IT'S INTERESTING

INTERVIEW WITH THE COMPANY'S DIRECTOR BYAKOV ANDREY LEONIDOVICH (NEWSPAPER "ARTINDUSTRIYA", #6 (39)/2007)

Since 2001 company "Zhivopisnye kisti" has been specializing in producing of brushes for souvenirs paintings (matreshka toys, caskets, bijouterie). This kind of painting demands high quality brushheads. It happened so that no company produced brushes at that time in Russia, that is why "Zhivopisnye kisti" met no competition. During the last five years the company has been developing and achieving great production volume, which increases to 30 - 40% annually. Company's management is directed to creation of good conditions for the dealers in order to let them to occupy new niches of the market and to secure their position. Here is the interview with the company's Director Byakov Andrey Leonidovich

-   Andrey Leonidovich, how did personally you begin to contribute your share to the work of the company?

-   It happened in 1988, one might say by accident. A group of model aircraft constructors, to which I also belonged, has registered a cooperative "Eureca" at the art brushes factory. We planned to produce flying toys. Once the manager, who accepted goods for realization, told me: "If you brought me brushes I would pay you at once". So I realized: flying toys can wait, the country needs brushes! The factory was glad to see our initiative, after all the production plan was 34 000 000 of brushes per year, and it was a short of facilities exactly for the last forty-fourth million.

-   You produced school brushes. And when did you begin to produce art brushes?

-   You know, our brushes had always been very popular among art shops, and after Podolsk factory stopped production of brushes this niche became completely ours. At the same time there was a growth in demand for high quality brushes. That is why the last five years we have been producing only brushes for artists. But nevertheless I consider "Zhivopisnye kisti" to be at the beginning of the long way. Aim at perfection poses new and new problems. Carried out investigations convinced us, that existing in Kirov system of hair treatment is applicable for not every kind of brushes. If you want to draw long thin line you need a brush from soft hair - there are no such brushes in a production-run of any factory in Kirov - it is laborious and finds a little demand. Brushes from squirrel hair are not good for children. It is not accidentally that German producers make brushes for them from special hair mixture.

-   Is your attitude to your production critical?

-   Very critical. If I see a failing, I try to reclaim it whatever it takes. We consider constructive criticism, rectify our errors without waiting till we get complaints. You know, we have one very important advantage - we are young. I mean not the average age of workers which is 36 years, but the fact, that we bring renovation to artmarket, new views on quality and business as a whole. We can afford to act right in business organization as well as in goods selling.

-   What are your expectancies?

-   In 2008 we are planning to exhibit at Frankfurt fair. In the nearest future we will buy two lathes for handles production, what will let us to supply all Kirov companies with high-grade and at the same time cheap handles. We will issue a new catalogue, put on the market two new lines of brushes - one is kolinsky imitation, another is bristle imitation.

-   What difficulties do you faced with in your everyday life, if there are any?

-   We have a common problem - little feedback from the end customers. It is not easy to satisfy everybody's requirements - 100 artists have 100 opinions on brushes, we should produce 101-st one, which will satisfy all of them. Time for development at foreign markets has come and I understand that only my knowledge is not enough for it. There is a need of specialists in advertising, marketing, those who will be able to promote our production in mass media. There is a great presenter at the American television - Mr. Bob. He mesmerizes the audience with his charm, demonstrates the technique of this or that item painting with a help of a brush. Housewives await his broadcasts like a favorite serial and almost run to shops to buy brushes and paints after them. It would be great to meet such a showman on my way.

-   Are your plans realized quickly?

-   Some ideas stay unrealized several years. For example, first displays sketches were made four years ago. We began to produce them only after demand had arisen. The synthetic brush only after several years after it was intended: there were problems with hair gluing, with crimping. I'm not the one who likes to make far-reaching designs. Every company development is like a game of chess, but the number of players is bigger. One is intended to do something, an opponent reacts and change all the plans.

-   Kirov can be considered a capital of brushmaking. How do you manage to get along together with other companies?

-   It is an advantage that there are several brushproducing companies in one city. The question is how to use it! Time demands specialization and cooperation. German brushmakers chose this way and their goods are best. Now Chinease move in this direction. It is necessary to take brave steps for the common sake. Three years ago my German colleagues informed me that one company sells the equipment for brushhandles production. Having discussed this question I'd decided that it is too big for our factory. But it was so good that it just had to be in Russia! We gave the information to the factory "Art materials", they bought it. And we got the remuneration, due to which we were able to buy a machine "Walter Hempel-PA" for producing handles for artist brushes. "Art materials" became the largest exporter of the handles for school brushes to Germany (a contract for handles supplying was attach to the equipment), and we satisfy the demand for ground handles of every brushproducing companies in Kirov.

-   Whom do you consider to be your competitor?

-   Our competitors - Chinese factories. By the way, our dealers prefer our products, though they have always had a lot of brushes in their assortment. The rate of Chinese brushes is reducing from year to year. It reduced 20-40% to 5-10%. Chinese production was actual two years ago, when we didn't produce polished handles, tufts have always been not worse than Chinese ones. Now we go ahead: prices are the same, and transportation costs, customs clearance, terms of delivery - these factors count in our favour.

-   You want to say that the problem of filling the market with Chinese goods don't make you anxious?

-   I want to say that the problem is solvable. It will take much work. Five years ago I visited the fair "PaperWorld" at the first time. When I came there I realized - Russian brushproducers lagged in the questions of technology at least for 15 years! There was no machine in Kirov in that time which would let to produce competitive components and ensure quality. And my brushes were appreciated at the artmarket even at that time! As time passed we changed all the equipment. We understood that we need our own innovations. Having overcome the diffidence, we became different; we have no doubts that the next quality raising campaign will be victorious. Conditions of work are changed; we acquire traditions, and what is of the most importance, our brands recognized by customers!

-   Tell us about your company's selling policy.

-   In the selling field, as well as on the production floor, there should work professionals. We sell our products through heavy dealers - the three biggest of them get on so well that they can build up the policy at the art brushes market. They invest big money in the product promotion, because they are sure of my honesty, in a year or two I won't rush to work directly with their clients. What advertising policy concerns, I suppose, that if there is a demand for the goods at the Russian art market, one just has to inform everybody who is interested that the goods are available. To add to this for the time being we have incontestable advantages as compared to our competitors: our products have their unique features.

-   You produce several brands, do you consider it to be right? Don't you procreate various weak brands instead of creating a strong single one?

-   Time has showed that we are right. The thing is that our dealers work at one and the same market. In order not to create an inner competition we produce brushes with their own exclusive style for each of them. Brushes are distinguished by appearance, form of the tuft, hair characteristics, and even by the way of crimping. We had had doubts if our costs would be justified. Now we see: Our brushes with different brands are perfectly sold in one and the same shop. Every brand finds its niche and its customers.

-   Don't you plan to organize your own retail outlet?

-   Our dealers have their branded shops, and I like to visit them. We supply them with our special displays, which must help salesmen' work. We have already equipped 36 shops. In the nearest time we are going to open demonstration room, where everybody will be able to familiarize oneself with brushes assortment and their quality, make certain that the displays are very convenient in use.

NEWSPAPER "ARTINDUSTRIYA", #6 (39)/2007