Pilav: MS&WOOD College a chance for the unemployed, retraining leads to jobs

The Mayor of Fojnica municipality Sabahudin Klisura, together with councilors of the Fojnica Municipal Council, visited the furniture factory MS&WOOD (Masters and Wood) in this town, Patria reports.

On that occasion, the continuation of successful cooperation between this factory and the local community was discussed, and the director of the company MS&WOOD, Muhamed Pilav, showed the mayor and councilors the factory facilities where Fojnica masters produce furniture that they say is among the best in the world in its category.

The furniture produced in Fojnica, MS&WOOD has independently exhibited twice at the prestigious International Furniture Fair in Cologne (IMM Cologne) and won four times. In just 12 months, twice in a row, MS&WOOD won in two different categories of innovative furniture for chairs and tables.

International awards for furniture from Fojnica

The first time, the jury of IMM in Cologne, the most significant furniture fair in the world, awarded in 2016 the design of a chair and table from the collection "Primum collection 2016" designed by Ado Avdagić. The second time, the jury of this furniture fair awarded in 2017 also the design of a chair and table, but now from the latest collection "Elle" designed by Nataša Perković. The chair and table from both collections of this Fojnica manufacturer were awarded in the category of winners of Iconic Awards: Interior Innovation Winner.

In addition, MS&WOOD was included in 2016 by the jury's selection at the 21st “Triennale di Milano” with its “Primum collection 2016”. This was the first time that furniture manufacturers from Bosnia and Herzegovina exhibited at the Triennale since it was founded back in 1923.

We also highlight participation at the furniture fair in Paris last year, where MS&WOOD furniture attracted the attention of world architects, interior designers, and owners of luxury furniture salons.

Top-quality furniture from MS&WOOD is already an integral part of the offer of furniture salons in New York, Paris, South Korea, Morocco, etc.

Environmental protection

The town of Fojnica is located at the foot of Vranica, one of the largest mountains in this country. The production process is entirely subordinated to environmental preservation, with a developed system of maximum energy efficiency, and the factory continuously invests in planting new trees. Just last year, MS&WOOD workers planted 21,000 saplings of new forest on Mount Vranica.

Education development

MS&WOOD contributes to the development of the local and wider community also through education. Last year, the MS&WOOD College started operating, where all interested individuals of various professions, such as physiotherapists, nurses, of whom there are many on the unemployment register, can become skilled wood masters, because through retraining they acquire new knowledge and experience, and are included in the work process in the factory. The same applies to mechanical engineers who can become wood processing engineers at the MS&WOOD College.

- About 2,000 unemployed are registered at the Employment Bureau in Fojnica. Employers cannot find workers, and workers cannot find employers. We are trying to change this paradox with our own efforts by launching the MS&WOOD College - stated Muhamed Pilav, director of the company MS&WOOD.

At the initiative of this company, a secondary technical school for wood processing was first established in Fojnica. Students have been involved in production processes through practical classes from the very first day. A scholarship program for the best students was designed. MS&WOOD finances trips for students to furniture and technology fairs across Europe, and the most recent such excursion to this year's IMM was co-financed for students of the Design Department of the Sarajevo Academy of Fine Arts.

MSWOOD in numbers

Number of employees: 355

Current annual production: 600,000 chairs and 100,000 tables

Export: 40 countries worldwide

Goal by 2018: 1 million pieces of furniture annually