Furniture with Italian design, produced in Moldova

Every year, in search of opportunities for a better life, hundreds of Moldovans emigrate abroad. However, out of longing for their homeland and the desire to create a future at home, some families choose to return. An admirable example is the Croitoru family, who after 17 years of working in Italy, decided to start their own furniture manufacturing business here in Moldova.

Full of ideas, enthusiasm, and skills which they learned from the best factories in Italy, and with European financial support, the young family opened a custom furniture manufacturing unite initially specializing in creating furniture for export. In a short time, they become known on the Moldovan market. Thus, the successful business of “Bucătării N.  Croitoru” came to life, which today brings comfort to the homes of dozens of Moldovans in Moldova and all over Europe.

“We’d established our business in 2015 when we returned from Italy because we wanted to have something of our own at home. We have worked hard, and today, we are proud to export furniture to all the countries in Europe where Moldovans live. Our core business is the production of furniture for kitchens and living rooms. We work only with state-of-the-art machinery, as well as with materials of the highest quality, which allows us to create unique furniture projects, according to European standards and custom design”, told us Nicolae Croitoru while presenting us the manufacturing unite where „N.  Croitoru” kitchens come to life.

“We chose Microinvest because it’s fast, easy, and safe”

Any business needs financial support to grow. So is the Croitoru family business. Two years ago, they received a proposal to purchase a professional machine for sharpening tools used in manufacture from an Italian company. He analyzed in detail how much money he needs, which lending organization he can apply to, and finally came to Microinvest which he said was the best decision.

“The tools we use have to be regularly sharpened, and nobody in Moldova does this. So we had to send them to Ukraine, Romania, or even Italy. At some point, the factory in Italy I was working with put their machines on sale, and they asked me as a loyal customer whether I would like to buy them. It was not a spontaneous, but very well-thought out for almost 8 months decision. All that time I have been analysing my repayment capacity, the optimal repayment period, where I can take money from. I also visited some banks but their lending process seemed too long to me and they were not so responsive. A friend told me about Microinvest and I decided to try my luck. I was amazed at how quickly I got the answer. Yes, the interest is higher, but you have 1,000 less problems,” says the entrepreneur.

Next year, they plan to open a showroom in Milan.

The pandemic has put a strain on entrepreneurs all over the world, including Moldova, but hard work and optimism have helped them to overcome all the constraints. Despite this year difficult period, the Croitoru family has magnificent plans for 2021, which they are working on daily. During the quarantine period, they worked on projects right up to the pandemic, and consulted with clients online without giving up hope for tomorrow. And they succeeded, even if they had to move to a smaller but equally comfortable showroom.

“This year we were supposed to open a showroom in Milan, but the pandemic stopped us. However, we are confident that soon it will certainly come true. In Italy, 70% of our customers are Italians, who appreciate our punctuality and quality and even recommend us. Besides, we collaborate with designers and architects there and practically every month we send them new furniture projects. We want to start working in Europe, so that people there can talk about us as they do about other well-known companies in the custom-made furniture industry, and stop believing that Moldovans can only work for someone,” told us the owner.

“The secret of a loan is simple: already the next day, the borrowed money should start to add value.”

Lastly, I asked the entrepreneur what the perfect formula for a successful business is and how important credit is for entrepreneurs. Considering that at present, there are still people who perceive loans as a problem.

“I would put it another way, if I didn’t have credit it would be a problem. When I applied for a credit I knew for sure what I wanted and I was confident in my plans. Microinvest believed in me and my business, and that helped us to develop. A well-considered loan will only benefit you if you do it responsibly and use a reliable partner. This step requires careful analysis, with everything down to the smallest detail. It is not that just you first take the credit and then figure out how to pay it back. You are the only chance for entrepreneurs, especially now,” said Nicolae Croitoru confidently.