Vinnytsia furniture company “MIA,” specializing in turnkey projects, has successfully stabilized its operations and shows prospects for increasing production volumes. This was revealed in a narrative shared by the co-owner of the company, Alina Skomarovska.

The furniture factory “MIA“, specializing in the production of case furniture, is located in Vinnytsia, which initially placed it in a safer position compared to some UAFM members who found themselves in conflict zones or under occupation. However, it took the company almost two months, until the enemy was driven away from the capital and Vinnytsia was no longer a potential target, to restart the halted factory and resume the completion of unfinished projects.

The company is co-owned by Alina Skomarovska and Marina Liulkis-Kilaru. We invited Mrs. Alina to share insights into the operation of Vinnytsia furniture manufacturing during wartime. Professionally, she is a designer, who collaborates closely with the furniture factory.

– Unlike hundreds of Vinnytsia residents who left the city in the first weeks of the war, I never left for a day, confident that the factory would soon resume operations. My responsibility was to continue overseeing the completion of ongoing client projects, some of which were locally initiated and designed by me.

It should be noted that our furniture production resumed almost seamlessly as if there hadn’t been a two-month hiatus. This was possible because the company’s owners and managers did not leave the employees alone in the face of the country’s adversity. They provided financial and moral support, maintaining connections with them. This collective experience of national hardship further strengthened the team, and when the decision was made to restart the factories, even those who had left the city returned to their workplaces.

– Did the company manage to fulfill or catch up with pre-war orders throughout the past year?

– If not the entire year, then at least the majority of it. Of course, new orders started coming in last year.

The specificity of “MIA” lies in fulfilling comprehensive “turnkey” orders for both private and corporate clients. Such projects, by nature, extend beyond a single month. For example, we recently completed a 250-square-meter house, a comprehensive project involving a large kitchen, four wardrobes, and much more, which took eight months. It’s not because the factory works slowly; rather, it’s the complexity of such projects, involving individual furniture production, which is more challenging than mass production, as well as carpentry, interior design, and many other aspects. Moreover, several projects are usually in progress simultaneously, and currently, there are so many that we feel the need to recruit new employees. Despite this, the mobilization needs have so far spared the male part of the team.

– Every furniture company has its unique features that provide competitive advantages. Presumably, “MIA” also has its own, hasn’t it?

– In general, “MIA” has built up its image over the years. Regarding what contributed to this positive image, one standout aspect is the design and technological stage of project implementation undertaken by the company. We have strong designers and technologists who work so meticulously on projects at their pre-production stage that there are no issues during production or assembly—no need for alterations or adjustments to elements, no technical discrepancies or mismatches that negatively impact not only the quality of project execution but also its completion timeline. In-depth technological refinement of the design project allows, in certain cases, to reduce its cost without compromising quality, which is always appreciated by clients. In other cases, it helps find optimal solutions for the implementation of technologically complex projects. As a result, each project is made better than the one the next client envisioned when approaching us.

We often suggest new, more interesting materials to clients that they might not have been aware of but can enhance the furniture or interior design’s expressiveness or provide better operational characteristics for the furniture. The same applies to hardware, built-in household appliances, and more.

– Companies that undertake turnkey orders but only have production for case furniture cannot do without subcontractors, especially when it comes to using certain furniture items from other manufacturers. For example, upholstered furniture. Presumably, your design studio, developing comprehensive projects for “MIA,” sometimes resorts to such borrowings, isn’t it?

– Certainly. And we have a variety to choose from, as “MIA” is a partner representative in the Vinnytsia region for several domestic furniture factories. Of course, the studio develops projects primarily focusing on the extensive manufacturing capabilities of our company, but in some local cases, there is a need or feasibility to resort to such borrowings, as you mentioned.