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AVA, MADE IN ARMENIA: SYRIAN ARMENIANS SET UP SHOE PRODUCTION IN YEREVAN
FEATURES | 14.11.14 | 12:39
http://armenianow.com/society/features/58498/armenia_shoe_production_syrian_armenian_andranik_s afar
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Different shoe insoles and outsoles, ready or semi-ready models,
tools... On one of the walls there is the Armenian tricolor, next
to it - General Andranik's picture, on the opposite wall there is
Aznavour smiling. This is the very workshop where with the efforts
of three Syrian-Armenian fellows most modern and most comfortable
Armenian new AVA shoes are born.
"We choose the type of leather, the color, and the models together,
mix them and make new things. But it is very important for us that
in the most visible part of the shoes one can see the sign AVA and
Made in Armenia," 28-year-old designer Andranik Safar said. "We knew
each other as friends still from Aleppo, and here we decided to start
a business together."
AVA stands for the initials of the friends - Andranik, Vigen, Arto.
They opened the shoe factory five months ago. They have already
managed to produce 100 pairs of shoes which now are being sold in
different Yerevan stores.
The men moved to Armenia with their families from Syria at different
periods of time. Safar said that his family moved first from Aleppo
to Moscow, and then to Armenia.
"We thought Armenians from Armenia move there, and so we went there
too, but it was hard, we could not get accustomed to life there,
the language was not ours, it was all too foreign. In 2013 we came
to Armenia. I didn't think I'd stay here, but I did and we started
this business. My grandfather did this same 'heel' job in Aleppo,
then my father opened an outsole factory in 1957-58, they made shoes
there. We sold them in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt. The factory
occupied a space of some 3,000 square meters, with 35-40 employees,
during one season we made 700 pairs of shoe outsoles," Safar, whose
ancestors are from Ayntap, says, presenting his previous life.
The Syrian war went through this family as well - they lost the
factory, cars, tools, all equipment. Comparing Syria and Armenia
in terms of difficulties for entrepreneurs, Safar said: "Those who
do not work would not know the difficulties, it's been five months
that we work, and we started the production for a month already. As I
compare I must say that we lived a king's life in Syria, we started
from zero here, if we do compare, our ancestors migrated to Syria
as well and started everything from scratch, passed through all the
same difficulties."
Andranik's business partner Arto Elejian, who was engaged
in different businesses in Syria, said that Syria did not have
particular difficulties with the borders, the circulation was great,
the population was large, and that brought to a huge market.
"Armenia has border issues, wholesale trade is very difficult.
Everyone says it is difficult here, but there is another thing as well,
did they ever try? Why do they speak without trying? Every job has
its difficulties, you cannot say it is impossible to work in Armenia,
if you want to, you can. We hope that when Armenia enters the Customs
Union, the borders will be open, better for us, we will enter the
Russian market," Elejian, 30, said.
The AVA small factory is located inside the fashion house of the
famous Soviet-ear Masis shoe factory in Yerevan. The Syrian-Armenian
friends rent the factory with its equipment, hired six locals. Before
they started production, to better understand the shoe market, they
dealt with the import of necessary materials for production.
"But we realized that the job is difficult for this city because
there are not that many producers, we decided to launch our production.
There are few local producers, the demand is big, but the market
is full of Chinese and Turkish products. Our goal is to have a good
quality and affordable price in the market," Safar said. "The most
expensive shoes are 50,000 AMD ($125), but prices start from 15,000
AMD ($38). We have female shoes that cost 30,000 or 40,000 AMD
($75-100). They are leather, orthopedic shoes."
Since the beginning of November AVA shoes have already been in
Yerevan stores, there is the AVA shoes Facebook page, there are
already numerous suggestions from Italy, Germany, Canada.
"We stand out in the market by our style, our colors. For now we have
only one male, five female model, also one for children. We stand
out by the Made in Armenia sign on our shoes," Elejian said, smiling.
The young men intend to open their own store where they will sell
their own products by lower price, at the moment many customers come
and buy directly from the factory.
"It is difficult, but we will work, this business demands some time,
it is important to keep the quality and work properly, it will be
good," Safar said.
The tailor master of the factory, Gurgen Ghazaryan, worked at the
Masis shoes factory during the Soviet times.
"This is the fashion house of the Masis factory, Masis had 8-9
factories, and all models from all factories were approved in this
very house, here it was decided to produce or not. Armenian shoes
kept the whole Soviet, freedom must be given to the producers, let's
remember that in the 1990s we kept this country by shoe cooperatives,
all electricians and repair workers made shoes and took them to
Russia. Armenia has that potential - to become a shoe producer in
the region," Ghazaryan said.
He agrees with the fellow producers that Armenia must become a leather
producing country, while at the moment all materials flow to Turkey.
And then Armenian businessmen go and buy expensive materials and
import them to Armenia paying high custom duties.
