“Furniture taste” “White apple”

It is known, that at stake was and taste mate is not just. This is about the names of furniture companies: each founder- “father ” has its own reasons in the name of his offspring. In most cases, our furniture manufacturers “code” their companies with their names in such a way that they are so abstract that if we did not know, we would never have guessed that they are related to the production of furniture. Some give them their own names or surnames, but for some reason, they are written in Latin letters. And there are very few names of furniture companies that please the Ukrainian ear this melodiousness, in which even a certain poetics – such as “Rodinne derevo”, ” Bile yabluko”, “Bereginya”, “Malvy”. You will say that most of them do not hint at involvement in furniture or woodworking. So. But how beautiful, native sound!

However, Petro Buriy, the head of the Poltava based White Apple company, believes that the name of his creation, although implicit, is only a hint, but at least gives the impression that the company is a supporter of environmentally friendly products. But the main argument in favour of such a name, says Mr Peter, is that it should stand out among others – “integrals”, ” quantas “, ” siriuses “, etc., for its unusualness, beauty, and rarity. To be more recognizable and better remembered. That is its founder, who, incidentally, is interested in business psychology, taking into account the psychological aspects. 

The idea of ​​creating a company – to do good to people –  may sound a bit arrogant, but for Peter Buriy it is specific and significant. For even these are not abstract good which every Christian should do in life, as embodied in the products of your work that people always needed and should be available for them, comfortable and has also pardon eye. Construction activity fully meets all these criteria, especially since Petro Yevhenovych is a civil engineer by profession. But there was also an alternative – furniture, which no less meets the criteria of everyday human needs. In addition, this field for him also did not turn out to be terra incognita, because the institute had a course of work with wood, the corresponding department. And the alternative prevailed. And the subtleties and secrets of woodworking and ” furniture ” already learned in the process of direct work in this area. An important argument in favour of starting a furniture business was the one that found like-minded, woodworkers who formed a team that was able to get a good start, which is important for beginners.

– Does the fact that “White Apple” produces not only furniture but also furniture components – specifically furniture facades, which it sells to fellow furniture manufacturers – somehow affect your furniture products?

“Of course.” Having a wide range of furniture facades, we not only trade in them but also use them ourselves, thanks to which it is much easier for us to diversify the appearance of our furniture than companies that use purchased facades. To say that our furniture is, therefore, the same as the furniture of companies that buy facades from us, no. Although facades are important design elements in furniture, as they say, facades are not the only ones…

In the production of facades – a factor of diversity, which is often used in business: if for some reason “sags” one direction, you can stay afloat at the expense of another. This has been our strategy since the beginning of the company. There was another direction – the provision of furniture services to colleagues, the sale of furniture components. But the situation on the market, especially in covids realities have changed, and we had to roll this service. Instead, they almost doubled the production of facades, expanding their range.

– You have a wide range of furniture facades, but they are the same type – only painted. By doing so, you limit the development of this production area…

– You need to be perfect in one product before embarking on another. This is our principle. The company is not even ten years old. So it is too early to expect from us what the old-timers of the domestic furniture market can do. The time will come – we will master other types of facade products.

– But in the production of ready-made furniture you are more versatile – you make them for the home, for the HoReCa sector, trade equipment. And what is your priority and why?

– We produce more furniture B2B, ie for business. And not because from the very beginning they were specifically aimed at it. Gradually, they “overgrown” customers, and somehow it so happened that B2B customers always prevailed. We have to order already accustomed and even of visible at in the pros. Executing orders for business is easier, less problematic, than dealing with a private, often too capricious customer. Business with business is better understood, projects are implemented, more friendly, more in partnership – as if as one team.

– Your staffing problem is hardly the same as that of your colleagues from the western regions…

– Don’t tell. The more I work in the furniture business, the more this problem exists in the industry. But we have not expected for a long time that there is a queue of specialists for our vacancies, so we prepare staff for ourselves, selecting young people who want to do woodworking. I will not exaggerate if I say that 60 percent of Poltava furniture makers are those who have passed the White Apple School. The School of Furniture Business Management, supported by the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers, has been very helpful to us in this matter.