The idea of producing national home drink of Kyrgyzs and Kazakhs, which is called “Maksym”, was first invented by the President of the company Taabaldy Egemberdiev in 1987. Back then, this idea seemed fantastic for many people, but found support from younger brother Jymadyl Egemberdiev and their mother Suyun, who actually was the keeper of a secret ferment.

The main “marketing research” and basic confidence that Maksym will find its’ place on the market was the fact that this drink always attracted guests’ attention on family festivities and holidays.

5 years have passed since the idea appeared. It has been 5 years of difficult reflections, psychological preparation and – what is more important – an external incitement. Brothers were working according to their professional skills and had neither time nor opportunities to start business from the point zero. They also were scared of bureaucracy their friends and colleagues faced with.

1992 became the symbolic year for the company. By that time, five Egemberdiev family representatives, who were: Jumadyl Egemberdiev, his spouse Jekin, brother Taabaldy, his elder son Almaz, brothers’ sister Anara and his former subordinates Dokturbek Kenjebaev and Oskon Akmatov, both construction engineers, left unemployed. They, together with the chief technologist Suyun-Apa, established “Shoro” company on May 25^th, 1992 and brought their first 80 liters of Maksym on the local market.

As it was expected, the success was fantastic. All the drink was sold in first 2 hours.

Starting that time until 1995, the company had just one significant problem: it was impossible to satisfy the demand of consumers, cause the whole volume of the drink was already depleted by noon. Preparation of Maksym was being realized in accordance to traditional technologies, it means totally manual. Back then, President of the company Taabaldy Egemberdiev invented to fully mechanize the process of Maksym preparation. He announced to his subordinates that in just a couple of years they will work in white overalls in a modern production department and their work will be reduced to pushing buttons. At that time, workers could not imagine these plans are not just a pipe-dream.

On their way to a dream, Egemberdievs several times faced different problems: looking for an optimal technology turned out to be complicated experience. However, the ideal decision was finally found and today Shoro company is the only one in the world, which owns totally mechanized technology of Maksym Shoro production. Manufacturing capacity of the operation composes 70 tons a day, which significantly increases the market demand.

Since 1998, company started producing Maksym in bottles. In 1999, company purchased water bottling line and was the first in Kyrgyzstan who started producing spring water Tien Shan Legend as well as other carbonated waters – “Arashan”, “Baitik”. Later, the range of carbonated waters enriched with “Yssyk Ata”, “Jalal Abad”, “Shoro Suu”, “Kara Keche” and “Bishkek”.

The idea of producing another national drink, a high-quality Kumys with a long retention cycle occurred to the President of the company Taabaldy Egemberdiev in 1996. That year, his attempt to gather Kumys from Son Kul farmers and sold in on the market, failed. Despite all the tricks, gathered Kumys went sour in a couple of days. Unsuccessful experience with Kumys led to two successful decisions: to gather mare’s milk instead of Kumys and produce it in accordance with a new technologies under the control of laboratory.

In 2000, the company develops totally new technology of producing Kumys with a retention cycle of 6 months. Starting 2001, 70% of produced drink is being exported to Moscow. In 2004, company started producing another two kinds of national drinks: Jarma – “Toibos” ans Chalap – “Tagai”. Today these drinks are in demand not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in Kazakhstan.

In 2005, Shoro had successfully entered the Kazakh market. There is a factory producing Maksym Shoro established in Kordai city and a distribution office functioning in Almaty, which sells bottled production of Shoro on the market of Kazakhstan.

For several years already, Shoro cooperate with international TAM (Turnaround management) program, which is financed by European Bank of Development and Reconstruction. Specialists of this program, experienced in American and Canadian food industry, are consulting key employees and top management of Shoro in production, management, sales, human resources and other spheres. This lets Shoro to adapt world experience to similar spheres on local market and become a modern company.

There are also several branches along with production basis located on the South of Kyrgyzstan and in Kazakh Republic.

