory.

"We were able to save them quite a bit, so we're hoping with that money, they will be able to get the parts they need," Slubowski said.

Slubowski said that although Nu-Nu isn't exactly a small business, the downturn in production and competition with cheaper imports has left the company in dire financial straits.

"They've been running at a loss pretty much since [2003] because of low productivity, but they've been able to come through. I think a lot of that money is coming from their other businesses they run or personal money," said Slubowski. "I think that says a lot about their character."

Qahetan considered other business opportunities in Canada and the United Arab Emirates, but he and his brother decided to stay in Iraq and get through the lean times.

"[Ahmed] strikes me as a good guy who genuinely cares about his product and is proud of what he does," Slubowski said. "He wants people to want to buy his product, not because it is one of the only ones available, but because it's the best."

During a recent visit, Ahmed gave Slubowski a tour of the factory, insisting that he sample each product. Ahmed also pointed out a new facility at the factory, where plans are in place to begin producing meat products. If they are successful, Ahmed hopes expansion will put the factory back on solid ground. The good reputation his products enjoy will be the key to that success, he said.