Shop Talk is a weekly
column featuring locally
owned and operated businesses.
This week, we talk to
Nikita Grigoriev, owner and
inventor of the Nikita Indoor
Outdoor furniture line.
________
Tell me about your business:
I’ve been in the furniture
industry for 25 years and
basically founded the futon
industry. We were one of the
first to manufacture futon
frames. The industry started
off with a lot of quality
people, but over time, the
industry went overseas as
the Wal-Marts, Targets, etc.,
got involved, and essentially
killed the market. There are
only a few who manufacture
(futon frames) in the States
anymore, and we’re one of
them.
We’ve tried to perfect
efficiency in everything we
do. There’s no wasted time
or energy. Instead of the
cost of shipping and warehousing,
we make it locally.
All the parts are interchangeable,
as well.
Describe a typical day in
your business:
I pretty well do what I
want. I just bought a plane,
so I plan on doing a lot of
flying. My secret passion is
also classical guitar.
But beyond that, I design
furniture, and I work in
the production center (in
Richfield Springs) _ I like
to be hands-on and actually
make the furniture myself.
I spend some time here (in
the showroom) as well.
How did you get started in
this line of work?
I was an aeronautics and
mechanical engineer _ I
designed and built DeHavilland
aircraft. I became a
pilot, but I was very bored
with it. I felt like a glorified
bus driver. I had creativity
bursting out of me, and I
just had to do my own thing.
I was on a flight back
from California one day,
and I became intrigued by
the idea of making a frame
that’s really so simple. I
started doodling on my
napkin, trying to figure it
out. I finally got it into an
arrangement where the
proportions were just right.
From that drawing to getting
an actual prototype, I
would say it took me a week
or two. From there, I started
the patenting process.
We recently realized that
this application is suited to
outdoor use as well. Now,
with the explosion of the
outdoor-furniture market,
we’re really poised to take
advantage of that.
Where do you see this
business in five years?
We would like to have a
few quality stores in carefully
chosen places. Oneonta
is an interesting place to
start. It’s a very discriminating
market. There’s not a
lot of supply for high-end,
sophisticated design, and
people really have responded
to us. Business has
been about twice of what I
expected.
It is, as you can see, a
unique, focused line. Most
stores are eclectic, selling
a lot of different styles, but
we’re selling only this. It
needs to be focused in this
way so you can focus your
attention on the product. It’s
almost deceptively simple
at first glance, but there is
really a lot to it.
Describe a memorable moment
in your workplace:
When I first applied
for a patent, my lawyer
kept submitting it and the
examiner kept rejecting it.
It was such a simple design,
he didn’t understand what
made it unique. My lawyer
actually said, “We’re going
to go down to Washington
and show him this design
in person.” So we did. We
hauled (a futon) down there,
we got it up to the building,
into the elevator, and down
the hall to the examiner’s
office. We set it right there
on the floor and said, “Here
it is.” When he sat down
on it and started moving it
around, he started telling us
what to patent on it and how
we should describe it.
We call the design a fourbar
linkage. The furniture
converts very easily with
one hand from an upright
position, to reclining at any
angle, all the way down to
laying flat. It uses a counterbalance,
so that when you
lean back, it is completely
stable at any angle.
What have you learned
from your work?
I’ve only become more
convinced of certain things
_ that you’ve got to do
things right. Life is too short
to waste your time on short
cuts, and in fact, there are
no short cuts to quality.
You’ve got to do it right the
first time.
What are some advantages/
drawbacks of doing
business in this area?
We looked at a lot of
sites for our showroom,
but we decided to come to
Oneonta. Our factory is in
Richfield Springs, so it’s
convenient, but it’s not just
that. Oneonta, even though
it’s a small city, it draws
on the larger area. And
we have a product that’s
for everyone. We have a
sofa bed that sells for $385,
which is the same quality
as another piece that’s
made with mahogany and
sells for $1,400.
What sets you apart from
your competitors?
Efficiency, which is in
every part of what we do,
sets us apart from all other
manufacturers. I wouldn’t
bother doing it any other
way. This is not just an idea;
it is a part of everything that
we do. It is our entire way of
doing things.
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To suggest a business for
Shop Talk, contact Emily F.
Popek at 432-1000, ext. 255,
or epopek@thedailystar.com.
