Company presentation – RAVA BIO LEMNS SRL

After a long journey, we arrived in the village of Bobota, in Sălaj County, where we met Mr. Zaha again. Although the weather was rather capricious and did not let us fully enjoy the scenery typical of the area, our visit to the RAVA BIO LEMNS SRL workshop made us forget this minor inconvenience.

Hidden as if from the world's view, the workshop hosts a structured work mechanism, with things being done in a harmonious order, like in a beehive. 

Perhaps that is why they chose this branch of woodworking: the manufacture of beekeeping products and particleboard furniture.

Below you will find some excerpts from the productive discussion with Mr. Zaha Vasile, on several current topics.

Danibrum: What is your company's name, and how long have you been active on the market?

RAVA BIO LEMNS: Our company is called SC RAVA BIO LEMNS SRL, and it has been active on the market since 2017.

D: What are 3 words that best describe your company's activity/evolution?

R: Quality, perseverance, reliability.

D: Which branch of woodworking have you chosen to specialize in?

R: The manufacture of beekeeping products and particleboard furniture.

D: What convinced you to combine the two fields, which at first glance seem quite different?

R: As for the beekeeping products, the idea came to me after my father and I bought a few beehives. At first we made a few boxes for ourselves, then various wooden beekeeping items a bee colony needs, and little by little we got to where we are today. Our advantage, from my point of view, is that we can test the products on ourselves. That is why, over time, our products have been in continuous evolution. I wanted the final product to be perfect. As for making particleboard furniture, I could say it is already a tradition in our family. My parents worked in this field their whole lives, and I am continuing that tradition, improving it, so to speak.

D: If you could go back in time, would you still choose to work with wood, with the same specialization?

R: YES

D: Tell us about a time when you wanted to give up, or came very close to it, but didn't.

R: Fortunately, at least until now, I have never felt like giving up.

D: What does an ordinary day look like at RAVA BIO LEMNS?

R:     În ceea ce mă privește pe mine, ceasul meu sună în fiecare zi, cu excepția zile de Duminică, la ora 6 dimineața, iar la 6Ș30 sunt în firmă. Colegii mei sosesc la ora 7, 7 fără 10, depinde. Până ce sosesc ei, am timp să mă gândesc la planul de bătaie pentru ziua în curs. Programul colegilor mei se termină la ora 15, iar al meu în jurul orei 20.

D: What is the biggest challenge for your business right now?

R: Unskilled labor. We all know that in Romania there is a complete shortage of skilled tradespeople such as carpenters, and not only.

D: To have competition or not to have it? That is the question. What is your opinion?

R: It is certainly important to have competitors, provided you know how to use that to your advantage, of course.

D: To what extent does competition influence your activity?

R: I can say that, to some extent, competitors have driven us to develop and innovate even more.

D: The pandemic has changed quite a bit the way we run our businesses and carry out our activity. How did you have to adapt to get through the critical period (quarantine/isolation, remote work)?

R: The pandemic was a major challenge for all industries, not only for us. Of course, we also took all the necessary measures to carry out our activity under the safest possible conditions.

D: Every entrepreneur has a 5-10 year plan for their business. How has the pandemic changed the business vision you previously had for 2021?

R: Right now, the most important thing is for all of us to be healthy.

D: They say we learn for as long as we live. What is the most important lesson you have learned over your years in business, one that helps you both in business and personally?

R: It is hard to choose just one lesson. Still, I believe respect is very important. If you show respect, you will receive respect. It keeps you from making mistakes.

D: What does success look like to you?

R: Success these days means being healthy.

D: What would your business look like if you could turn back time and start from scratch, but with the mindset and experience you have now?

R: It would look a bit more mechanized.

D: What advice would you give to someone who admires you and would like to follow in your footsteps?

R: To do everything with love and respect.

D: What are 3 pieces of equipment you cannot do without in your work?

R: The circular saw, the milling machine, the jointer, the thickness planer; there are several.

D: Do you remember where you heard about Danibrum?

R: On the internet.

D: What equipment did you purchase from us?

R: The milling machine, the jointer, the thickness planer, the sanding machine, the calibrating machine, the edge banding machine, and the dovetail milling machine.

D: Where do you feel we, Danibrum, could improve?

R: We worked so well with the Danibrum team that we have nothing to reproach them for.

We thank Mr. Vasile Zaha once again for the time he spent with us and wish him much success and, most importantly, as he has repeated several times, good health.