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Due to the war and its economic aftermath, the vast majority of Ukrainian businesses have suffered \u2014 and furniture manufacturers, of course, are no exception. However, some members of the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers (UAFM) have experienced particularly severe damage, including destruction of facilities. Among them is the Chernihiv-based company Ferrum-Decor<\/em>, which is the focus of this story. One of its production workshops was completely destroyed along with all the equipment inside.<\/p>\n \u2014 Did this disaster significantly affect your production capabilities?<\/strong> we ask Kyrylo Doroshchuk, co-owner of Ferrum-Decor<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 The damage was substantial, but not critical to the company\u2019s operations.<\/strong> The tasks previously handled by the destroyed workshop were redistributed between two remaining ones. We purchased replacement equipment, and the company is now operating stably. We can\u2019t boast significant profit growth, but the three years of war haven’t been a failure for us either.<\/p>\n \u2014 So you didn\u2019t immediately start rebuilding the damaged facility?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Not yet.<\/strong> Other, more urgent needs required investment. We hoped for government support, but unfortunately, didn\u2019t receive any. The destruction was so extensive that rebuilding would require substantial funding, which we currently do not have.<\/p>\n \u2014 What were those more urgent priorities?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 As the company name suggests, we specialize in producing decorative elements for both interiors and exteriors \u2014 for homes and gardens. These are primarily metal-based products.<\/strong><\/p>\n One business line became economically unviable, so we decided to discontinue it and pivot in another direction. Previously, we produced plant stands for flowerpots and decorative indoor plants, which occupied an entire workshop. Now, we\u2019ve transitioned to manufacturing plant supports. What\u2019s the difference? The stands were bulky and expensive to ship. In contrast, the new supports are designed to be disassembled. They\u2019re made from thick wire, which is currently in high demand. This change resulted in more compact packaging and significantly reduced logistics costs.<\/p>\n \u2014 Has your furniture production \u2014 which uses both metal and wood-based panels \u2014 undergone any changes?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Yes. In the past, we produced metal furniture frames solely for our own needs. Now, we also sell them to other companies in the same sector. What\u2019s more, we now have the equipment to form pipe cones for furniture legs \u2014 something we didn\u2019t do before.<\/p>\n \u2014 Is your company fully self-sufficient in both metalwork and woodworking?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Yes. We\u2019re fully equipped to work with metal as well as particleboard and MDF. Soon, we\u2019ll also launch vacuum film wrapping technology for panel furniture components, particularly tabletops. This will help us avoid the issues associated with edging, especially for round shapes. We\u2019ll be using high-quality, durable film that\u2019s resistant not just to moisture but also to UV exposure. In the future, we plan to apply this film finish to metal elements as well.<\/p>\n \u2014 Do you use domestic metal?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Primarily. Although we have access to Turkish metal, which is sometimes cheaper, we prefer to support Ukrainian producers. We only use imported metal when there are local supply issues or when we need to manufacture parts with complex shapes. But even then, imported metal makes up no more than 10% of our output.<\/p>\n \u2014 And how about your workforce?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 The use of modern automated equipment allows people with physical disabilities and women \u2014 who\u2019ve replaced mobilized male workers \u2014 to fully operate the machinery. Unfortunately, we haven\u2019t yet been granted military deferments for key employees.<\/p>\n \u2014 We\u2019ve improved our welding processes. Arc welding has been replaced by laser welding, which produces such high-quality seams that they no longer need to be ground down \u2014 something that was essential with arc welding. This innovation has freed up human resources and lowered production costs.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve also taken steps toward energy independence by installing solar panels on-site. This has helped protect us from power outages and reduced the energy costs in our production. When industrial electricity prices soared in 2023, it became clear that energy autonomy was essential.<\/p>\n \u2014 Thank you for the insightful conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\t\t\n
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