And just at the time when they were preparing to give the company a new impetus for growth, they were struck by hardships and misfortunes. The death of their parents, the war, the necessity to \u201clive in two cities\u201d: production remained in Pervomaisk, while the owners, particularly Kateryna, were in Kyiv. As a result, instead of growing, “KEDR” was forced to retreat. They had to let go of some clients, including the large wholesale buyer “Epicentr” network, because with the team reduced to a minimum, the company could no longer guarantee timely delivery of agreed volumes.<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 And yet, despite all these difficulties, you and your husband didn\u2019t give up. Even working with minimal profitability, the company continues. Pervomaisk’s “KEDR” has not disappeared from the industry, the market, or UAFM.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 Yes. Now, more than ever, it has become clear that the most important thing in furniture manufacturing \u2014 and probably in any production \u2014 is people. Without them, even the most advanced machines won\u2019t help. From a business perspective, we are surviving not only with minimal profitability but also with minimal staff. We\u2019ve managed to retain a few woodworking specialists, and fortunately, they are versatile \u2014 able to operate various equipment and perform a wide range of furniture-making tasks.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\u2014 And your company has always stood out for its versatility, producing case and upholstered furniture, chairs, and furniture fronts \u2014 both for in-house needs and for sale. Have these difficult circumstances forced the company to limit this production diversity?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 No. We haven\u2019t shut down any of these directions. And we won\u2019t, as long as we have employees capable of maintaining this range of assortment with acceptable cost-efficiency for each product. Because we are in a situation where we could take an order that we are technically capable of fulfilling, but it would be economically unfeasible for the company.<\/em><\/p>\nAs for the product variety, that\u2019s a tradition passed down from my father. He always liked to take on something new if he had the skills to make it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\u2014 Within this product range, there is a unique offering \u2014 a children\u2019s playhouse. It\u2019s a product we haven\u2019t seen from any other furniture companies we know. Tell us about it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 First of all, it was a gift for our daughter when she was little. And when we saw how much she enjoyed using it \u2014 for both play and rest, since everything in it was thoughtfully designed \u2014 we decided to offer it as a commercial product as well. Of course, it\u2019s an occasional-sale product \u2014 an accompanying one, so to speak, so we don\u2019t focus on it as a key item.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\u2014 How would you define the main challenge your company is facing right now?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 To achieve a stable and competitive cost-efficiency of our products.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\u2014 That\u2019s important, especially if you have your sights on export. Do you?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u2014 Export is attractive for everyone, but… Can we, in our current situation, really go for it \u2014 knowing that, due to the same staff shortage, we can\u2019t be certain we\u2019ll meet export contract guarantees? Unfortunately, we can\u2019t. So for now, we work within our current capabilities, with faith that peace will come to Ukraine \u2014 and with it, better economic and business conditions that are currently limited.<\/em><\/p>\nIn this context, I want to thank UAFM for what it does to support its members, inspiring business owners not to give up in the face of difficulties. Even simply by sharing and practically demonstrating, through real companies, how to overcome challenges and where to find new opportunities and resources. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve always responded positively to the events proposed by the Association \u2014 because participation in them truly filled me with new ideas.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\t\t