Basic facts:

1992

• February, 22 – “Shoro” small-scale enterprise established
• May, 29 – first experimental sales of Maksym
• Production capacity increases to 1.2 tons
• Receipts are allocated for purchasing equipment for production, sales and other technical issues
• The staff of “Shoro” consists of 25 people

1993

• Pipe conduit for spring water is modernized
• Tables for 25 sales outlets are fabricated
• Production and sales volume is 2 tons a day
• Production capacity does not satisfy raising demands of Maksym

1994

• Company starts using wooden tunes instead of cans
• Trade mark of Shoro is developed and registered
• First advertising appears on radio
• Production volume is 4.2 tons a day
• Company purchased administrative building in Bishkek
• The staff is about 100 people

1995

• 6 electrical boilers in a volume of 1 ton are manufactured and installed
• The workshop is extended and cooling baths are installed
• Production volume is 7.2 tons per day
• First TV advertising is produced
• Product standardization performed
• Glasses changed to plastic

1996

• Original system of cooling drink is created and mechanic oven system is purchased
• The patent for the recipe received
• Southern branch in Osh is established
• Joint venture in Almaty is created

1997

• Butilation line of Maksym is purchased
• Branches in Jalalabad and Tash-Kumyr are opened
• Drink approbation is conducted in patient care institution
• New direction of company’s activity is launched, Express Shoro

1998

• Bottled Maksym went on sale
• Test sales of “holodets” and “borsoks” conducted
• The old building of City Milk Factory is being purchased for Maksym partial manufacturing
• A wide advertising campaign is conducted.

1999

• “Shoro” private company transformed into “Shoro” joint-stock company
• Production plant and staff moved to the territory of old City Milk Factory
• Mineral waters sources Beshbelchir-Arashan and Kumush-Bulak are purchased
• Russian equipment for bottles production and carbonated and non-carbonated waters filling is purchased
• New line of carbonated waters Arashan, Baitik, Legenda is launched on August,31st

2000

• The choice of carbonated waters is expanded: Shoro Suu, Kara Keche, Issyk Ata
• New technology developed and national drink Kumys is introduced

2001

• Kara Keche water production is demolished
• Export of Kumys national drink to Russia started
• The President of the company was honored with a title “Leader of the year” on the “Choice of the year” competition and “Shoro” company became the winner of “Sapat” award

2002

• Shoro company celebrates its 10^th anniversary and invites Russian famous singer Alsou and local stars to perform their best songs on a concert, dedicated to the date. This concert was held on “Spartak” stadium in Bishkek

2003

• Shoro received international standard certificate #1

2004

• The choice of waters is expanded with dispenser water Legend
• Two new lines of water filling are purchased as well as four bottles production stations
• Paper glasses production machines are purchased
• Realizing of the project “Shoro Fabric of leaders”
• Grand prize “Public love” and winner of “Video of the year” nomination in “Choice of the year-2004” competition

2005

• Re-positioning of Kumys to Kumys-Sayak
• Branch in Almaty is opened
• Kumys Sayak went on Kazakh market
• National drink Chalap Shoro is introduced

2006

• Joint venture “Shoro PRC” is created. A factory in China is established
• Rebranding (introduction) of national drinks, a “Hero” as a symbol of national drinks is appeared
• Rebranding of “A country of pure water” line
• National drink Bozo Shoro is introduced
• National drink Jarma Shoro is introduced

2007

• Rebranding of water Legenda into Tien Shan Legend
• Department on quality management system is developed
• Shoro-2 facility is launched
• A new product “Aralash” is introduced

2008

• A new system of personnel motivation is introduced, as well as corporate code
• Tien Shan Legend line is expanded. New water “Legend SPORT (0.7 ml) is introduced
• Conversion to a new regional sales system (“North” and “South”)
• New product Kurut is introduced
• Water filling facility modernization, a new equipment with production capacity of 6 thousands bottles an hour is installed
• Clinical researches on Bozo Shoro are being conducted on the base of hematology center of KR

2009

• New product Iceberg (19 liters) is introduced
• Distribution on the South is expanded to Jalalabad, Kara Suu, Uzgen, Kyzylkiya, Kadamjai
• Anti-crisis measures are being introduced