About a year ago, around the end of April, the name of the capital manufacturing and trading company Dukor, which owns three trademarks, the most famous of which is “KIDIGO” (production of children’s playground and sports equipment), appeared in dozens of news reports. Perhaps it was one of the first companies to resort to business relocation.

Here’s what was reported: “The multi-profile company “Dukor” has moved from Kyiv to the town of Dolyna in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. The enterprise, in addition to its main activity – producing children’s and sports goods, and outdoor furniture – will start sewing military uniforms and, probably, goods for displaced persons. The sewing workshop has already been transported and the fabric purchased. The clothing for military personnel and displaced persons will be sold at cost. In addition to its own employees who agreed to move here, local residents with relevant experience will be involved in sewing the clothes.”

“The main task now is to launch the sewing workshop,” says Bohdan Dumenko, owner and manager of the company. “Our main production – the manufacture of children’s playground equipment – could not be transported because it is located in the temporarily occupied territory.”

Here’s what Bogdan Dumenko told us today:

– Our main factory was located near the Hostomel airport, and the warehouse was in Kotsubynske. So it’s clear that with the start of the war, production wholly and suddenly stopped. The relocated sewing workshop was quickly started in Ivano-Frankivsk with the help of the local authorities (by the way, the warehouse also moved there). Still, the local production only started in May – the production of children’s playgrounds in the Borodian district and sewing in Kyiv. A large number of pre-war orders needed to be completed, and when they were finished, there were practically no new ones. It’s understandable: there was no time to entertain children. The sewing workshop helped out – making children’s products because making clothes for the military gave minimal profit: this product was practically sold at cost. In fact, we are still sewing military clothing on the same terms.

To pay people’s salaries, we started producing military-purpose stoves for heating and cooking, since we constantly and skillfully work with metal. Again, for the needs of the army (also supplied practically at cost); we also wanted to start producing “bourgeois” stoves for household use, but this venture turned out to be unpromising. As for the main product, we also worked “on the warehouse” in the hope that the market situation in the country would improve every month. This year justifies such expectations, already from the first quarter.

Simultaneously and persistently, they searched for new markets, including overseas. With some success, although they are still far from the pre-war order volume. They now have clients in Moldova and Estonia. They had other requests, but they have not been successful yet.

– Did the war completely halt the company’s development or just slow it down?

– Last year, we had high hopes. The previous year, 2021, was very productive for the company, so we expected to not only maintain what was achieved but also achieve even better results in 2022. However, the pre-war figures were halved. But we did not lose our persistence in quickly regaining our pre-war positions.

The war prevented them from participating in the Chinese exhibition in Guangzhou, which they regularly attended because they were also active importers and always found goods there that were necessary for their business, as well as local manufacturers who fulfilled some of their orders. However, it was good news that this year, in March, domestic exhibitions were revived, and the company participated in one of the building exhibitions.

The economic situation in the country remains difficult, but the company does not despair. As mentioned before, they are actively searching for new markets, and it has been somewhat successful. The product range has expanded thanks to military products. The development of new forms, designs, or the improvement of existing ones in the category of primary products, such as children’s playgrounds and sports equipment, and street furniture, continues. The range of sewing products is being updated.