Many businesses have developed or even started with European grant funding. The Start-Up Nation funding program was the starting point for many stories told here on revistadinlemn.ro. Although there is still distrust or apprehension, those who persevered, researched, did whatever it took to score as high as they could, had their projects approved and invested in machinery that allowed them to increase productivity and efficiency, replacing increasingly hard-to-find skilled labor. For those who are still skeptical, here are 5 more examples. Firms that decided they needed funding and believed it was possible. And they won! The common denominator of all 5 companies is the machinery supplier – Nika Machinery – who helped in the implementation of the projects after winning the tender.
Concepto Furniture - fourth generation love of wood
Furniture concept is a company from Câmpeni specialized in furniture production and interior design. The beginning was made more than 15 years ago, with wooden furniture, starting from a parental inheritance. The grandfather of the owners was a carpenter and joiner, having been a craftsman at Peles Castle, seconded to Sinaia after his skills were noticed while in the army. Among other works, he made the dowry chests that can still be found inside the castle. He used traditional tools that are now in the family museum, tools that bear the stamp of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and of which the whole family is very proud. The tradition has been passed down from father to son.
The last generation is made up of two daughters, architects Mădălina Bakos and Manuela Furdui, who have been strongly influenced by family tradition. For a long time they were convinced that they would not be able to carry on the tradition, but eventually they found a way to put their stamp on the development of the business. They focused on the design side of things and on introducing chipboard and MDF panels. The panels allow for some of the most interesting work, which is a plus for interior design.
In order to move in this direction, the young entrepreneurs accessed and obtained funding through the Start-Up Nation program. This was a huge advantage in getting the business off the ground.
"I believe that for many entrepreneurs who are just starting out, this opportunity is the ideal chance to start a business, but the success of the business is guaranteed by the level of commitment
and teamwork - which is paramount and absolutely necessary after securing funding. We started this business by combining knowledge of interior design, object design and in the process gained proficiency in the production of custom-made furniture made of chipboard and MDF. Within a few months we managed to completely change the production line to offer customers both solid wood furniture and furniture made of chipboard and MDF elements, as the current demand has turned to affordable, good quality furniture that meets ergonomic and design requirements. This is how we have managed to establish our market in the current branch of custom-made furniture made of chipboard and MDF elements." - Mădălina Bakos told us
One of the important stages of the file is the choice of the suppliers of the machinery that will participate in the public tender. Here's what Mădălina has to say about the process:
"As soon as we had broadly established which machines we needed, we started to do the research work in choosing collaborators and suppliers. As we researched the market and the range of suppliers, we were influenced by the positive feedback, both online and direct recommendations from other manufacturers. So, in addition to the best price, we also received the most efficient equipment within the parameters of the technical requirements. In our experience, the Nika team is made up of professionals who are a real help in advising us, the collaboration between the parties has proved to be a success, and this leads us to call on them with the same confidence for future projects."
Now, with the production line up and running, they want to grow with the market demand, to continuously improve, to widen the range of products and services, to increase the team, to bring in new customers, while keeping the old ones. Satisfied customers always come back to the company's products and services, even when there are very competitive offers on the market. The loyalty of old customers gives them the confidence that they are doing things right, with passion and dedication as they learned in the family.
Nasminbrat - from supersonic planes to chipboard furniture
It's passion in this case too. The truth is, when it comes to wood, it's hard to believe it's just a business. The story began when Cosmin Bratu's father, the director of the company Nasminbratretired. He was a pilot on supersonic airplanes, and in retirement he decided to move on to something else. So he returned to his old passion, wood and furniture, a passion he shares with his son. The first steps were uncertain and difficult, as in any beginning, but with a lot of passion, dedication and attention to detail they turned their passion into a business.
"The Start-Up Nation program was like a door that opened and took us to another level in terms of business development and most importantly, raising the bar in quality with new equipment. The machinery needs we had known for many years, we knew we needed a moving table circular saw for chipboard cutting and most importantly an ABS canting machine to give us the highest quality. In addition we purchased other multi-drilling and complementary machines."
His first contact with Nika Utilaje was in 2017. He was impressed with the professional way in which he was guided and everything he wanted to know about machinery was explained to him. They worked very well together on the implementation and service side of the project.
"In terms of machine specifications, all we knew was that they had to be robust, easy to use and give us top quality. On the cutting side, we purchased a circular saw with moving table Rojek PK320A, on the ABS application side we got a cant applicator machine Fravol Master 400-23, easy to use and maintain, which has all the machining groups, from pre-milling to corner rounding, and on the multi-drilling side we have a machine Maggi Prestige 21. I was very pleasantly surprised by the professionalism and commitment shown by the Nika team, something you rarely find in Romania. For those who want to have a reliable and durable partner in their projects, I recommend to work with Nika Utilaje, I assure them that they will not regret it for a moment."
