In Bucovina, with well-crafted wood, cherry cakes and an unscheduled off road

From Suceava Humoreni can be reached in 20 minutes - if you take the right way! We went where the GPS told us to go, but apparently it doesn't know what's going on in the area 🙂 We exited the DN17, the road connecting Moldova and Ardeal, and entered a county road. After a few km of somewhat good road, with a few potholes and many cracks, the asphalt ran out and we found ourselves in front of a water-filled pothole the width of the road.

Convinced it was just a fluke, we detoured around the trees on the edge and continued on. Big mistake! Soon we were in the hills, where the road was rutted with tractors. I repeat, for anyone who wasn't paying attention 🙂 We were on a county road, "sent" there by the GPS. When the ridges of the scree started scratching the "belly" of the car we stopped, not knowing what to do. I admit I had 10 seconds of panic, being convinced that's where we were staying, especially since the road was deserted. I could see myself getting out to push the car, knee-deep in mud and splattered and in my eyes from the rear wheels.

Luckily we were on the downhill and after the moment of panic had passed, we let the car slide through the ruts. The courage also came from the fact that a car had appeared behind us that seemed to know where it was and why it was there. We slowly made it to the bottom of the hill and then into Humoreni. We were to find out later that there was another, much better road, but the GPS thought we'd get there faster that way. It was quite a traumatic experience, but the encounter that followed made us not sorry we had made it that far.

Meeting with Mihai Constantinescu and his father

The Constantinescu family works in solid wood and produces gazebos, terraces, railings, panelling. They have decorated restaurants and cafes in Suceava, they have done various works in Iasi, Cluj or Bucharest, they have made garden furniture which they have sent to Vienna and Frankfurt or small church furniture for Romanian communities in Italy and Portugal, where most of the young people from the village have gone. They work well and word gets around and brings them new customers.

Having safely escaped from the off road adventure, we met Mihai Constantinescu who was waiting for us in front of the workshop gate. He is 37 years old and has a relaxed, friendly face, all smiles. After the experience we were not really happy, but it passed quickly and his good mood took us too. That's how Michael is, he smiles all the time, even when he says less pleasant things. It's very hard not to like him, impossible even.

We entered the workshop, not very large but well divided into areas of activity. It has a machining area, a finishing area - totally separate from the other areas - and an assembly and packaging area. The separation of the area where varnishes and paints are applied allows him to achieve very good quality finishes.

Soon Mihai's father, the man from whom all this wood-related activity started, appeared. He's just as friendly as Mihai, so it wasn't hard to get the stories started.

The "road" to wood

Mihai studied public administration, but ended up in wood thanks to his father, who has worked with wood for as long as he can remember. In the past, his father worked at a carpentry workshop in Cacica that belonged to IFET Suceava. He left there and set up a family association, working with various wooden objects for the people of the village and its surroundings.

Mihai was a customs commissioner in Siret and in 2008, because he didn't agree with some things there, he and his wife left for Germany. He worked in a restaurant, earning money, but he didn't like Germany and dreamed of returning home. When his wife got pregnant he decided to return.

It was in 2011, in January. As soon as he returned he turned the company into a sole proprietorship and started woodworking with his father. People discouraged him, telling him he couldn't do it. It was just after the crisis and demand had dropped a lot. But he didn't give up and the results started to come in because he was working well and word started to spread. In 2016 he switched from sole proprietorship to LLC and that's howWood Art Bucovina.

The Start-Up Nation project, which started from a barbecue discussion

In 2017, in June, at a barbecue with friends he learned of Start-Up Nation. One of them encouraged him to do the project. He decided to apply for woodworking machinery and started making the application. He did most of it himself, without a consultant. Only his friend helped him with the financial part and encouraged him to apply. He also supported him until the end. In 3 weeks everything was ready, with a 25-page business plan, offers for machinery and a new company - Holț Art Design - with 2 employees. He submitted the file (95 points) online, and in September came the approval for €44,000, also online. The difference up to 50.000 euro, what all 4 woodworking machines in the project cost, he borrowed from friends. But the hard part was just beginning.

After approval he had to go 3 times to Iasi, to AIPPIMM, to sign the financing contract and 2 more times for the 2 additional acts, one for the bank from which he took the bridge loan and another for the extension of the term (there had been postponements and the project was going into 2018). Then he went to the Guarantee and Counter Guarantee Fund. He had heard that there was a lot of expectation for the Counter Guarantee. One day he called to ask what was going on, but the lady there was busy and told him she would call back.

"He made the mistake of calling me on my personal cell phone. Since then I've called her every day to ask if it's been approved. After a month she gave me the OK to get rid of me. I got rid of her faster than most. Some people waited three months," she laughs.

The loan was approved in February and until August, when the bridge loan closed, he had to pay interest to the bank out of his own pocket. That's why he rushed to get the machines, changing the supplier on the original project.

