YPO member and Chief Executive Officer of AMS Global Andrew Robertson is no stranger to doing business in conflict zones. From Afghanistan to Kazakhstan, Iraq to Nigeria, he has kept industries thriving amidst political upheaval.
Robertson’s most recent venture, Nature Green — a state-of-the-art shitake mushroom facility — is located in the city of Uzhhorod in Ukraine, which hugs the Hungarian, Slovakian and Polish borders, all of which are being affected by the conflict in Ukraine. Yet the company continues to thrive, producing 30 tons of mushrooms a month, which are then carefully packaged and shipped to customers across Europe and the United Kingdom.
In candid conversation, Robertson explains why he believes Nature Green has endured, despite the less-than-ideal circumstances.
Take pre-emptive measures
“Our business plan is our contingency plan,” Robertson says. “You never know where the curveball is going to come from, so you always need to be prepared.”
In the case of Ukraine, that meant mobilizing even when there were mere whispers of war.
“We took pre-emptive measures to safeguard the facility and purchased a power generator in case the power lines went down,” says Robertson. “If we lost power for more than two hours the entire production — somewhere between half a million and a million dollars’ worth of mushrooms — would be destroyed.”
Combine best practices and cultural integration
Another essential piece of the puzzle is ensuring respect between stakeholders — international and local partners as well as the community at large.
“Every time we go into a new region to do business, we operate at 50% best practice and 50% cultural integration,” he says. “We listen to the local people’s needs, we learn about their culture and we embrace them while offering tools to upscale their work.”
This synergetic amalgam of culture and knowledge has created an exceptionally strong sense of pride across the mountain region and imbedded a sense of optimism about the future.
“Most Ukrainians have to go overseas if they want to provide for their families,” says Robertson. “Now they can actually be employed in their own towns and villages and know that their children will be able to remain. It has given people a real sense of pride in their work. And tapping into people’s pride is a powerful thing.”
Leverage local talent
In the early stages of building the facility, all of the equipment and consultants were brought in from the outside. But once operations were up and running, it became evident that there was more than enough local talent to mine.
— Andrew Robertson, Chief Executive Officer of AMS Global share
“There are a lot of very capable engineers and steel workers in Ukraine,” says Robertson. “Items that would normally be made in Asia or China, we started to manufacture locally using local companies.”
This not only added more jobs to the region and broadened opportunities for further investment in the area, it
created a more sustainable ecosystem which fostered an even greater sense of purpose within the community.
Contribute to charity
Anything Nature Green does not export gets donated to the community — local hospitals, orphanages and monasteries.
“Because of that, I would say we are one of the stars of the local area,” says Robertson with palpable pride of his own. “We are engaged in the community, we employ local people and we are giving back.”
Get embassy support
For international investors concerned about the challenges of doing business as a foreign national, Robertson says it’s actually a benefit.
“I want international investors to know that support is available,” says Robertson. “As an international investor we have embassies and consulates that we can go to, and the local ministries and Ukrainian government entities know and welcome us. I can go to the international trade desk if I have any problems. In many ways, my voice is probably heard a little bit louder because Ukraine welcomes and supports international investors who come to Ukraine, transfer knowledge, create jobs and help make the country a success.”
— Andrew Robertson, YPO Member share
In the end, Robertson believes that every move you make, conflict or not, should be done with passion and purpose, and with the goal of exchanging the best ideas and strengths each side has to offer.
“I believe that by importing the best minds in business, industry and manufacturing and fusing that with the Ukrainian peoples’ passion and know-how, we can build successful companies,” Robertson says. “You find the right partner, secure the best support and bridge the cultural nuances by implementing best practices and creating prosperity and jobs indefinitely.
My passion and determination to help post-conflict and developing countries build their private sector economies and create jobs remains unwavering and I am always happy to support fellow YPO members to do the same.”
