This is not the first time we are featuring a story about our UAFM member, a company that essentially rose from the ashes, having suffered devastating destruction of its production facilities when the enemy advanced on Irpin and looted it for a while. We are talking about ‘FOP Kondratiuk,’ the developer and manufacturer of peaceful products such as play furniture and various tools for children’s development and entertainment, known under the brand ‘Wood and Hearts‘. We recorded the story of Mr. Roman about this dark chapter in the company’s history, and at the same time, how it miraculously managed to ‘recover’ significantly in the aftermath of the war.

– In Irpin, we had two production locations before the war. One – the premises and everything in it – was destroyed by about ninety percent and was beyond repair: concrete slabs, having collapsed, rendered all the equipment unusable. At the other location, the entire warehouse with materials and finished products burnt down, but the manufacturing area, where there were practically no flammable materials, suffered less. Fortunately, the equipment was not as severely damaged as at the first location. It was in this part of the facility that the company’s revival began.

Some of the machines could be restored. Thankfully, they were domestically produced – from the Bila Tserkva ‘Dominant’ factory. The machine builders set out to help us in our plight. Extensive restoration was needed – the machines were disassembled down to the frame and essentially rebuilt from scratch. Three weeks later, the restored machines were in Irpin, allowing us to restart production relatively quickly. We are immensely grateful to the Bila Tserkva residents for their goodwill and for allowing us to settle the bill with them on credit shortly after our production started, and our initial product sales began.

But the turn for the better in our misfortune was not limited to the generous gesture from the ‘Dominant’ machine builders. Other benefactors emerged as well. I actively searched for low-interest loans and, fortunately, was successful. I managed to get in touch with Australian entrepreneurs through acquaintances – Scott Goleby and his son John Goleby, who wanted to help Ukrainian businesses. They assisted us with $60,000, part of which was a gift, and we are repaying the rest interest-free. These funds were used for essential purposes: acquiring the equipment needed for full-scale production, as well as materials and raw materials. We had to make these purchases fairly urgently, and by May, the first products from our essentially new production were ready. Production started to revive in April, as soon as we patched up the holes in the roof and replaced the windows, but it fully operated in May.

– Were you able to restore customer relations just as quickly?

– Yes, we were. Largely because we took care of our customers in the early days of the war. We returned advance payments for unfulfilled work and informed them that we would get in touch when we resumed production. And that’s exactly what happened. Most customers repeated their orders, giving us work when we needed it during the company’s revival.

– So is your production now concentrated in one location?

– No, we still have two locations. However, the second one is no longer in Irpin but in the Lviv region. My partner and co-owner Denis Shkrebylak and I decided to partially relocate as a precaution and established another remote production unit last fall. Once again, thanks to a fortunate investment opportunity. Another Swiss entrepreneur, who also came to our aid financially, responded to our plight. These funds allowed us to establish ourselves in the Lviv region, hire employees for the local branch, and form a qualified design team, which gave birth to our new product line ‘Scandinavia.’

– Are the ‘Montessori’ furniture – another product line? And what does the name mean?

– Maria Montessori is the author of ‘Montessori Pedagogy,’ a child education system that focuses on developing children’s natural interests and activities rather than using formal methods. In line with the principles of this pedagogy, we design and manufacture furniture and other items for children’s healthy development. We also draw inspiration from the Pikler development method, and they often overlap.

– Has the war affected the nature of purchases by your customers for your specific furniture products? Do they still buy the entire set or have they started buying individual items more?

– The essence of developmental children’s furniture – both ‘Montessori’ and ‘Scandinavia’ – lies in their comprehensiveness, which is supported by neurobiological science. There is no point in buying individual items from such a furniture set, as their functional capabilities are fully realized in their comprehensive use.

– How would you assess the current state of the domestic market from the perspective of selling your specific furniture products?

– I see it as quite positive, given that our sales volumes are growing rapidly. I believe this is not so much due to the potential of the market itself but rather that, due to the war, some of the domestic manufacturers of similar products have stopped operating. That’s why we aim to meet the market’s demand for such products to the maximum extent.