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Fifteen years ago, an electromechanical engineer from Dnipro, Oleksandr Zapishnyi, began developing projects for electrical systems and networks. Now, his company is building solar power plants (SES) and preparing to launch powerful charging devices for electric vehicles.

The full-scale Russian invasion and rolling blackouts that Ukrainians and businesses faced as early as 2022 have accelerated the development of alternative energy sources.

One company that has felt the market changes is EDS-Engineering, part of the EDS-Ukraine group. It specializes in constructing industrial solar power plants of varying complexity, as well as stations for businesses’ own needs. Additionally, the company builds and reconstructs electrical substations up to 330 kV.

Last year, its sales volume reached 1.75 billion UAH. “This year, the total plan for the group is 2.5 billion UAH,” says Oleksandr Zapishnyi, owner of EDS-Engineering. The goal seems entirely achievable, given that the group specializes in designing and constructing various energy facilities, which is more relevant than ever.

The full-scale war has also changed the client profile. Zapishnyi explains that before the full-scale Russian invasion, 90-95% of orders came from private investors, with only 5% from the state. However, the situation has now completely reversed. Approximately 60-70% of contracts are now signed with the government and large state-owned enterprises.

“They have a great need for restoration, while businesses and private investors, especially in the eastern part of Ukraine, have significantly reduced investments. In general, they are very cautious about developing their businesses right now,” the businessman explains.

How It All Began

An electromechanical engineer by profession, Zapishnyi always wanted to connect his life with energy. “Creating various systems, projects, and developing solutions—I really enjoyed that,” he nostalgically recalls in an interview with NV Business.

After graduating, he changed several jobs, including working at the Dnipro Heavy Machinery Plant (Dniprovazhmash), but he was determined to create his own business. “I had no investments and no understanding of where to get money. I relied only on my experience, established connections, and perhaps a bit of luck,” he remembers.

Zapishnyi had a network of potential clients. His previous job involved designing electrical networks for various businesses—retail, construction, and manufacturing companies.

“I had a client base that was satisfied with the quality of my work, as well as a small team of specialists. When I parted ways with my last employer, I took the team with me and started a business focused on designing electrical systems and networks,” he recalls. That was 15 years ago.

At first, the company was called Budservice-Group, which Zapishnyi founded with a partner. Later, in 2012, he registered his own company, EDS-Engineering, which is now the group’s main asset, generating up to half of its total revenue.

The business expanded, moving beyond design to include installation services. They started with simple tasks like sockets and switches, then began laying internal electrical networks for ATB stores. Other clients from the commercial real estate and industrial sectors in Dnipro soon followed.

This helped the business grow exponentially each year. “For example, in 2010, I managed to sell services worth 3.6 million UAH—just under $0.5 million at the time. The next year, it was 12 million UAH ($1.5 million), and by 2012, 36 million UAH,” says the businessman.

He admits that a bit of risk and even adventurousness was necessary, as the company often lacked experience for the projects it took on. Yet, in 95% of cases, they succeeded. Within 3-4 years, EDS-Engineering could afford to purchase the necessary equipment and take on increasingly complex projects. The company continuously reinvested most of its earnings into development, a strategy Zapishnyi follows to this day.

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War and Business Transformation

In 2014, when war first came to Ukraine, everything changed.

“Our Donbas branch was seized, and we had to leave Crimea. Local bandits and collaborators ‘expropriated’ all our property—cars, warehouses, office space, furniture, and equipment,” the entrepreneur recalls.

Amid the economic crisis, businesses in Ukraine froze their development projects, affecting the company’s financial results. However, this prompted EDS-Engineering to evolve from a design firm and subcontractor into a general contractor for energy projects. The company began working with several regional energy companies across the country and with Ukrzaliznytsia.

At the same time, Zapishnyi diversified his businesses and offered ATB his services as a general contractor for building stores from scratch—transforming empty land into near-complete stores. This crucial move significantly expanded the scale of the business. After a sharp drop in sales to $2-3 million in 2014-2015, the company rebounded in 2016-2017, reaching over $12 million in revenue.

Focus on Renewable Energy

Around this time, Zapishnyi turned his attention to alternative energy. “It seemed like a very complex industry, which is why we decided to take on this challenge,” he says. Using credit funds, the company built a 2.3 MW solar power station near Dnipro in just six months. The investment paid off in just 4.5 years.

“I was surprised at how much simpler it was compared to traditional energy. It turned out to be a fairly straightforward, standardized, and easily scalable technology,” he explains. The growing market demand encouraged the company to deepen its involvement in this sector.

EDS-Engineering had a competitive advantage over newcomers—it had engineering experience, in-house designers, a production division, equipment, and automation specialists.

Between 2018 and 2021, the company built almost 400 MW of solar capacity, including 250 MW in 2019 alone.

However, the full-scale invasion disrupted this expansion. With Russia’s attacks on infrastructure, EDS-Engineering’s expertise in traditional energy restoration became crucial.

“Our skills and comprehensive approach proved extremely valuable for rapid restoration projects, often without proper documentation or technical assignments in conditions where the network had to be restored immediately,” Zapishnyi recalls.

Million-Dollar Investments

Today, EDS-Engineering is an EPC contractor (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) specializing in large-scale projects worth millions of dollars. The group also includes Budservice-Group and Eurospace, which focus on commercial real estate, residential, and infrastructure projects. “We also plan to enter the residential development market, but I’m not sure when that will happen. My investment priorities remain in energy,” says Zapishnyi.

This year, the group plans to invest 10 million euros in various projects, with over half of the funds expected to come from banks.

Since 2017, the company has been developing its manufacturing sector. It built its first production facility and began producing electrical cabinets (up to 1,000 volts) and medium-voltage switchgear (up to 35 kV).

This initial investment paid off in 1.5 years, leading Zapishnyi to build a full-scale factory, investing 5 million euros and completing it in another 1.5 years. Despite the war, the investment returned faster than expected. Last year, the plant produced equipment worth 460 million UAH—about 1,000 switchgear units, making it one of the top five manufacturers in Ukraine.

Now, the company is constructing a transformer plant in Dnipro, investing approximately $5 million. The factory will be capable of producing 300 MVA of transformer capacity per shift.

“We decided not to relocate and continue developing our business in Dnipro,” says Zapishnyi. “This year, we will nearly match our pre-war dollar revenues. While last year it was $45-46 million, in 2025, it will be about $60 million—with a much smaller workforce,” he notes.

EDS-Engineering has also signed contracts with Siemens, becoming its official distributor and manufacturer in Ukraine, opening new opportunities in Eastern Europe.

Last year, the company developed and launched powerful charging devices for electric vehicles, with Go To-U as one of its first partners in this segment.

Learn more about the journey, achievements, and future plans of EDS-Engineering here: link.