{"id":14160,"date":"2024-07-11T11:30:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T08:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uafm.com.ua\/?p=14160"},"modified":"2024-07-24T14:37:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T11:37:42","slug":"uam-v-oblychchyah-vijna-ne-zavadyla-vlasnykam-meblevoyi-fabryky-bassa-bachyty-zrymi-perspektyvy-yiyi-rozvytku-j-poetapno-dosyagaty-yih-u-meblevij-galuzi-pro-shho-svidchyt-rozmova-z-yiyi-spivvlasnykom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uafm.com.ua\/en\/uam-v-oblychchyah-vijna-ne-zavadyla-vlasnykam-meblevoyi-fabryky-bassa-bachyty-zrymi-perspektyvy-yiyi-rozvytku-j-poetapno-dosyagaty-yih-u-meblevij-galuzi-pro-shho-svidchyt-rozmova-z-yiyi-spivvlasnykom\/","title":{"rendered":"UAFM in faces: co-owner of “Bassa” furniture factory Serhiy Shtefan."},"content":{"rendered":"

If you watch the promotional video on the “Bassa”<\/a> website and listen to the eloquent slogans spoken by its leaders, you’ll envision a modern, successful, and ambitious manufacturing enterprise that was created not just to produce furniture, but to proudly showcase Ukrainian products to the world. We at the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers know this to be true even without such imagination, as we have been convinced of it during the company’s six-year membership in UAFM.<\/p>\n

However, we also know for certain that the cursed war brought to our land by the vile northern neighbor has caused significant troubles, if not losses, even to the most successful enterprises in the furniture industry. So, in a conversation with “Bassa”<\/a> co-owner Serhiy Shtefan<\/strong>, we inquired about how the war has affected the factory’s “well-being,” the mood of the staff, and whether it has hindered its development and desire to proudly demonstrate its product to the world. Instead of the expected complaints about the difficult times that have come for Ukrainian entrepreneurs, including furniture makers, we heard this:<\/p>\n

– The war has significantly changed our attitude towards the work we do. For everyone in their place. It has become self-evident that we can quickly and easily solve issues that previously seemed complex. At the same time, I would be lying if I claimed that the difficulties caused by the war have somehow bypassed us. They cause us troubles too. And what troubles!<\/em><\/p>\n

Among the most pressing issues now is maintaining the workforce at a level that would guarantee stable operation of the factory. The shortage of skilled workers has become acute for this reason: the factory’s production needs over two years of war have not only not decreased, which is atypical for the industry, but have even increased. In such a situation, when additional staffing is needed to meet growing production needs, the mobilization of even one worker from the team is extremely painful for the factory. We managed to add ten new skilled workers to the team, but we gave ten to the army. Because of this, the search for specialists has become a daily priority for us.<\/em><\/p>\n

– It’s unfortunate to say this, but you know well that as long as the war continues, the shortage of workers will only intensify. So we need to look for ways to perform the necessary amount of peaceful work with fewer hands.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

– Yes, being aware of this, we have intensified the movement of worker interchangeability at the factory through the acquisition of versatility through additional training. Simply put, so that one worker, being what is called a broad-profile specialist, can replace another if necessary, being able to perform their work as well. This primarily applies to work on furniture-making equipment.<\/em><\/p>\n

– Reveal the secret. How did it happen that while most of your colleagues saw a critical decrease in orders with the start of the war, “Bassa” had and has plenty of them?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

– The secret is simple. At the beginning of the war, we had half as many orders as we could process. So when the number of orders decreased for us too at the start of the war, those that remained were enough for long-term stable operation of the factory.<\/em><\/p>\n

Realistically assessing the disappointing prospects of the domestic market during the war, we directed our entrepreneurial gaze beyond Ukraine, and this gave a positive result. So, already working in war conditions, we became exporters. We already have implemented projects in the United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Czech Republic, and Switzerland. Orders from Spain and Georgia are in progress.<\/em><\/p>\n

We obtained foreign clients through designers, or more precisely, through design studios. We have long-standing partnerships with some of them, but new partners also appeared who approached us with cooperation proposals after learning about our capabilities. Many of them have also reoriented towards foreign markets during the war period, and, as before, they involve us in the implementation of their foreign projects.<\/em><\/p>\n

They know that we have long and confidently been furnishing in the premium segment, with our mission being not only to successfully compete with the most famous foreign brands but also to surpass them in a number of positions that we offer to clients. One of the effective advantages: fulfilling orders within the agreed timeframes, no matter how complex or large-scale they may be. Also, the fact that in the last four years, there hasn’t been a single case where we delayed the execution of any order. Even under the unfavorable conditions of martial law. This is an important image factor that favorably characterizes the company.<\/em><\/p>\n

– We think you have more reasons to seriously blame the war.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

– Yes, there are. We had big plans for 2022 – to start building a new factory. We had bought land for it, the project was ready. The war didn’t allow and still doesn’t allow us to implement it. But in spite of it, we haven’t abandoned this idea, we’ve only postponed it. It’s not unlikely that we’ll start working on it closely very soon. Meanwhile, at the old site, we are making efforts for comprehensive improvement of the production and management components of our furniture business, to increase the throughput of the factory in order to transfer all this to the new factory in the future, so that it immediately starts working at its maximum capacity.<\/em><\/p>\n

– We can only wish you success in this.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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