In 1998, the history of one of the largest transport and logistics groups of companies in Kazakhstan - Astana Group began. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, people survived as best they could, fought for a more or less profitable business. Then railway transportation, as, indeed, at all times, was very attractive for earnings. But to start a business in this area with a capital of $ 100 - such an idea seemed too ambitious. Marat Zhuman was helped to decide on this by the precepts of his grandfather – to be faithful to the profession, to trust the railway and not be afraid of anything. Did it succeed? Judge for yourself. 21 years later, Marat Zhuman met with dollar billionaires from all over the world in a competition for the title of "Entrepreneur of the Year" in Monaco. 

The history of a business in Kazakhstan logistics

The future businessman was born on September 18, 1976 in the village of Atasu, Karaganda region. In 1994, he entered the Almaty Institute of Railway Engineers. Student life began with a dormitory and the next stage of overcoming difficulties. In order not to bother his parents with requests for help, Marat Zhuman got a job as a loader in the luggage compartment of the Almaty-2 station, then began working as a night guard at the same station.  

In the 90s, there was no service in the field of railway transportation as such: the senders of goods themselves had to search for suitable wagons, conclude contracts, lease a railway dead end. Looking at the situation, Marat realized that this was a great niche for business and in 1998 he created a logistics company, naming it after his native village - Atasu. Then he was only 22 years old. 

And the demand for Atasu Group's services grew. The company became the first in the country to start providing a full range of services, that is, to do all the work instead of the client. And from the very beginning, she was engaged in the delivery of cargo by rail not only on the territory of Kazakhstan, but also to the CIS and Central Asian markets. Atasu Group opened its first foreign representative office in China and South Korea in 2002. 

"One day I met two guys who were interested in our signboard. I was very lucky: it turned out that they were representatives of Sinotrans, one of the largest transport companies in China. They began to ask: do you have a transport company? Are you engaged in transportation? We just need a partner who will be able to deliver our goods across Kazakhstan and the CIS. A month later they invited me to China, and we signed the first contract. I am still working with Sinotrans," Marat Zhuman said in an interview.

Atasu Group today: assets, potential, ambitions

To improve the service, Atasu Group is constantly improving its assets. The company owns railway and automobile fleets. Manages warehouses and several terminals equipped in accordance with international standards. So, in 2011, a terminal with an area of more than 180 thousand square meters was built in the Almaty region with the ability to handle up to 5,000 wagons per month. A year later, another terminal at the Dostyk station, located on the border with China, was launched – its area is over 140 thousand squares. A full range of services is available at the terminals – from receiving, reloading and departure of container trains to processing all necessary documentation. Thus, Athas Group today feels confident among the leading companies in the transport and logistics industry, on which the development of the transit potential of Kazakhstan and the entire domestic economy as a whole is based. 

In 2017, Marat Zhuman sets a strategic plan: to increase the number of his own fleet of wagons and the capacity of terminals. A team of consultants was hired, who in 2018 helped Atasu Group attract investments from the Chinese state corporation CITIC Capital Silk Road Fund (CCSRF) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Subsequently, Atasu Group acquires 1.5 thousand new railcars and terminal equipment at the expense of the funds raised.

In just 23 years of operation, the company has invested more than $ 200 million in the purchase of railcars and the development of the railway infrastructure of Kazakhstan. Today Atasu Group is engaged not only in the organization of transportation by rail, but also by road, sea transport and air transportation. In addition, it provides services for customs clearance of goods, their insurance and protection. Cargo turnover is over 10 million tons per year. Atasu Group's customer base currently has more than 8 thousand customers.

Recently, the company has been offering Fulfillment warehouse services. This project is a unique support for manufacturers and online entrepreneurs developing their business on the Internet. Atasu Group is ready to provide manufacturers, online store owners and entrepreneurs with a full range of logistics services – storage and accounting of goods, packaging, packaging, labeling and delivery. Fulfillment Warehouse service is not the only digital project of Atasu Group. The company is a pioneer in Kazakhstan logistics in terms of digitalization. 

A separate global direction of the company's development is social responsibility. Atasu Group regularly conducts charity events in support of socially vulnerable segments of the population – children, people with disabilities, large families. The company actively supports aspiring athletes, creative entrepreneurs, and Atasu Group specialists share their knowledge and experience with educational institutions..

Who creates the Atasu Group brand?    

This is how we see Atasu Group today - successful and promising. Thanks to high-quality business management, Marat Zhuman was able to create a powerful player in the logistics market from scratch. In 2019, his achievements were highly appreciated by the business community. He won the competition "Entrepreneur of the Year – 2018", which was held by EY, and in the same year represented Kazakhstan in Monaco at the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year competition. In addition, the Association of National Freight Forwarders of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2020 recognized Atasu Group as the most successful company of the year. In 2021, Athas Group became a member of the European Business Association of Kazakhstan (EUROBAK), and also joined the Association of Entrepreneurs of Creative and Cultural Industries Almaty Creative.

What is the secret of the company's success? In fact, Marat Zhuman has never hidden – there are no secrets here. The success of the company was ensured by people. The Atasu Group team is its main asset. Every employee is valued here, which is why many work for 15-20 years, and there are many examples when interns became managers.

The company has several internal projects that help Atasu Group to constantly grow and develop. For example, there is a staff care service that is open to everyone. Its main task is to provide feedback from the team on any suggestions for improving the corporate culture, work issues and new ideas that the company considers and implements every quarter.

That is why corporate events are also not uncommon in the company. Brand Day is one of the most interesting and bright holidays, when the team once again recalls the history of the company, sums up the results and makes new plans. In a word, everything is happening that just symbolizes the company's logo - the family shanyrak, the roads that connect countries, entrepreneurs, and those roads that lead to their native hearth, where new ideas are born during conversations. Everything that Marat Zhuman once dreamed of as a boy in his native village of Atasu.