Poltava-based furniture and design studio GOLD and WOOD operates with the firm belief that every client deserves an individual furniture project and a creative design concept. Among the vast range of materials, fittings, and finishing options, the company’s specialists strive to choose those that best meet each customer’s specific needs and preferences. This has always been the foundation for how the company builds and completes its orders. Even in today’s difficult conditions, GOLD and WOOD works hard to maintain a high professional standard — and that’s what this story is about.

After 2022 — one of the most challenging years for the national economy — the market began to recover and adapt to the realities of operating under martial law. As co-owner Serhii Vynnyk explains, GOLD and WOOD also started to gradually improve its performance, slowly climbing back from the 2022 downturn. Every subsequent year brought improvements, and today the company has the technical capacity for further growth. However, one major obstacle has emerged — a lack of personnel, which, unfortunately, is no surprise to most manufacturers these days, not only in the furniture sector.

– To put it bluntly, since October of last year, the shortage of workers has reached a critical level. Our team has been forced to shrink by nearly 70%. When you’ve spent six months looking for a sander without success — how can you look to the future with optimism?

– I know some furniture factories are trying to ‘quench’ the staffing crisis by hiring women, people with disabilities, and retirees. Even some recent school graduates who are still underage for conscription…

– These young people are actually the most promising. We could train them in any furniture-making profession within three months — better than any college could in a few years. But today’s youth wants everything at once. I haven’t met many who are attracted to manual professions, even though our job ads are posted on every local recruiting platform. So, my partner Yaroslav Kozak and I are now working on the machines ourselves.

– So you’re not just sitting back and worrying — you’re actively looking for solutions to avoid a crisis?

– Exactly. In some cases, we assign the remaining staff to different roles — for example, having a sander do furniture assembly. Some operations we outsource to trusted contractors here in Poltava — self-employed professionals who can help when needed. Most often, we bring them in for installation work. As for cutting, edge banding, and drilling — we still handle those operations ourselves, based on our current order volume.

This complex situation forced Vynnyk and his partner to diversify their production by launching a new direction: crafting exclusive wooden furniture handles. For this new product line, they plan to involve women and people with limited mobility, including home-based workers. These small items can be sanded and finished with wax or oil from home.

They already have prototypes of these handles and are preparing to test them on several e-commerce platforms. Vynnyk also appeals to the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers to help connect them with large-scale furniture exporters who may be interested in these designer handles. Without a doubt, international consumers will appreciate even the smallest components made from natural, living materials — especially when they come with an exclusive design.

– We read on your website that your product line has shifted from classic to modern styles. Was that market-driven?

– Fans of classic furniture still exist — and always will. But they’re no longer the majority. The market shows that their share has become quite small.

– And who designs the exclusive handles and other custom elements?

– My wife is a professional designer, so she’s in charge of that part. We’ve also brought in a design student to assist her. We have a constructor and a few managers. But I’ll say it again — we lack skilled production workers.

– What other urgent needs does your company currently face?

– We’ve hired a consulting firm to conduct an analysis to help us identify which products — ones that match our current capacity — are in demand on the market. We’re particularly interested in items that don’t require complex packaging or expensive logistics, which is crucial for export. This could include souvenirs, small wooden interior elements, and so on. We would also appreciate help from the Association in connecting us with market experts who can guide us in terms of strictly furniture-related products.