Bill Christensen (R), the chief executive of German polymer business Rehau, and Fedir Omelinskyj, the president of the Ukrainian branch of Rehau, visit the company’s warehouse in Kyiv. Rehau entered Ukraine in 1997 because it was a strategic market. Although the purchasing power of the population in Ukraine is low, Rehau keeps on growing.
Among German companies, Ukraine is often dubbed as “a turbulent market” because the level of purchasing power in the country is low, corruption flourishes and bureaucracy prevails at every level.
However, for the last few decades, Ukraine has been a reliable partner for German businesses: Big companies like Henkel and Rehau have entered the country because they saw potential in the growing market.