Gijsbert Huijink, a graduate in Economy and Cybernetics from Amsterdam University, majoring in the economy of Central and East European countries' economies, caught the "eastern fever" in 1989, when he was in Berlin for studies, ten days after the Berlin Wall had fallen.
Gijsbert, now the manager of Quadra, a company making and exporting furniture and decorations, says that the hopeful atmosphere of those moments was the catalyst of his further work.
He graduated the faculty after he had worked, during his senior year, with a counselling company operating in the Czech Republic, giving him the opportunity to travel throughout the East.
Then, he thought about settling in a country from this region. "I chose Romania, as I felt this country had great potential. I came here in 1993, immediately after having graduated college." He worked as a counsellor for businesspeople for two years, but he later found a cousin who dealt with antiques and was looking for a partner to open a plant in Romania.
Gijsbert' beginnings as a businessman date back to the summer of 1995, when he found a space located in Prahova village Gura Viisoarei, the only place where he could begin the business at that moment.
"It was very difficult then to rent a space. The state-owned plants charged exorbitant prices for places with no facilities. I found some stables at Gura Viisoarei, I cleaned them and I started the business, without having a plan, but with a lot of confidence we could do something."
Gijsbert attempted to manufacture a lot of other products by the moment he decided to make furniture. He first produced statuettes from polyester resins, which were quite popular, but hit a technological obstacle, coming from the fact that temperature had to be maintained at 21 Celsius degrees, the best to get a chemical reaction, which was very difficult over the winter time.
As it didn't work, they tried to make ornaments from cast iron and glass and eventually they moved to furniture, which seemed to be the most profitable business. Some 80% of Quadra's current products are furniture.
The businessman had rented the space for 5 years, but as the business fared better, the first troubles emerged.
"The owner was happy that he received the money every month. When he saw we fared better, he said the electric power station was his and he couldn't vouch for its flawless functioning. We realised we could no longer stay there."
So they started again in 1997, when the company already had 60 employees. "I heard that a state-owned company had spaces to sell. We saw the place was good for us and we bought it. At the beginning of 1998 we moved to Targoviste."
About half of the furniture produced by Quadra goes to Europe, while 40% is exported to North America. "We work as wholesalers. If someone wants only a piece or two, we sell them, but only if we know them and as an obligation, not as a core business."
Last year was the best for this furniture maker, as turnover was worth four million euros. Romania is just an occasional market for Quadra products and clients are mostly foreigners who want to furnish their flats or houses from Romania with Quadra products.
The clients' tastes in furniture are quite different and the products should consider three elements: the wood essence, the model and the polish.
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