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

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

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

Cristian Dan, a native of Transylvania who has been passionate about carving since childhood, has accessed European funds with which he has modernized his entire production line with Felder Gruppe machines. With their help, he produces solid wood sculptures which he exports all over the world. As well as patience and perseverance, the secret of success for Cristian Dan is quality above all else.

Key points:

• Production: solid wood carvings to order
• EU-funded machinery:
  • Felder FB 610 Bandsaw
  • Felder AD 951 2-operation combined straightening and thickness planing machine
  • Felder K 540 S sliding table circular saw Felder K 540 S
  • Felder D 951 thickness planer
  • F 700 M normal milling machine with fixed table
  • Felder AF 22 Stand Professional Stationary Exhaustion System
  • 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: the quality of the machines and the advantage of one single partner for all machines with full service and dedicated hotline
• The secret of success: perseverance and patience
• Tips and advice for future entrepreneursnot 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 your passion for wood come from?

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

How much do you produce annually?

Cristian Dan: It depends on the size. If we had to categorize them, I think we make a few hundred statues a year up to 40 cm, a few larger pieces and then we end up with record pieces, like one we made two years ago, which was 4.60 m, which was a cuckoo clockmaker in traditional dress from the Black Forest area of Germany.

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

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

Where sculptures end up Statex?

Cristian Dan: All our production goes for export, unfortunately we don't have any orders on the Romanian market. Our pieces 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 we signed a contract with the Netherlands for ornaments.

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

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

Why did you choose Felder Gruppe Romania?

Cristian Dan: For us, quality comes first in absolutely everything. This is 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 single partner so that afterwards the service would be one phone call away, not to make phone calls in 10 parts for 10 different machines.

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

The interview with Cristian Dan is part of the Felder Gruppe stories campaign which you can read here.