Chernihiv is one of the three regional centres under the walls of which the Russian invaders were on the very first day of the invasion and mercilessly bombarded it with artillery until they were driven out by the borders of the region. Of course, the entire industry of the city stopped working. Yuriy Molko’s company, well-known in the industry as the largest Ukrainian manufacturer of high-quality metal entrance doors of a wide variety of designs under the “MAGDA” trademark, was no exception.

On the morning of that tragic February day, according to Mr Yuriy, all employees were informed that the company’s work was being terminated. Until April 10, only guards were on duty. On this day, the company resumed its work by starting to ship door products to customers, which they did not have time to send before the start of the war. And there the production workshops of the plant started working. Despite the fact that several key specialists were mobilized. And the production volume decreased by thirty percent due to the war. Because of this, they switched to a single-shift mode of operation, because of which there is no need to supplement the staff, which is now optimized in accordance with current needs.

– The enemy continues to attack the northern regions of the region but does not reach Chernihiv. This, perhaps, gives an opportunity to rebuild what was destroyed, and therefore it should also give you the opportunity to increase production because you cannot do without doors in residential or other premises.

– When the mass reconstruction of the destroyed and damaged by war begins, it will be like that. Not only economy-class doors but also doors like ours in the high-price segment will be needed in greater quantities than the domestic market needs today. And for now – while active hostilities continue on the territory of the country, and because of this, the full-scale reconstruction process has not started – we are in a better position than those colleagues whose customers are construction companies, which have practically stopped active construction work. And we work with several large dealers who supply our doors to their sub-dealers or directly to retail outlets and do so, even in the current unfavourable trading conditions, quite well. Of course, what manufacturer does not want to get rich with new customers? But we are quite satisfied with the ones we already have. Acquiring new clients would mean ceasing to fully satisfy the needs of the current ones in the current situation, with whom we have a long-standing partnership and trusting relationship, therefore it would be ugly to do so in relation to them.

– You are talking about the domestic market, but there are also external ones where your products have been present for a long time and quite successfully…

– Yes, and this helps us a lot now because we sell more there than because of the war in our country. We export the most to Lithuania and Moldova. Trucks filled with our doors regularly travel between Chernihiv and these countries, despite the fact that it has become more difficult and expensive to carry out export operations. And logistics became more expensive: before the war, doors were transported by trucks to the Baltic States through Belarus, now through Poland, so the mileage is significantly longer. As you know, fuel has become prohibitively expensive. As a result, the cost of the flight of one truck to Lithuania has almost tripled – to almost two and a half thousand euros. Also, our foreign clients should start reinsurance, fearing financial instability and for the cargo, the delivery of which they pay for themselves from Ukraine, so they do not agree to a one hundred percent advance payment, but settle in instalments: first, a small amount of the advance payment is transferred, another part when the truck crosses the border, and only after receiving the goods, they are settled finally. Moreover, in order for them to make sure that after the approach of the enemy from outside the region, the company feels confident and works stably, we had to send them video footage from the working shops to confirm this, showing that the company was not destroyed, all the equipment is in place, and the full-time employees are as well. And we understand them, we do not complain about such reinsurance: after all, we are talking about a lot of money: a truck door is a minimum of thirty thousand foreign currency, and if elite models are purchased, then all eighty.

– Some managers of companies with whom we have already had such conversations complained that in the conditions of martial law for a certain period they experienced a shortage of some materials and components, which are critically necessary for their production…

– I am not one of those who “cry into a vest” at the slightest difficulty. I am sure that whoever wants to work will always find opportunities. I will not say with certainty for other industries, but for those who work in the door business, it is a sin to complain about the shortage of materials and components – there is enough in the country, both domestic and imported.