Prof. Vasil Zhivkov, Chairman of the BCWFI
The Bulgarian Branch Chamber of Woodworking and Furniture Industry (BCWFI) was established in 1992 as a voluntary non-profit association whose mission is to protect and represent its members and the industry as a whole. More than 320 companies, 11 vocational schools and one university are members of the BCWFI. The Chamber is the only official representative of employers in the Furniture Manufacturing, Woodworking, Manufacture and Supply of Machinery and Materials for the Woodworking and Furniture Industries sectors. BCWFI is among BIA's members.
At the end of June 2021, Prof. Vasil Zhivkov was elected as Chair of the Chamber. He is a respected lecturer in key disciplines for the industry and founder of one of the first companies in Bulgaria, specializing in trading with high-quality materials for furniture, an active and long-standing member of the management of the Chamber, and an initiator and organizer of numerous events in the industry.
Shortly before the start of the new academic year, what is the staffing situation in the industry?
The shortage of staff in our industry is one of our sore points. We experience a lack of engineers to manage production, work in design departments, and create innovation in the industry. Unfortunately, the engineering profession today does not have the glamour of being modern and desirable. And our industry has become high-tech, so we need very well-trained engineers - designers, technologists, specialists for programming and management of modern automated and robotic lines in production. Luckily, we have three programs at the University of Forestry and Technology that train engineers and designers for the industry. Two of them are unique and can only be found at our university. For example, "Wood and Furniture Technology", which has a history of almost 70 years. It is a protected program, and it is for free. Incidentally, I am also a graduate of this program. Since last academic year, we have also had a specialization in computer technology in the furniture industry. It was introduced on recommendation and with the assistance of the BCWFI and sets an example of how business and educational institutions should cooperate. The third program is currently the most successful and has the highest number of students - "Engineering Design (Interior and Furniture Design)". It is a hybrid course because we prepare our students to be both designers and engineers. Furniture companies are looking precisely for professionals who can design furniture and interiors and fill in for the engineers. In reality, the Engineering Design graduates somewhat compensate for the lack of engineers in the industry. It is also pleasing that this year we had severe competition for places in this speciality. I also hope the student will physically attend their classes during the new academic year as online learning will also affect their skills.
How did you get into the furniture industry?
It may sound strange and even funny. However, I went to the Higher Forestry Technical Institute (VLTI), now the University of Forestry, only because of the powerful alpine skiing team. At that time, VLTI was a national champion, being among the established teams from Samokov, Bansko, Smolyan and Sofia. Back then, I wanted to be part of the team, as one of my unfulfilled childhood dreams was to be a successful skier. That is how I got into the world of furniture, and to this day, I have no regrets because this world brought me much professional satisfaction and determined the direction of my personal life.
If you were graduating from high school now, what would you pursue?
The current generation thinks in a radically different way than mine. It is more often looking for the professions where it will get the most money. I have always sought challenges, and I need to do what satisfies me; money comes second.
What are the key challenges facing the wood and furniture industry?
As I have already noted, the lack of staff is one of our main challenges. We need well-trained engineers but also staff from the vocational schools. They are the backbone of any production. Therefore, we have to work with the Ministry of Education and Science, vocational schools, universities. We will fight for the opening of new classes in high schools. We will ask the Ministry of Education and Science to allocate more places for students in the vocational field 5.13 General engineering, where two of our three specializations at LTU are related to the industry. We will also look for our options for training personnel, mainly machine operators, upholsterers, fitters, etc. Our goals are to promote our industry's opportunities and show that it is modern, safe, and offers prospects for development.
Currently, the world is facing a shortage of raw materials, which leads to a significant increase in materials prices in the furniture industry. In recent months we have experienced a severe lack of solid wood, which has led to reduced production of products from the so-called engineered wood group - particleboard, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), plywood, etc. Their absence on the market, in turn, logically leads to a significant increase in the prices of these raw materials. An increase of 2-3 times in their price will also lead to a severe rise in furniture prices. At the same time, various populist proposals are creeping into the country to reduce or stop logging in forests - we are talking about ancient forests. Of course, I favour protecting our forests, but firstly, they need regenerative logging; secondly, any artificially created shortage will lead to smuggling. The forest will start to be illegally logged, and, thirdly, we are talking about a green economy and teaching children that wood is a renewable resource and we should use it. Maybe we will only have to make plastic furniture from now on? I do not see the logic. The state and the municipalities should manage their forests properly, not look for the easiest way out by restricting or stopping wood harvesting.
There is barely a sector that has not been affected in one way or another by the COVID-19 pandemic. So what was it like for the wood and furniture industry?
Our problems are related to the decreasing turnover, which was a fact for 2020 but not for 2021. However, the supply of raw materials and their continuous price increase is also worrying. Unfortunately, the NSI data are two years overdue, and we are not in a position to make accurate analyses. However, I can say that the crisis has had a positive impact on the furniture sector. First, we have experienced a kind of 'renaissance in sales, which was due to most people staying in their homes for a long time. People needed things to be replaced in their homes, either because they were outdated or had to make changes. The second effect was that people could save money because they weren't travelling, they weren't going to restaurants, and some of that money came into our sector. However, we shouldn't be complacent, for this effect is temporary, and what goes up must come down.
What are your goals, as Chair of BCWFI, for the development of the sector?
The first and foremost goal I have set myself is to establish the BCWFI as one of the leading employers' organizations in Bulgaria and, of course, to preserve its unity. One of my priorities is to increase the membership because this will make the Chamber even more representative and robust. One fundamental goal is to restore the lustre of the Technofurniture and World of Furniture exhibitions, which are vital to our industry and its development. We have to put effort into vocational and higher education to create more staff for the industry. My competencies in this particular area are considerable. We will support the fight against the grey economy, which is stifling business in the light. We are also facing the challenges of the circular economy, and there are likely to be more and more restrictions and business demands. The topics of eco-design, renewable materials, recycling, reuse, etc., are becoming increasingly relevant. It is also essential to create closer links between furniture manufacturers, designers, and architects.
I also hope that the excellent cooperation between the BCWFI and the BIA will continue. There are many directions in which we can collaborate, and ultimately, this will lead to even better development of the sector.
What is the secret for keeping BCWFI united for nearly 30 years despite competition and proactive despite many successes?
The secret of the Chamber's long-standing success and unity lies in the charisma, enthusiasm, and ideals that all previous Presidents and Boards shared as part of their governance. Their actions in each period have been strong enough and have not given the organization a chance to split, compete or, worse still, disappear. Add the Chambers' teams who have carried out the operational work and often drive new ideas. They are also the cause of the success. I think the tenure of our organization is another vital factor. The entry of new and fresh additions to the leadership over the different mandates inevitably leads to changes and new initiatives.