With the machines taken through the Start-Up Nation program, they have increased production and improved quality. They are so satisfied with the results that they already have plans to develop and access new European funds through various programs. They are determined to continue working with Nika Utilaje as they are convinced that they will receive the best guidance on the necessary machinery.
Holzkeile - from a personal need to a booming busniness
Holzkeile is a business started out of necessity. When Adrian Popescu needed to furnish his home, he looked around for custom furniture manufacturers. But they all had very long delivery times and he realized there was an opportunity in this market. He started to study the field, its potential and became more and more interested until he became a wood enthusiast.
"I researched the market a lot before deciding to take this step (accessing Start-Up Nation funding), both online and physically, by visiting the Expowood fair in Brasov. There I met and talked to many machine suppliers who helped me to better understand the technical solutions available. I said that if I was going to make this purchase, it should be high technology that could be used for longer. Through the program I purchased a CNC for drilling and milling Masterwood TF 100 2.0.
I was pleasantly surprised by the collaboration with Nika Utilaje. I met them at the Brasov fair along with other exhibiting companies. In working with Nika I was first and foremost glad that I had someone to talk to on a human level, whatever the situation. They showed flexibility, professionalism and very good technical training. I felt that we were a team together and I was able to implement the whole project on my own, without a consultant."
The company Holzkeile is now running smoothly and they want to cope with the demands as well as possible. And they are following European fund programs because they want to make further investments in the company's future to increase production capacity.
Metaxwood - an old furniture workshop in Vălenii de Munte brought back to life by Start-Up Nation
Valentin Picioroga, the administrator of Metaxwood, thought at the beginning of 2019 that it was time to dare to be part of the family of entrepreneurs in the guild. Together with his wife, they wanted to be independent and contribute to the development of the area by reviving an old carpentry workshop in Vălenii de Munte. As one of the few workshops in the area, they are working hard to maintain the business in these difficult times. But they know they are in a community that needs them and they don't want to give up. In fact, the community has shown them this by the unexpectedly large number of orders they have received. There are now 4 people in the workshop, but they are thinking of hiring if they make it through the winter.
Accessing Start-Up Nation funding was an opportunity. It was the impetus for development, followed by a lot of hard work on their part. They struggled until the settlement because the workshop had to be set up and they had to do some hiring, but they made it.
"I took the purchase of the machines seriously. From experience we knew that they are the centerpieces in a workshop. We rented the workshop with all the old machinery and decided to keep some of it. We knew from the beginning that for quality we needed a calibrating machine. The old workshop didn't have one. Then a sliding table formatting circular was next on the list of needs. Third was the screw compressor needed for the calibrating machine. We requested quotations from 6 suppliers around the country. After a while we received from a company that seemed the best in terms of value for money. But Nika Utilaje went one better, offering for the same budget additional options for the calibrating machine. This tipped the scales in their favor at the auction. What's more, the formatting circulator we had originally looked at became a reputable German one, Altendorf.”
Now they wish you good health and hard work. They hope to expand slowly in the country, not just in the local market. They now have a project for a community in Germany, so nothing is impossible. They want to develop the business not only for themselves, but also for the area and even the country.
Start-Up Nation - the chance to turn passion into business
Sorin Bunta, the administrator of the company Floralex ASF, has always had a passion for wood, and even had the chance to work in the field. He has always wanted to start a business in this field, and Start-Up Nation gave him this opportunity. In 2019 visited the BIFE-SIM fair with a pretty clear idea of the machinery he thought he would need to start his business. His visit to the fair was more to see what was new and discuss technical solutions with exhibitors. He chose to go for quality in order to be able to use the machines for as long as possible and avoid unpleasant surprises. The machines had to process solid wood and he could not afford to make mistakes. It had to be done correctly from start to finish.
"The collaboration with Nika has gone very well, they have always been there for us no matter the context and we know that they are a reliable partner in the area of machinery. I think we made a very good team. We had excellent communication, so the whole project went smoothly. Although there are some aspects that need a lot of attention, European funds can be used to give a new company a boost. We are pleased that we were able to purchase the machines from Rojek, milling cutter FS 550 and the circular saw PF 400S, but also Tecnodry spray booth„
Now they are satisfied because they have a good production flow and they have orders they can fulfill thanks to professional quality machines. They want to continue to grow. In this period, seeing that it was the online environment that got many companies out of trouble, they want to go more in that direction. For now they are analyzing what is the best solution and whether the financial resources will still come from a project on European funds or by direct purchase.
European funds are the chance to start or develop a business. Businesses started through Start-Up Nation or developed through other funding programs are proof that there is a system in place and it works. The important thing is to do your research, apply and find reliable partners.
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