Most companies I've worked with take seven or eight years to get to where they are. Mebel's only real competition comes from Baikal, the formerly state-owned furniture factory where production has fallen 50 percent. Even though Baikal has more than twice as many workers, Lipeyev said, it produces only 200 units of sofas and arm chairs per month compared to Mebel's 500 units per month. The state enterprise is old and poorly managed. Making industrial production happen could certainly benefit this city.
Some government officials lament seeing foreign-made goods sold on the streets.
I see ice cream which we used to produce now coming from Finland or Germany. Mebel's director would agree with the mayor that producers have a much more difficult time making the transition to a free market since they cannot hide profits so easily as traders and distribution costs have skyrocketed. Because this company is almost hidden in Siberia, foreign markets know little about their product. A tour through Mebel's facilities reveal a rich source of raw material from the surrounding forests and excellent production facilities. Workers, who earn a million roubles per month, put the finishing polish on the leg of a chair while others cut the cloth to put over the furniture.