“Foresta Mebel” – from a family garage to sites in Romania, France and Austria

The Gabrovo company makes custom-made furniture, but will soon offer its own designer series.

A small garage, three hobby carpentry machines and a few chisels. More than 30 years ago, this was the usual workplace of Rumen Rusev, who graduated from the “Trevne School” and is engaged in woodcarving. This is how he started his business and the “Foresta Mebel” he created in Gabrovo, where he initially worked alone.

The business developed with the support of Rumen Rusev’s father – Stefan Georgiev Rusev, who for many years took care of the company’s accounting and finances.

The growth of the business was associated with the purchase of an old industrial factory, hiring workers and the production of massive products – bedrooms, chairs, cabinet furniture. Later, two newly built halls were added to the assets, which are used for warehouses of materials and finished products. Significant orders for furnishing hotels on the Black Sea coast followed, and later – for sites in Romania, France and Austria.

Since the autumn of last year, the family-owned “Foresta Mebel” has been managed by Rumen Rusev’s son – Stefan Rusev, who graduated in “Interior Design” at the Forestry University in Sofia and defines himself as “a pretty good addition to the company”. The production activity of “Foresta Mebel” is carried out in buildings located on nearly 3 acres of built-up area. The company manufactures furniture to order for the client.

“We carry out larger furniture projects, being responsible for the entire process – design, manufacturing, repair, furnishing. We are also developing our own series of designer furniture, which we will soon show on the market. Our new online store will be operational by the end of the year,” summarized manager Stefan Rusev for “Capital”. He also specifies that over the past three years the company has invested around 250 thousand leva in business development – for the purchase of new circular saws and CNC machines, for better working conditions for the staff, for energy efficiency.

The company employs 11 people, and for 2022 “Foresta Mebel” reports a 23% growth in revenue, which reaches 650 thousand leva.