UAFM in the faces: after the occupation, Enver company was on the verge of closure. However, as its owner Enver Mamedov stated, it managed to survive and continues, albeit not without difficulties, to produce furniture to order
In the conditions of war, it is not easy for all manufacturers – both state-owned and private companies and enterprises. But there are those who have faced particularly difficult trials, and yet they did not give up. There are such among our furniture-making colleagues. The Enver company is one of them.
Located in Ivanivka, Kyiv region, it was, as its owner Enver Mamedov said, under occupation for almost two months. Only after the liberation of Kyiv region from the Russians, locals informed them that enemy “Grads” were firing literally hundreds of meters from the company’s premises. The company’s building did not suffer serious damage, but the occupiers looted them, taking everything that could be taken – hand tools, office equipment, dishes, and some furniture. But they couldn’t take the machines.
One can imagine how difficult it was for the Enver team to restart furniture production to complete pre-war orders that their clients were waiting for. Initially, they were unable to do so because there was no electricity and therefore no heat. But they didn’t sit idle: the company’s transport delivered humanitarian aid to those who needed it. As soon as the electricity was back on, they got to work. They even had to finish furniture that was already packed and ready to be sent to customers before the war, but which had been damaged by unwanted guests, some of whose components were ruined.
They spent about three months fulfilling pre-war orders, and after that, they were practically out of work because new clients were scarce. They found themselves on the verge of closure, even cutting their workforce by more than half and closing the company’s office and showroom in the capital. And when the electricity started being turned off en masse in the fall, things got even harder. They struggled to fulfil the few individual orders they received, mainly because the company does not lower the bar for its furniture production. They do not stoop to the level of budget furniture but rather produce furniture for the elite and mid-range segments.
– Well, does this year promise to be more favorable for the company?
– The situation started to improve after the New Year, the number of orders began to increase, although slowly. It was beneficial for the company that the number of complex private housing furnishing projects had increased among them. However, overall, there are still few orders. Even the current number of employees is underemployed. Unfortunately, the consequences of last year’s production failure still have an impact.
Difficulties stubbornly refuse to leave the company this year. Spring brought new challenges – flooding. As a result, the travel time and distance to Ivanivka from the capital has doubled – by the surrounding roads. Last year, we crossed the river using pontoons due to a destroyed bridge, but this time we also use pontoon transport to come to work and to send products to customers – this time due to a river flood.
– For example, how many orders did you have in April?
– A little more than a dozen. For us, this is very few, as we used to complete up to fifty projects every month. And even though the current ones are not cheap, it still does not make the company feel confident.
– Is your company export-oriented?
– Not yet. Just before the war, we found a CNC machine that would allow us to complete foreign orders competitively and on time, but we did not have time to buy it. And now, there is no financial possibility. We have requests from Moldova, Baltic countries, but we do not take them on: we are not sure that we can complete them on time in the current situation. If we could at least reach 50% of the pre-war level, there would be an opportunity for the company’s development.
