George Mihalache, from apprenticeship in his grandfather's workshop to outdoor furniture production

If I were planning a terrace, a gazebo or any outdoor arrangement I would call George Adrian Mihalache from EvoMob. I've been following his work for a long time and I've always liked the way he works, his continuous desire to improve and his pro-client orientation. I first spoke to George in 2019, before the pandemic. I wanted to do an article with him for the print magazine, but things got rushed and we never got around to doing it. I contacted him again before BIFE-SIM 2023 to invite him to attend the B2Bife, an event that Wood Magazine held during the fair. We talked about the quality of Evomob's products, about how he and his wife share the company's tasks and about his plans for the future. The recording of the discussion will soon appear on Wooden magazine YouTube channel.Learn about how George got into woodworking, who taught him to be honest with his customers and how he learned from his mistakes below.

Beginning with his grandfather

His passion for woodworking is due to his grandfather. At the age of 3, when his grandfather was working in his parents' house, the first thing George picked up was a hammer. Even though the gesture clearly showed a preference for tools and craftsmanship, that wasn't when it all started, it would have been far too early. When he turned 14, his grandfather gave him a bicycle as a present. This made it easier for him to get from Dragomirești (where his parents lived) to Săbăreni, where the workshop was. Working alongside his grandfather, he began to learn the trade and "to get fond of it"as George says.

He liked to work in the workshop, to hand him the materials, to carry the sawdust, especially as he was rewarded with small gifts. My grandfather worked for the Crafts Cooperative, he was very skilled, many of the machines in the workshop were made by him. He had 4-5 employees and worked on everything from shredders and tel handles to doors, windows, floorboards and garden tables.

Working alongside him, he became more and more skilled. At 16, he got his first paper. A neighbour asked him to make four stools. He then received his first money and was very happy. He wasn't even 17 yet, he was in high school, when the mayor of the village saw how skilled he was and asked him to make a sort of hunting room with wood from old barrels. One of the mayor's friends saw the work, liked it and asked him to make a pergola, but finished very nicely, just as he had made the furniture out of barrel wood. It was the first work done for the outdoors, practically the starting point of the business now.

I want you to be honest and honest

From his grandfather he also learned to be fair to the customer. "Georgica, I wish you to be honest and honest". Until he was almost 84 his grandfather worked in the workshop. "He worked practically until he died."says George sadly. Sadly, less than a year after his death, he left the old workshop, but the memory of the place and his grandfather has stayed with him.

So in 2014, at just 24 years old, he had to start from scratch in a new place in Cosoba, also in Giurgiu County. His wife's family, a friend at the time, was a great help. With their support he managed to rent a space and then buy some machinery with borrowed money. That's how he was able to start working again. His fairness and desire to do his best work brought him to the attention of demanding customers and that's how he managed to get off the ground. In 2016 he was almost late for his own wedding because he hadn't yet finished the fitting on a client for whom he had to do the gazebo, pergola, rocking chair and entrance landscaping.

I learned from my mistakes

In addition to his native talent, George wants to get better and better and do things better. He says he's learned a lot from the internet, fellow carpenters, specialists and his own mistakes. In the beginning he worked with plain lumber and often put the wood on mounting skids directly on the ground. He quickly realised that laminated timber was much more stable and offered more strength. He now works with well-known suppliers of laminated timber and the mounting skids are made to his own design.

He also understood how to work the wood so that the water does not stagnate, that it drains well and that the choice and the way the finish is done are very important if you want the work to be durable. At first he worked with products taken from DIY stores, but he quickly realised that he needed professional products. Now he works with very high quality products and finishing technologies established by the company's specialists. That's why work done years ago still looks like new.

There's room for everyone

Just like Fane Pănăzan and Radu VădanGeorge can be found on the Carpenters group. He's one of those who give good advice to those who ask for help, even if they are competitors. He says there's room in the market for everyone. But he doesn't accept the unserious ones, the ones who trick people and show photos of work done by others pretending to be their own. He's had it happen to him, he's even been called by one such scammer. He is trying to stop this practice as much as possible and that's why he has registered his own trademark and some designs with OSIM.

And the people he works with he has taught to be serious. He always works together and doesn't consider himself their boss but a colleague. He says the power of example is very important and people work differently when they see you with them. He is also serious about his customers and wants people to leave with a good impression, not only in terms of execution but also in terms of meeting deadlines. He'd rather give longer lead times and finish faster than end up not being done on time.

Evomob, registered trademark

George now works in the same hall he rented almost 10 years ago, but managed to buy in the meantime. DunăMob, the company made after his grandfather's name, became EvoMob, a registered trademark, in 2021. His wife, Flori, is the company's administrator, taking care of everything from sourcing, paperwork, customer relations, etc. They support and help each other, Flori being George's biggest fan. And if need be, she doesn't hesitate to come into the workshop and sand wood alongside him.

The quality of the work and reliability has made the company go from strength to strength in recent years. More complex work has appeared and they are becoming better known, even beyond their usual area. One of last year's works was in Bacau, at Podul Turcului, where he did a terrace, and this year he has a very complex work in Onești where he worked with a structural engineer from Silvania. The structural engineer was needed because just one roof beam was 700 kg. The whole roof weighs around 5 tons. They are also going to install some very large, semi-arch laminated beams made by Techniques.

Next year, if all goes well, they plan to invest in machinery. The workshop now has circular, bandsaw, planing and drilling machines. He is thinking of taking it to the next level and plans to have a Format 4 circular from Felder Gruppe Romania. He also wants a thick planer. He thought of Felder because he is satisfied with the quality of the machines (the band saw is from them) and the purchase conditions.

Although he works mainly with outdoor furniture (gazebos, patios, pergolas, fences, rocking chairs), he is no stranger to indoor furniture. His most recent piece of furniture, a Montessori crib, was made and installed for a very discerning client - Flori, his wife, pregnant with their first child. As you can see, next year is already showing good signs.

Good luck, George!