About the challenges and activities of the company during the war. Interview with Mykola Livshuk, founder of Rivne Flex

Rivne Flex is the largest flexographic printing and flexible packaging company in western Ukraine. Despite the war, the company has been operating and even increasing its output. We talked to Mykola Livshuk, the founder of Rivne Flex, about the company's work during the full-scale invasion, team motivation, and sustainable development. 

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How did the full-scale war affect Rivne Flex's operations?

Russia's war against Ukraine has had a catastrophic impact on all Ukrainian businesses. Unfortunately, many of our manufacturing colleagues in eastern Ukraine have temporarily suspended their operations since the start of the war. It was especially difficult for us at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. However, together with our team, we managed to adapt to the new realities of life. In particular, we effectively set up all work processes and, most importantly, saved our jobs. This, in turn, helped us to continue working with contractors and partners, not to lose customers and even gain new ones. Now we continue to work efficiently and increase production. We strengthen the economy of the region and the country.

What are the biggest challenges Rivne Flex has faced since the start of the full-scale war?

The biggest challenge is that Ukraine is dependent on imported raw materials. In particular, our film suppliers have stopped buying Russian products and started reorienting to European markets. This affected both the volume of available material and its price, as prices for the film from Europe are much higher. Of course, this decision is absolutely correct and we are ready to work in the new realities, most importantly, away from Russia. Also, in difficult times, you should always remember your company's mission. After all, it is important for us to be responsible at all stages of our activities. Every step of the way, our team follows the mission to help our customers grow and communicate the uniqueness of their brands through high-quality and beautiful packaging. 

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How does Rivne Flex manage to plan processes and work within the company during the war?

With the outbreak of the full-scale war, I, as the founder and leader, had to pay special attention to team building. We held several strategic sessions to set goals and plans for the coming period. And we are following them. Of course, today you always need to be ready for flexibility and quick adaptation, but the goals and plans we have set allow us to go in the right direction and keep motivated, regardless of the circumstances. It is important that we did not lay off anyone, but part of our team went to the front. We also managed to recruit new employees. We now have about 20 new team members. The team is one of the key values of our work. And our Rivne Flex team is strong and professional specialists in their field. We always try to invest in the growth of our people, form strong relationships, increase our expertise, and provide training or internships. After all, it is impossible to develop and scale our work without a team. 

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What are the company's business goals for the near future?

The main business goals are to optimize and increase production capacity and improve business processes. We also plan to enter the international market, in particular, the market of other European countries. We are currently actively working on this issue. I believe that together with our team we will succeed in doing so. 

What recommendations can you give to business owners who continue operating in a period of uncertainty and constant change?

The main thing is not to stop and keep working. Believe in victory, support the country and the Armed Forces. Rivne Flex, despite the difficulties related to the war, continues to supporting the Ukrainian economy, providing jobs, and paying taxes in a timely manner and in full. Despite the war, Rivne Flex continues developing, optimizing and increasing production, and work on entering the European market. Every day we work to improve our waste-free production and find new solutions to follow the principles of sustainable development and make a positive contribution to the environment. This is all possible thanks to a flexible approach, analysis of current processes careful planning of activities and the quality work of our team. 

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