An entrepreneur who does not like to work with Lithuanians: these are people who accumulate their problems in business for you

Works on 28 acres

The territory of R. Zacharevičius’s company seems huge only upon arrival. How much do we spend to find the entrance, and when we enter, wherever our eyes take us, we see piled up wood in the outside area.

The owner, who trusted us, says that the company was founded in 2000 and that his father is the nominal manager of the company, although R. Zacharevičius himself expanded the business.

“I started working with wood myself in 1995, it all started with the wood trade. I bought in Lithuanian sawmills and sold to the West.

Later, our customers in the West wanted to get treated, dried, impregnated, planed wood. I transported that wood to other Lithuanian companies, who did all this for me. Then I cut back, we go out to certain amounts <...> and then in Jašiūnai there was a metal construction factory for sale and I bought it.

There were 1.7 hectares of territory, today we have 9 hectares and there are still 19 hectares near Kaunas. It all started here with the wood processing, we started to dry, brush, impregnate and today we process it a lot ”, says its founder about the specificity of the activity and the start of the business.

Sitting in an office conference room, a man says he can name a few numbers to make it easier for us to understand company revolutions. As he explained, in 2019, the company processed a total of 157 thousand. cubic meters of boards, this year it is projected to increase this number to 200 thousand, and in three years to reach 300 thousand.

“Then we would become the biggest processors in the whole Baltic,” he adds, saying that if, in general, the company imports wood from abroad, it processes it and exports semi-finished wood products.

“Our company focuses on the production of semi-finished wooden products that are used for the exterior of the house. These are deck boards, constructions, frame house constructions, gazebo constructions, fence elements, wood for home decoration, wood for interior decoration ”, says R. Zacharevičius.

When asked how many people work here today, he says the number is about 160, mostly locals from Jašiūnai.

Belarus is an important partner

The manager says that the company imports wood from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, but does not work with Lithuanian wood.

“The supply of wood in Lithuania is limited. We can’t get the quantities we need here, the second is the highest price here, and we can’t get certain lengths, specs, quality. Although Belarus seems to be very close, the quality of the wood is better than in our country.

“If there were a certain political situation in Belarus today, we would certainly have a shortage of raw materials, but business, like water, always finds new ways,” he says.

True, so far, as they say, work is not stagnant, and in Belarus, factories are also not up, work is underway.

“Today’s political affairs don’t affect business, but what could affect it is the war, the curfew, the restrictions in Belarus, then there would be (import-ed.) Suspension.

Also, if the European Union (EU) imposes sanctions on the importation of Belarusian goods into the EU, ”the leader mentions.

So far, he says, it is only about sanctions for people involved in the elections, and economic sanctions are not planned for the moment. Still, the businessman is open, the exit is always possible.

“If sanctions were imposed on imports of goods from Belarus to the EU, purchases would be made through companies from other countries,” he said, adding that today the company imports about 65% of its products from Belarus. coniferous wood.

Speaking of the consequences of the coronavirus for companies, R. Zacharevičius says that the market for wood in general today is distorted.

“Incomprehensible things are happening in the wood sector. Never in history has there been an activation of price levels like during the coronavirus festival.

Naturally, people today spend money to improve their property, not spending money on vacations, less on restaurants, which has created a great demand for wood.

We are very loaded with work, which is good, but on the other hand the market for raw materials is distorted. We buy wood on the stock exchanges of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, prices have risen sharply. In the United States, the price of processed wood has risen around 70 percent in three months, the pandemic has benefited us, ”he says openly.

He doesn’t like working with Lithuanians.

At present, only a small part of semi-finished wooden products remains in Lithuania. 97%, he says, is exported abroad.

“The Lithuanian market is small, insolvent. I am Lithuanian, but I don’t like working with Lithuanians. Because it is people who accumulate your problems in business for you. After selling wood to Lithuania for 3 thousand. Eur became a problem, as it was sold for EUR 3 million.

Our products go to many countries. The mother market was Scandinavia, Denmark, but today everything is divided.

Now Denmark, France, Great Britain, South Korea, the United States and Australia share the first place. There is also North Africa and so on, ”said the manager, adding that the company not only exports to Japan from larger countries.

“We did not have the right quality of wood for this market. We can only use wood from northern Russia that is suitable for the Japanese,” explains R. Zacharevičius.

Works after returning from emigration

When we visit, we also meet some workers who have returned from emigration.

Maxim recounts his time in Norway and adds that the fall of the crown has led him to return home.

“If the crown depreciates, the costs are different, it is better for your country.

We have heard of this company, so we came to work here, ”he says, saying that he worked abroad in a construction company.

Valery also says that he worked in Norway for two years and does not hide that he goes there to earn money.

“But they offered me a job here and I came back. There was only work and everything. I wanted a normal life, have free time, play sports ”, he explains and believes that he has also worked in construction.