Statex, Sovata - a successful business: refurbishment with European funds, export 100%

Solid wood sculptures made in Sovata reach all corners of the world.

Cristian Dan, Statex administrator, Sovata: "Our parts go all over the world, but we export mostly to Germany, Italy and Switzerland, then the United States. For us, quality comes first in everything. That's why we chose Felder Gruppe Romania, for the quality of the machines." (INTERVIEW)

Cristian Dan, an Ardelean who has been passionate about sculpture since childhood, has accessed European funds to refurbish his entire production line with Felder Gruppe machinery. With their help, he produces solid wood sculptures that he exports all over the world. Besides patience and perseverance, the secret of success for Cristian Dan is quality, above all.

Key points:

• Production: solid wood carvings made to order
• Machinery purchased with European funds:
  • Felder ribbon saw FB 610
  • Felder AD 951 2-operation combination machine for thickness straightening and planing
  • Felder K 540 S sliding table circular saw
  • Felder D 951 thickness planer
  • F 700 M normal milling machine with fixed table
  • Professional stationary exhaustion system Felder AF 22 Stand
  • Felder AF 14 professional mobile exhaust systems
  • Felder FBP 50 briquetting press
  • Stationary screw compressor Schneider AirMaster AM B 7-8-500 XBD

• Criteria for choosing the machinery supplier: machine quality and the advantage of a single partner for all machines with full service and dedicated telephone line
• The secret of success: perseverance and patience
• Tips and advice for future entrepreneurs: not to be scared, no matter how complicated it may seem, and to trust that they will succeed in the end.

INTERVIEW Felder Gruppe Romania: Cristian Dan, Statex, Sovata, Mures

How did you get into this field? Where did the passion for wood come from?

Cristian Dan: I have been passionate about wood carving since my childhood, and at the age of 9 I had my first contact with this world. I also took courses in the field, first learning the carving styles and then studying fine arts.

How much do you produce annually?

Cristian Dan: Hard to say, depends on the size. If we were to classify them, I think we make several hundred statues up to 40 cm per year, a few larger pieces and then we get to record pieces, like one we made two years ago, 4.60 m, which was a traditionally dressed cuckoo clockmaker from the Black Forest area of Germany.

We also have orders for life-size bears for ski slopes in Germany or Italy, 2.30 m sculptures weighing around 200-300 kg, depending on the material we work with, and 2.80 m high crucifixes. Such work takes 2-3 months.

We do a lot of manual work, but in the first phase of production the machines we have from Felder Gruppe Romania. All the preparation of the material, the processing of the lime wood that we use, is done with machines.

Where the sculptures end upStatex?

Cristian Dan: All our production goes to export, we don't have any orders on the Romanian market, unfortunately. Our parts go all over the world, but we export mostly to Germany, Italy and Switzerland, then the United States. We have some work going to Australia and recently signed a contract with the Netherlands for ornaments.

In the European funding project, on what criteria did you choose your project consultant and suppliers?

Cristian Dan: The project consultant I chose on recommendations. And although I received good references, I was quite distrustful at first. The whole project took 3 years, we kept waiting for approvals from the state, but eventually we succeeded.

Why did you choose Felder Gruppe Romania?

Cristian Dan: For us, quality comes first in everything. That's why we chose Felder Gruppe Romania, for the quality of the machines. Then, the second reason was that we wanted all the machines to be from one partner so that afterwards the service would be just one phone call away, not 10 phone calls to 10 different machines.

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If you want to take the next step in developing your business and access European funds for retrofitting, see how he succeeded, what problems he faced and Cristian Dan's advice, by reading the full interviewhere.

The interview with Cristian Dan is part of the Felder Gruppe story campaign that you can readhere.