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Traditional door production belongs to carpentry, which is very close to traditional furniture making since both deal with wood. However, modern door and furniture manufacturers have long ceased to rely solely on wood \u2014 they also use metal, glass, and plastics. Some doors and furniture pieces are made entirely of metal. This similarity, along with the fact that both furniture makers and door manufacturers often share the same customer, is what brings them together under the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Manufacturers. One of these companies is LLC \u201cTBK Yekaterynoslavska Dverna Artil\u201d, which produces premium-class metal entrance doors under the well-known brand Ministry of Doors.<\/strong><\/a> For Yekaterynoslavska Dverna Artil, both intensive production and intensive sales are so natural that even on that grim February Wednesday in 2022, when the first enemy missiles struck Ukrainian cities, the company continued selling doors. Later, of course, the usual rhythm of life and work was disrupted. While for most manufacturing companies it only became clear by the third year of the war that the shortage of personnel could threaten their survival, the management of \u201cArtil\u201d immediately took steps that most entrepreneurs are only now starting to consider \u2014 preparing replacements for conscripted workers, primarily by training women. Within a month, the production lines were ready to offer even welding jobs to women. As in any modern facility where welding is a significant part of the process, the Dnipro-based company uses robotic welders, yet manual welding remains essential.<\/p>\n This timely personnel strategy allowed the company to maintain its leadership in the industry even during wartime \u2014 ensuring stable supplies and a diverse product range. And although the company received the status of a critical infrastructure enterprise a year ago, women\u2019s contribution remains indispensable.<\/p>\n \u2014 How did you prepare the production so that women could work as welders?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 The welding process itself isn\u2019t difficult for women \u2014 the welding gun isn\u2019t heavy, and it\u2019s quite manageable to create a quality weld. What is hard for them is moving large metal parts or welded structures. We addressed this by mechanizing and automating the movement of metal components and assemblies.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 What have these three years of war been like for the company?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Without exaggeration, I can say that although they were harder than the pre-war years, overall, they were quite successful.<\/em> The final results of this year will be known early next year, but I can already say they\u2019ll surpass last year\u2019s modest growth. Largely thanks to record sales in August \u2014 higher than in any peacetime month over the past decade. We also expect a good result from the fall season, which is traditionally the strongest for sales.<\/em><\/p>\n \u2014 How do you explain that surge the company achieved in 2023? Was it due to reconstruction after the destruction across Ukraine?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 That was only one of the contributing factors. Another was that some competitors located near the frontlines had to suspend operations for a long time. Meanwhile, I remember that as early as March 20, we were shipping door batches to Epicenter stores in Uman, Zhytomyr, and further west. By May, distributors had also resumed sales<\/em>.<\/p>\n Another factor was demand from internally displaced people settling in new places. Wives of soldiers, who had to take care of everything at home and were now receiving their husbands\u2019 military salaries \u2014 money they hadn\u2019t had before \u2014 began renovating their homes. Others also returned to renovation plans postponed in 2022. There was also an emotional aspect: people were inspired by the successes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who liberated much of the Kharkiv region and freed Kherson.<\/em><\/p>\n Exports also increased significantly, as the countries we supply to stopped importing doors from Russia and Belarus. The main competitors that remain are Turkey and China.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n\t\t
We asked Development Director Serhii Panchenko<\/strong> how such a strong domestic manufacturer and exporter based in Dnipro is managing under today\u2019s conditions.<\/p>\n
Since defending the country is primarily a man\u2019s duty, it was to be expected that \u201cArtil\u2019s\u201d men would also be needed at the front. And indeed, just a few days later, about a quarter of a hundred employees donned military uniforms. As a result, the two-shift production became a single-shift operation.<\/p>\n\n
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The first year of the war, as for everyone, was the hardest. But the following year, we doubled our growth compared to the previous one and even exceeded our 2021 (peacetime) results by about 60\u201370%. Last year, the increase compared to 2023 was minor. This year has been relatively stable: no downturns, though the market hasn\u2019t shown growth either. Social sentiment \u2014 and consequently, consumer demand \u2014 has stabilized. People have accepted that the war won\u2019t end soon but also believe there will be no collapse of Ukraine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n