The CEO of JSC SGMK fielded questions from journalists at a TASS press conference. The dialogue took place on July 13 in Moscow and focused on the completion of the main selection round for finalists of the "Best in Profession" competition.
This year, for the first time, Flame-cutting Torch Operators are taking part in the competition – thanks to an initiative by SGMK, Russia's Ministry of Labor added this critical working-class trade to the list of competitive categories.
"SGMK makes systematic investments in the prestige of working-class professions – and we see a measurable impact on our business. For five years running, we have held our own industry skills competition, and this year – with the support of Russian Labor Minister Anton Kotyakov, Kemerovo Region Governor Ilya Seredyuk, and Khabarovsk Territory Governor Dmitry Demeshin – our company is organizing the regional and federal stages of the All-Russian "Best in Profession" competition in the "Flame-cutting Torch Operator" category. In part thanks to this work, the scrap processing industry is now associated with production and environmental responsibility. The effect of participating in this federal project is not abstract. It translates into production stability, higher employee qualifications, a stronger industry reputation, and ultimately, greater business sustainability," said Denis Kraev, CEO of JSC SGMK.
In 2026, the total number of regional competition stages nearly doubled. More than 2,100 company representatives competed for the title of best in their profession. Over 415 winners will meet in the finals alongside winners of industry and corporate competitions across 25 categories.
One of the most important innovations this year is the introduction of five industry-specific categories. They are held with input from – and at the suggestion of – companies, based on the demand for specific professions in the economy. The "Flame-cutting Torch Operator" category is among them.
The federal stages of the competition will kick off in July. Kuzbass will welcome the country's best Flame-cutting Torch Operators at the ProLom training and production cluster in September of this year. The organizer is SGMK, with support from Noviy Vtormet and the Association of Scrap Processors "Pro Lom Union" Self-Regulatory Organization.