Assarel - Medet
Dates of Importance
1956 – 1962: The Medet ore deposit was discovered and studies following an active geological and research activity.
1961-1964: Building of the Medet Mining and Processing Complex. The comprehensive conceptual design for its construction was approved with Council of Ministers Order No. 625/ 11.04.1961
December 29, 1964: Official inauguration of the Medet Mining and Processing Complex which was the largest open pit copper mine in Europe and the third largest in the world at that time.
1964 – 1972: The full design capacity of the Medet Mining and Processing Complex was achieved. This was a significant success which marked a completely new stage in ore mining in Bulgaria.
1968 – 1976: Detailed study of the Assarel deposit.
May 7, 1976: The first sod of the experimental section Assarel in the area of the Medet mine was turned.
1979: Gibrotsvetmet, Moscow developed a technical project for open pit mine establishment at the Assarel copper deposit.
March 20, 1981: The construction of the Assarel Mining and Processing Complex started. The Technical and Economic Report for the Assarel Mining and Processing Complex construction was approved by the virtue of Order No. 14 by the Council of Ministers.
February 2, 1988: The first complex environmental polygon was established in the country with the assistance of the Bulgarian Academy of Science which is intended to provide efficient monitoring of the environmental components.
December 6th, 1989: Assarel Mining and Processing Complex was officially inaugurated and commissioned.
1994: In compliance with the project, Assarel Mining and Processing Complex suspended its activity in fulfillment of Council of Ministers Order No. 140/23.07.1992 for restructuring of mining.
April 20, 1991: The court registration of Assarel-Medet Sole JSC was made in fulfillment of Council of Ministers Order No. 176/ 5.9.1999 г.
November 14, 1995: The Assarel Mining and Processing Complex reached its approved full design capacity.
December 23, 1998: The first concession agreement in the country for mining of ores and minerals was signed.
June 15, 1999: The privatization agreement in the mining industry was signed between Assarel-Invest JSC, a company with a majority share of the Austrian strategic partner Voest Alpine Intertrading and the privatization Agency.
February 10, 1999: Assarel-Medet JSC was the first in the mining industry of our country to be awarded with a certificate for Quality Management according to ISO 9001 international standard.
January 20, 2000: Assarel-Invest JSC started the implementation of a Program for Removal of Old Environmental Damages in compliance with an Executive Agreement with the state funded by the World Bank.
September 27, 2000: The first in the country Cyclic Flow Conveyor Technology for waste transportation from the Assarel mine was commissioned and this was the first large-scale project after the privatization.
March 17, 2001: A long-term contract for donations was signed with the municipality of Panagyurishte for implementation of essential interstructure projects and life standard improvement.
July 27, 2001: A contract for financing a feasibility technological study of the company by the American Agency for International Development was signer with the Ambassador of the United States of America, His Honor Richard Miles.
January 23, 2002: Assarel-Medet JSC was awarded with the first in the country Certificate for Environment Management according to the ISO 14001international standard.
May 15, 2003: Assarel-Medet JSC joined the thousand of business and civil organizations from all over the world which adhere to the principles of the UN Global Compact for human rights protection, labor conditions, environment protection and socially responsible business behavior.
December 10, 2003: Assarel-Medet JSC was awarded with the first in the high risk heavy industry in the country international certificate for the implementation of the Integrated Management System which meets the requirements of the ISO9001:2000, ISO14001:1996, OHSAS 18001:2002 international standards.
March 30, 2004: Assarel-Medet JSC was awarded with a certificate by the National Convent of Experts giving it a status of a company with high prestige and input to the reputation of Bulgaria.
April 27, 2005: Assarel-Medet JSC was given an award by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce for achieved high results in the area of investment, currency incomes, new productions development, certification, services, new jobs creation and innovation policy during the period 2000-2005.
May 11, 2005: The company was bestowed with Top Insurer Prize for 2004.
July 14, 2005: Assarel-Medet JSC is the first Bulgarian company possessing a certificate for First Class Investor given by the Bulgarian Investment Agency.
August 26, 2005: Assarel-Medet JSC celebrated its 40th Anniversary.
October 11, 2005: Assarel-Medet’s team was bestowed with an Honorary Deed for merits to Panagyurishte.
October 12, 2005: The company was acknowledged by National Association of Municipalities in the Republic of Bulgaria as the biggest donator to the municipality of Panagyurishte.
April 26, 2006: Assarel-Medet JSC was honored with the prestigious Ikar award for innovations and input to the Bulgarian economy in 2005 by the Bulgarian Chamber of bestowed for conducting a large-scale innovative policy which led to the implementation of state-of-the-art equipment and technologies.
December 19, 2006: The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced that Assarel-Medet was ranked on the first place based on complex economic indices in the South Central Region.
May 1, 2007: Top insurer in the mining industry for 2006 according to official data of the National Incomes Agency, announced to the public as a part of the campaign for the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce for struggle against grey economy.
2004-2007: A large-scale project for modernization and life extension of the Assarel Mine and concentrator was implemented.
August 20, 2007: The Business Week Bulgaria Magazine proclaimed Assarel-Medet JSC as the most dynamically developing Bulgarian company for 2006.
November 16, 2007: Assarel-Medet JSC was ranked at the third place in the national poll conducted by Hewitt under the name The Best Employers in Bulgaria. г. -
November 29, 2007: The company was bestowed with a prestigious reward for responsible business by the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum and ranked at the third place in the Investor in Environment category.
"Lights over the town" - a Film about the History of the Company