'BIZNES meble.pl' international edition 2/2018

industry X interview 34 BIZNES meble.pl [ international edition 2/2018 f T he history of the Bejot company dates back to the early 1980s and its development is qu- ite spectacular – from a small carpentry workshop it has evolved into a large ma- nufacturer of office chairs and armchairs, currently one of the largest in Poland. What factors decided about this success? At the beginning there was fear – how to provide the family with the means to live. The classic Maslow pyramid in which you first have to satisfy the basic, necessary needs. Later there was a desire to overcome the challenges related to the development of markets. We started working with designers, we were looking for answers to customers’ needs and as a result we started to produce interesting, design-oriented forms. The turning point was establishing cooperation with the universities. Discus- sions with academic staff have taught us a lot and have been a source of inspiration many times. My ambition has been to cre- ate solutions that have scientifically proven foundations. I was proud that our ideas and products are very well received by Eu- ropean markets. I felt satisfaction that we are not followers, that we create new con- cepts parallel to the trends. In one of the interviews you said that when in 1991 you had took over the ma- nagement of the company, you put in it ‘an idea, enthusiasm, work and 500 bor- rowed German marks’. Did you have any expectations then of how the company would look like more than a quarter of a century later? No, of course I did not expect Bejot – a 100% Polish company – to be once at the same level as factories from Germany, Denmark or Italy with whom I worked at the beginning. Once I envied them all: buildings, machines, technologies, mar- kets, etc. Today I know that dreams have come true. Our success is the result of hard work and tireless pursuit of goals set by the entire Bejot team. As I mentioned at the beginning, the family is a huge motivating factor. I be- came a father in the fifth year of my studies. I had to start earning fast. In fact, for the 500 German marks I borrowed I produced the first batch of seats in the rented old mushroom farm. The seats was made of bent pipes in black colours. Unfortunately, only such office armchairs were needed at that time. For over a dozen years, the company has reinvested 100% of its own funds into new production lines, logistics, research and development. To my delight, in the meantime, black ceased to dominate. Today, the range of colours and types of fabrics used by us includes hundreds of de- signs. Modular low seats for public space can be arranged in innumerable combina- tions. Renowned designers from Poland, Germany, Italy and Singapore create for us. We develop technical solutions to- gether with my home university – Poznań University of Life Sciences and the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, and we test the resulting products in various research laboratories. I am aware of the fact that our country does not set trends in the world of fashion or design. Today, it is a domain of Scan- dinavians, French, Italians and Spaniards. Nevertheless, I dream of Poland to create its own design school, recognizable and appreciated in the world. Our industrial design is dynamically changing. Universi- ties and good project groups create fan- tastic items. Bejot wants to be part of this process. In our latest ‘Złota 200’ (‘Golden 200’), i.e. a report on the largest furnituremanufac- turers in Poland, Bejot was on the 115th place. Thus, it was indeed a drop by 12 places compared to the previous year, but also an increase in revenues by approxi- mately 5% (net revenues of the company in 2016 amounted to approximately 48.31 million PLN). However, analysing your results from recent years, it should be noted that the company is gradually clim- bing upwards – since 2012, it has practi- cally doubled not only revenues, but also net profit. What is your recipe for such dynamic and stable growth? There is only one way – in Poznań: work, work and then work some more. And with great commitment. The strength of Bejot is the combination of knowledge, design and quality. In this triptych, people are responsible for everything – the team builds success. For several years, we have been dy- namically increasing the share of exports in total sales. Currently, every second seat from our production goes abroad, includ- ing to countries considered as the home- land of icons of design and functionality. The breakthrough was a big project for Danish schools. The Danish government, looking for a way to stimulate the econ- omy, decided that it is worth to invest in Dariusz Wilk, President of the Bejot Management Board, talks with Anna ¿amojda. AND 500 BORROWED GERMANMARKS At the beginning there was fear... THE TURNING POINT WAS ESTABLISHING COOPERATION WITH THE UNIVERSITIES. DISCUSSIONS WITH ACADEMIC STAFF HAVE TAUGHT US AbLOT AND HAVE BEEN AbSOURCE OF INSPIRATION MANY TIMES. MY AMBITION HAS BEEN TO CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN FOUNDATIONS.