"If we have raw material production locally, then the cost price of
shoes will be reduced. If it is 60,000 AMD ($150), it will become
30,000 ($75). There is talk that they want to restore the old leather
factory, with God's will, I hope it does happen," Ghazaryan said. "And
our employers are responsible and loyal fellows in their job, this
country must give them privileges, liberty in order to get back to
its feet."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
FEATURES | 14.11.14 | 12:39
http://armenianow.com/society/features/58498/armenia_shoe_production_syrian_armenian_andranik_s afar
NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By GAYANE MKRTCHYAN
ArmeniaNow reporter
Different shoe insoles and outsoles, ready or semi-ready models,
tools... On one of the walls there is the Armenian tricolor, next
to it - General Andranik's picture, on the opposite wall there is
Aznavour smiling. This is the very workshop where with the efforts
of three Syrian-Armenian fellows most modern and most comfortable
Armenian new AVA shoes are born.
"We choose the type of leather, the color, and the models together,
mix them and make new things. But it is very important for us that
in the most visible part of the shoes one can see the sign AVA and
Made in Armenia," 28-year-old designer Andranik Safar said. "We knew
each other as friends still from Aleppo, and here we decided to start
a business together."
AVA stands for the initials of the friends - Andranik, Vigen, Arto.
They opened the shoe factory five months ago. They have already
managed to produce 100 pairs of shoes which now are being sold in
different Yerevan stores.
The men moved to Armenia with their families from Syria at different
periods of time. Safar said that his family moved first from Aleppo
to Moscow, and then to Armenia.
"We thought Armenians from Armenia move there, and so we went there
too, but it was hard, we could not get accustomed to life there,
the language was not ours, it was all too foreign. In 2013 we came
to Armenia. I didn't think I'd stay here, but I did and we started
this business. My grandfather did this same 'heel' job in Aleppo,
then my father opened an outsole factory in 1957-58, they made shoes
there. We sold them in Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt. The factory
occupied a space of some 3,000 square meters, with 35-40 employees,
during one season we made 700 pairs of shoe outsoles," Safar, whose
ancestors are from Ayntap, says, presenting his previous life.
The Syrian war went through this family as well - they lost the
factory, cars, tools, all equipment. Comparing Syria and Armenia
in terms of difficulties for entrepreneurs, Safar said: "Those who
do not work would not know the difficulties, it's been five months
that we work, and we started the production for a month already. As I
compare I must say that we lived a king's life in Syria, we started
from zero here, if we do compare, our ancestors migrated to Syria
as well and started everything from scratch, passed through all the
same difficulties."
Andranik's business partner Arto Elejian, who was engaged
in different businesses in Syria, said that Syria did not have
particular difficulties with the borders, the circulation was great,
the population was large, and that brought to a huge market.
"Armenia has border issues, wholesale trade is very difficult.
Everyone says it is difficult here, but there is another thing as well,
did they ever try? Why do they speak without trying? Every job has
its difficulties, you cannot say it is impossible to work in Armenia,
if you want to, you can. We hope that when Armenia enters the Customs
Union, the borders will be open, better for us, we will enter the
Russian market," Elejian, 30, said.
The AVA small factory is located inside the fashion house of the
famous Soviet-ear Masis shoe factory in Yerevan. The Syrian-Armenian
friends rent the factory with its equipment, hired six locals. Before
they started production, to better understand the shoe market, they
dealt with the import of necessary materials for production.
"But we realized that the job is difficult for this city because
there are not that many producers, we decided to launch our production.
There are few local producers, the demand is big, but the market
is full of Chinese and Turkish products. Our goal is to have a good
quality and affordable price in the market," Safar said. "The most
expensive shoes are 50,000 AMD ($125), but prices start from 15,000
AMD ($38). We have female shoes that cost 30,000 or 40,000 AMD
($75-100). They are leather, orthopedic shoes."
Since the beginning of November AVA shoes have already been in
Yerevan stores, there is the AVA shoes Facebook page, there are
already numerous suggestions from Italy, Germany, Canada.
"We stand out in the market by our style, our colors. For now we have
only one male, five female model, also one for children. We stand
out by the Made in Armenia sign on our shoes," Elejian said, smiling.
The young men intend to open their own store where they will sell
their own products by lower price, at the moment many customers come
and buy directly from the factory.
"It is difficult, but we will work, this business demands some time,
it is important to keep the quality and work properly, it will be
good," Safar said.
The tailor master of the factory, Gurgen Ghazaryan, worked at the
Masis shoes factory during the Soviet times.
"This is the fashion house of the Masis factory, Masis had 8-9
factories, and all models from all factories were approved in this
very house, here it was decided to produce or not. Armenian shoes
kept the whole Soviet, freedom must be given to the producers, let's
remember that in the 1990s we kept this country by shoe cooperatives,
all electricians and repair workers made shoes and took them to
Russia. Armenia has that potential - to become a shoe producer in
the region," Ghazaryan said.
He agrees with the fellow producers that Armenia must become a leather
producing country, while at the moment all materials flow to Turkey.
And then Armenian businessmen go and buy expensive materials and
import them to Armenia paying high custom duties.
"If we have raw material production locally, then the cost price of
shoes will be reduced. If it is 60,000 AMD ($150), it will become
30,000 ($75). There is talk that they want to restore the old leather
factory, with God's will, I hope it does happen," Ghazaryan said. "And
our employers are responsible and loyal fellows in their job, this
country must give them privileges, liberty in order to get back to
its feet."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress