 Despite the economical difficulties of independent Armenia, the town of Artik is still a major centre for the production of its famous tufa stones.Many stone-processing plants that produce travertine, tufa and basalt are operating in the town, including the "Artik-Tuf" state-owned firm of 1928, the "Tufa-Blocks Factory" of the 1960s (privatized in 1997), "Karastgh" stone-processing plant of 2005, and "Turinj" tufa processing plant of 2005.Artik is also home to the Artik Cheese Factory, the Eliz Group for dairy products, the Artik Factory for Vacuum Stoves, and the "Artik Steklomash" metal casting factory.