Wood IQ machines.

He thought about finding a supplier who had them in stock. He went to Brasov with this idea, but found only two of them. On his way back he decided to go to Dan Pruteanu in Comanești. He had known him for some time and asked him for an offer for the other two woodworking machines in the project, a 4-sided machine and a calibrating machine. Initially he wanted to bring them himself, direct from Germany, but he said he would see the offer Wood IQ. She was good and after doing all her calculations, she chose to go with Dan. It was the best option so as not to lose the warranty, and the shipping and installation was left to Wood IQ. There was no point in unnecessarily complicating it.

They weren't in stock, but they came pretty quickly. In May they arrived and immediately Dan Pruteanu scheduled a visit for installation. Everything was taken care of within a day. They arrived in the morning (Dan with 2 colleagues) and by the evening the machines were in place, tested and ready to work.

"They are serious people you can recommend to others. Dan is the kind of guy who inspires confidence and you get courage after talking to him about machines. About 2-3 weeks after commissioning I called him. I knew it was his birthday and I wanted to tell him Happy Birthday! He couldn't believe it! He told me that he was dreaming of this moment when the phone call would not have a technical subject, but he didn't think it would happen until he retired."

He is satisfied, both with the machines and the collaboration. The 4-sided machine is very robust, has 4 adjustable spindles and a chrome-plated work table. The calibrating machine is Italian and has a patented system for the system that ensures oscillation. The equipment has proven to be very reliable and easy to adjust. Those interested in more details on the machines can enterhere.

Closing the bridge loan

Because the supplier of the machinery changed, I had to go to Iasi again for clarification. Nobody forced him to take the machines from the first supplier, because in the case of Start-Up Nation you do the assignment yourself. It just had to be the same type of woodworking machinery. He didn't rely on knowledge or other means and the fact that he did the project himself was helpful.

"Honestly I tell you, I put my hand on my heart, I didn't give anything to anyone, I didn't drink coffee with anyone. I walked and talked. When it was with the award minutes I sat there for 3 hours. I answered until they didn't know what to ask me."

In the end, they found everything was fine and transferred the money. The bridge loan was closed in August 2018.

Could take more work, but manpower is a problem

Now they have to work until September already. The problem is the lack of skilled labour. There are 4 of them and they could always hire someone, but they can't find people.

Mihai is very inventive, intelligent and eager to find solutions, without being desperate to succeed at all costs. He wants to do other things (e.g. grow 1 hectare of raspberries), but he doesn't want this to cause him stress.

In addition to the wooden objects that they make entirely, they also deal with refurbishing old furniture. Mihai has a friend who brings second-hand furniture from Germany, very cheap and good. He refurbishes it, if necessary makes other pieces to complete the set and sells it.

From small pieces of wood left over from other jobs he makes variously coloured and antiqued cladding panels, which he sells on eMag. He also sells fir wood armchairs for patios and gardens and mirror frames decorated by Lichtenberg process (high-voltage electrical burning of wood).

Orders come in all the time, from people sent by satisfied customers or from Facebook. In a very short time it will also have website and they will certainly come from there. They don't have a problem with a lack of work, they have a problem with a lack of people. What's more, they need skilled and responsible people, because they make quality things and they don't want to disappoint customers. Unfortunately, most of the young people in the village are out in the world, with little hope of returning.

In the courtyard gazebo

We talked a lot with Mihai and his father and although we were expected in Vatra Dornei, we didn't give up. From the workshop we went out to the gazebo in the courtyard (still in progress) where a wonderful cherry cake made by Mihai's wife was waiting for us (thanks again, ma'am!). We went on to tell stories about relatives gone all over the world, about the neighbour who lived in the UK for 20 years, marrying a Welsh woman there and returning with her, although he can still take jobs there. His wife won't let him, she has fallen hopelessly in love with Romania and doesn't want to go back. Her father, who visits for two months in the summer, spends hours in the garden listening to the crickets.

We talked about wood, the beauty of pear wood and wicker wood and I was astonished to learn (I admit, I didn't know) that walnut wood is of two kinds, female and male. Female walnut is much lighter in color, similar to chestnut. Rustic kitchen furniture in the gazebo is made from such wood.

We also talked about the hardships, about the investments made in that place we bought in 2012, about the loans made to banks or relatives, all of which were returned. About plans to invest in a knife sharpening machine to stop wasting precious time, about refusing to work PAL even though they have an old knife sharpening machine brought from France.

It was almost over when we broke up. We left behind friends we would dearly love to see again. Serious, hard-working and smart people, whom we are glad we had the opportunity to meet. We left with cakes "to have on the road" and a handkerchief made by Michael's grandmother, who at 80 years old (Happy birthday, grandma!), still sews traditional shirts. How beautiful Bucovina is!