QUALITA INSIGHT
QUALITA CONTROL The story of Lithuania’s leading light
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So, what’s the story? Upon picking up the phone to a contact I’ve not spoken to in some time, it’s always the first question on my lips. After all, every business has a story to tell – and the pandemic, with its myriad challenges and opportunities (and, let’s not kid ourselves, disasters), has proved a fertile backdrop for drama. As is turns out, Andrius Miničius had plenty of stories to share. Too many, indeed, to wrap up in a neat little bow across a couple of pages. I interviewed the founder of Qualita on occasion in my early days of editing this magazine, and recognised his entrepreneurial spark back then. Clearly, that spark’s had time to burn in the intervening years, becoming a fully fledged conflagration in 2021 – as you’ll discover across the following pages, in which Andrius, and Qualita’s other principals and key partners, offer their perspectives on a business that’s fast going stratospheric. Perhaps the fire analogy is a poor choice. Read on, and you’ll discover how a blaze in a Vietnam factory eventually led to the reincarnation of a cherished furniture range, and how even your biggest customer going into administration can have a bright side. You’ll learn about the journey the Lithuanian business has taken since its inception – from manufacturer, to direct supplier, to international sourcing operation – and you’ll discover why Qualita is now one of the most exciting players in global cabinet furniture supply. It’s not often an editor gets the chance to study a business in such depth, so I’m grateful to Andrius for having the opportunity to share his story. And I’m sure he’ll be happy to expand on them in person, should you wish to pay Qualita a visit – in Lithuania, at its Battersea store, or at the postponed January Furniture Show in April, where a comprehensive collection of new lines for independent stockists will be proudly displayed. So, without any more ado, here’s Qualita’s story. Brace yourself …
Paul Farley editor-in-chief, Furniture News
