Recently, the company “Softorg” became a member of the Ukrainian Furniture Manufacturers Association. It is interested in partnership because it is a supplier of high-quality industrial sewing equipment, including for furniture manufacturers – mainly for producers of upholstered furniture. It aims to strengthen and expand its position in our industry.

The interest of furniture manufacturers in the capabilities of “Softorg” may go beyond the company’s supply activities, because it is also able to assist new enterprises in launching sewing production: developing a strategy, conducting an audit, setting up and maintaining sewing equipment. After all, the company takes on warranty and post-warranty maintenance of sewing equipment at its clients’ productions, having its own staff of mechanics at regional offices and a service center for this purpose.

Also, “Softorg” sees its mission in helping clients take advantage of grant programs from the state and funds and obtain financing for the implementation of new projects.

As Taras Prytula, Director of Corporate and Social Responsibility, said, even in the current crisis conditions, the company has not lost its position in the domestic market for sewing equipment.

– The initial period of the war, as for the entire Ukrainian economy and market, was noticeably disastrous for “Softorg” as well. The decline was observed over a quarter, and then the situation in the economy began to stabilize. Already in the first year of the war, we reached pre-war levels, and then there was a gradual increase.

– And what mainly contributed to that?

– To a large extent, the fact that the sewing productions of the country, in a state of war, either reoriented themselves to military sewing products, the need for which increased many times (sewing military uniforms, bulletproof vests, so-called “unloading vests”, etc.), or expanded the range of their usual products due to military orders. In both cases, there could be a need for new sewing equipment. For someone, the existing equipment was no longer enough, and for someone else, different models were needed to work with heavy and dense fabrics.

Let me give you an example from our practice. The production of one of our clients before the war specialized in sewing uniforms and workwear. After the full-scale enemy invasion, the profile was changed to military. In order to expand its sewing capabilities and create more jobs, the client turned to us for help. We helped not only technically, but also economically: we also assisted the company in obtaining three grants of 250,000 hryvnias each.

On our website, we have specifically created a “Grant Showcase” to guide clients through the current grant programs for Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses.

– There are not isolated cases when sewing shops of furniture enterprises also engaged in sewing non-traditional items for them – things needed by the army. Moreover, a significant part of them, especially in the first, most critical stage of the war, did this on a charitable, volunteer basis. Did furniture manufacturers also buy new equipment for such needs?

– Of course. The activation of the purchase of sewing equipment by furniture manufacturers was also a significant reason for “Softorg” to become a member of the UAM.

There is another factor that forces upholstered furniture manufacturers to modernize their sewing divisions – their export aspirations. In order to produce higher quality, competitive products in foreign markets, they need to have modern equipment – highly productive, automated, and functional. And we provide our clients with such equipment from leading manufacturers such as “Juki”, “Serkon”, “Makina”, “Kansai”, “Malkan”, and “Jack”.

– In addition to launching new sewing enterprises, is your company ready to modernize, optimize through automation and innovative implementations, and existing sewing enterprises? And do you take on less large-scale productions – workshops, sections? Because, if we talk about our industry, furniture manufacturers have exactly such sewing facilities.

– No problem. At the beginning, at the stage of the company’s formation, we started providing such assistance to clients from similar sewing divisions. Later, we scaled up to the level of an entire enterprise.

– Did the suppliers of sewing equipment that you sell in Ukraine – from Japan, China – after the start of the war, change the prices for their equipment? Perhaps they lowered them to help Ukraine in its current situation?

– It’s good that they didn’t raise them. In the current political situation, it would be strange to expect the Chinese to assist Ukraine. As for the Japanese, they can assist humanitarianly, financially – for example, recently our Japanese partners sponsored one of our marketing seminar events promoting sewing equipment. But as for their products, here the decisive role is played by the image factor, which does not allow any charity.

– By the way, about promoting your equipment. Some of our non-core (non-furniture manufacturing) UAFM members among the newcomers are ready to arrange a presentation of their products and other offers specifically for the furniture manufacturing audience, taking into account their specific industry needs…

– And we are ready to consider such an opportunity, having received a reciprocal offer from our colleagues in the Association.

The company “Softorg” has interesting and socially useful initiatives and goes far beyond being just a supplier of sewing equipment. We look forward to fruitful cooperation in the furniture industry as well!