Ukrainian Glass Sparkles in its Debut at the World’s Premier Home Furnishings Show
While the glass-making tradition in Ukraine does not compare to the Czech Republic, where the Czechs have practiced the craft since at least the 12th century, Ukraine also has a long history and strong capabilities in this manufacturing area.
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Yaroslav Dzhumalo, director of Svitlovodsk glass factory SKLO, and Svitlovodsk vase collection
Credit: Photo by Tetiana Dudka |
Recently, the country’s exposure to global markets has been limited, due mainly to a lack of access to external market knowledge, market demands, and market intermediaries. However, for Ukraine’s glass industry, that is all changing. With assistance from a BIZPRO project, funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Ukrainian glass producers have recently had one of their first opportunities to highlight their products to global buyers. And the response was positive.
At the most recent International Home Furnishings Market held in April 2005 in High Point, N.C. glass products from three Ukrainian producers (Popasnaya Glass Factory, Svetlovodsk SKLO Glass Factory, and Lviv Ceramic Sculptural Factory) displayed their wares for the first time. The American firms, Phillips Collection, Cheyenne Home Furnishings and Wildwood Lamps, showcased the artistic glass produced in Ukraine at the international market. The American-based firms source the products they exhibit from around the world, focusing on finding high-value, artistic, and marketable products to satisfy a large cadre of global buyers who rely on them for world-class products. Buyer interest was high: two of the American firms received seven separate orders for the three Ukrainian glass-makers. Now Ukraine’s glass factories are working on fulfilling those orders.
Yaroslav Dzhumalo, Svitlovodsk SKLO Glass Factory director, noted: “The American home furnishings market is very challenging and extremely competitive. With BIZPRO assistance we were able to demonstrate the quality of our products and production capabilities of the factory at High Point in October 2004.”
Mr. Dzhumalo added that, afterwards the Sklo Glass Factory designers worked with American home furnishings designer Ernie Owens developing new products targeting American customers specifically, and received help in redesigning its packaging.
“Finally – (we) made our first sales and increased our confidence in our ability to sustain a long-term relationship with our new American partners,” explained Mr. Dzhumalo.
What’s even more impressive, it took less than a year for the USAID-sponsored project to move from its initial industry diagnosis to actual sales. The process of getting a product ready for market is lengthy and arduous – involving assessment; production, design, and promotion consultation; market intermediary interactions; and finally – if it all works out – sales. To do so, BIZPRO needed to identify producers with the most potential, improve their production capacity, assist in production efficiency, and work with the factories to design products with appeal to specific markets outside their traditional regional reach.
This is just the beginning. The successful Ukrainian glass manufacturers already have started producing orders acquired from the High Point Market; preparing for this year’s October 2005 High Point market, where their products will be in even more showrooms; and getting ready for their European trade show debut at Europe’s biggest home furnishings exhibition, Tendence Lifestyle, to be held Frankfurt in August.
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