– The upholstered furniture factory “Shyk Galychyna”, located in the Ternopil region, was founded in 1996 as a family furniture studio. During this time, we formed a professional team that manufactures sofas and beds that are elegant in design and comfortable in terms of functionality. The company occupies a leading position in the Ukrainian market and supplies its products to more than ten countries.

Over 27 years, we have significantly developed our production and have become the first and currently the only factory of upholstered furniture in Ukraine with our own production of plywood, lamellas, and other flexible glued products from it, as well as spring blocks. The factory has established a full production cycle process: 82% of upholstered furniture components are manufactured by ourselves and only 18% are purchased. This is definitely our competitive advantage. We have self-sufficient and waste-free production. We make fuel briquettes and pellets from wood waste.

– What other factors allowed “Shyk Galychyna” to remain among the leaders?

– We follow trends in the industry and furniture fashion, continuously develop, and develop new models. For example, among all similar domestic productions, we have the widest line of beds, which is more than 50 models that will fit perfectly into almost any modern interior style.

We place special emphasis on the functionality and comfort of our furniture. We use the latest materials available on the market. Our specialists have developed FlexyMaxEvolution slatted frames for beds, which provide maximum comfort and significantly increase the lifespan of the mattress.

The uniqueness of our company also lies in the fact that we manufacture and use hornbeam slats in beds. The hornbeam structure is 12% denser than oak and 10% denser than beech, which guarantees the strength of the lamellas. These factors also allow us to significantly increase the warranty period for our products.

– Do you make slats and bed frames only for your own needs?

– Of course, first of all we satisfy our needs in components for our sofas and beds. But our production facilities are capable of much larger volumes of products. Therefore, we also sell not only slats to fellow furniture makers, but also slat frames, spring blocks for sofas, flexible glued products, as well as household by-products – fuel briquettes and pellets.

– How does it work in wartime?

– All of us, Ukrainians, are divided into “before” and “after” by the tragic date of February 24, 2022. Everything has fundamentally changed. Competitive advantages are eliminated in an instant when war comes to the country.

For a few days, all our production stopped, but we quickly realized that we did not have the right to lay off because it would mean the loss of the team that we had selected and assembled for decades. Decisions were made instantly. They immediately switched to the production of low-cost beds and mattresses for temporarily displaced persons, who in the first days of the war were en masse accommodated in Western Ukraine. Later, they began to sew sleeping bags for the military. Thus, in the first days of the new reality, it was possible to provide work for at least part of the team.

At the same time, we began an intensive search for foreign partners in all areas of our activity. It was not easy, but in the end, it was such effective efforts that pulled us out of the “pit” into which the war pushed us – and as a result, now all 100% of workers are employed.

– How do you solve the problem of power outages?

– This became another challenge of the war. The summer stabilization of production, unfortunately, did not last long. When the emergency and scheduled blackouts began, it became obvious that after each one, losses would have to be calculated. And again, the situation forced us to act quickly to end the downtime. We bought an industrial generator, which now ensures uninterrupted operation of our production during periods of lack of electricity. This increases the cost of production, but there are no other options.

– What do you expect from the coming year?

– We understand that he will present us with new challenges. They cannot be fully predicted or planned for, but it will definitely be necessary to react to them. React effectively, quickly, wisely, and sometimes unconventionally. We are ready for this. “Do what you can with what you have, where you are” – these words of Theodore Roosevelt are probably the only correct slogan for everyone who does not give up and is determined to move forward.