We talked with Igor Valentinovich Efymenko, General Director, and Igor Vitaliyovich Solodky, Head of the Procurement Department of the Ukrainian Resource Center - a company that combines service, production and sale of auto components. Their management and operational experience, as well as a strategic vision of business development, allow us to better understand modern approaches to partnership interaction, process optimization and stable operation in the auto parts market.
Elizaveta: Igor Valentinovich, as a business owner, please tell us about yourself and your company. What are the main areas of your activity?
Igor Efymenko: The Ukrainian Resource Center is a trade, service and production company. We combine several areas: vehicle repair, spare parts production and their sale. The main specialization is suspension elements: springs, coil springs, stabilizers and related components.
We work not only with standard solutions, but also with individual customer requests - design improvements, increasing the reliability and resource of cars. Today, the company has several service sites in Kharkiv and a representative office in Poltava, as well as its own production.
Elizabeth: What is your strategic vision for the company's development, taking into account modern realities?
Igor Yefimenko: Our strategic vision is sustainable development through a combination of service, production and trade. We want to remain a company that does not just sell spare parts or perform repairs, but offers comprehensive, thoughtful solutions.
It is important for us to invest in processes, equipment and people so that the client receives stable quality, predictable results and confidence in the partner. We look at development not in short bursts, but systematically - building a business that works for the future.
Elizabeth: Igor Vitalievich, can you please tell us, as the head of the procurement department, what your main focus is currently?
Igor Solodky: The main focus is to maintain the quality of service for regular customers and optimize internal processes. We are working to respond faster to requests, select spare parts more accurately, and minimize customer downtime.
We also pay significant attention to the assortment - so that it is relevant, deep, and covers real market needs.
Elizabeth: What can you say about our partnership? What is most valuable to you?
Igor Solodky: Our cooperation has been going on for many years, and several things are key for us. Firstly, it is a wide assortment - especially for items that are not always easy to find from other suppliers. Secondly, stable quality and a minimum number of complaints.
Speed of response and delivery is also important. In many cases, you work more quickly than other suppliers, and this significantly affects our work.
Elizaveta: What do you think we should pay attention to in order to improve our collaboration?
Igor Solodkyi: I think it’s the convenience of online tools. The ordering process through the website sometimes takes longer than we would like: it’s difficult to work with different warehouses, change the quantity or shipping address without repeated reserves. I would also like to see more detailed technical descriptions for individual items, especially where there are several modifications of the same product.
Elizaveta: Do you work with our own brands? If so, please share your experience.
Igor Solodkyi: Yes, we do. In general, I can note an improvement in quality. Sometimes questions arise precisely because of the insufficiently detailed description of the product, but from the point of view of the price-quality ratio, this is a clear segment that has its own client.
Elizaveta: What can you say about our people with whom you cooperate? Who exactly did you interact with and who could you single out?
Igor Solodkyi: We work with different managers, and in general the communication is constructive. But I would like to especially mention Andriy Tkachev - he is constantly in touch, helps to solve non-standard situations, including with completeness or clarification of product characteristics. We especially appreciate the fact that managers are ready to get involved in the issue, and not just give formal answers.
Elizaveta: What problems or tasks in your work have you managed to solve thanks to our managers?
Igor Solodkyi: Most often these are issues with completeness, complaints or price adjustments in difficult situations. In many cases, managers go to the rescue, help find a compromise solution so that both the client and the supplier are satisfied.
Elizaveta: Igor Valentinovich, in your opinion, what should we pay attention to in order to become even better?
Igor Yefimenko: From the point of view of strategic interaction - people play an important role. If the manager knows the client well, his business and needs, then cooperation automatically becomes deeper. Additional motivational or partnership programs for clients who are ready to work with large volumes and for the long term could also be interesting.
Elizabeth: What achievements can your company be proud of over the past year?
Igor Yefimenko: We are proud that we have retained our team, developed production and service capabilities, and were able to scale the company. We are constantly improving processes, investing in equipment, and optimizing work to provide customers with better and faster services. For us, achievements are not only numbers, but also business stability, partner trust, and the ability to move forward in difficult conditions.
Elizabeth: Thank you for the conversation and your time! Have a nice day!