From dream to success: how the Dzhurynskyi family built the VIDI car dynasty

01/ 07/ 2024

Read about the history of development, present and future plans in an interview with Vitalii Dzhurynskyi, founder of VIDI Group. ABOUT START How did you get the idea to start your own business? In 1977, when I was 12, my parents and I visited St. Sophia Park in Uman. Suddenly, my mother stopped walking in the park and turned to my father: Sasha, I want our children to have a park like this! My father, looking around to see if anyone had heard such a ridiculous thing at that time, asked her: Nina, please, not so loud... Years later, during a walk with my mother in St. Sophia Park, we remembered this story. In 1994, I bought an unfinished country house of the former chief architect of Ukraine, Serhii Mykolaiovych Mirhorodskyi, in Kozyn, a nice and cozy place. Next to mine were the houses of the artist Vasyl Hnatovych Nepyypiv and the poet Dmytro Omelyanovych Lutsenko (the author of the lyrics to the song How Can I Not Love You, My Kyiv), but there was no park. Later, I created it on the land next to my plot, which I gradually acquired. Then I realized that a lawyers salary would not be enough to fulfill my dream of a park. Thats how I came up with the idea to start a business. In fact, it was only on the third attempt that I entered the Law Faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which was very difficult to do without any connections and acquaintances. Perhaps the circumstances of 1986 contributed to this, when the wind of certain changes was already felt. During my studies, I finally got rid of my rose-colored glasses and realized that there were few chances to realize myself at that time, so the option of trying my hand at my own business looked more promising. Why the name VIDI? The first logo of our company has two Latin letters - V and D. These are nothing more than my initials in English - Vitalii Dzhurynskyi. Its simple and tasteful, and everyone liked it. One of the first advertising pylons with the VD logo, which eventually evolved into the modern VIDI. This name stuck because it was easy to remember. During the first rebranding in 2004, when we described our strategy, it turned into ViDi, and in 2018 it became VIDI. Where did you get the money to start? We saved it up. Back then, in the early 90s, there was no way to borrow money in a civilized way - the banking system in its current form did not exist, so we had to start small and work. I set up my first company on May 16, 1994. Further activities, up to 2002-2005, were a period of initial capital accumulation and search for ourselves in the market. Our companies operated in the market of spare parts for machinery, then trucks, special equipment, logistics, etc. What was the most difficult thing at the start? What difficulties have you encountered in your business over the 30 years of operation? The most difficult thing at the start was to find our place in the market. To find exactly the type of activity that would guarantee stability and development and allow us to take a swing at leadership positions in the segment. Of course, sometimes you wonder how we managed without basic budgeting, a quality management system, etc. We worked by trial and local mistakes, but thanks to the professionalism and extraordinary thinking of the team, we managed to survive. The first economic crisis in the country, which began at the end of 2008, showed that economists have no effective recipes. In such periods, two models of behavior are possible. The first (and this is how most people in our market behave): Boss, everything is gone, the cast is coming off, the client is leaving! The second is to view the economic crisis as a window of opportunity. While everyone is surviving, you are building up your potential. When the market comes out of the crisis, competitors are just recovering, and you are already working rhythmically and increasing your market share. If you analyze our history, it was during periods of crisis that we invested and developed because we did not consider it crazy or something incredible. Take a look for yourself: in 2008-2011, we opened car centers on the Kiltseva road one after another, in 2014-2016, we built a car town on Boryspil highway, in 2022, we opened Toyota 2S car centers in Boryspil and Jeep on Kiltseva, in 2015, we started distributing Yamaha. VIDI Kiltseva car park, 2012. It turns out that we have completed investment projects at only three sites even in times of crisis: Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Autostrada in 2007, Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmyra in early 2008, and Jaguar Land Rover Kyiv West on Kiltseva Road in 2018. ABOUT SUCCESS AND LESSONS LEARNED What was the key to your business success? There is no secret here. My brother Oleh Dzhurynskyi and I grew up in a wonderful family. Our family was not wealthy, but it was filled with love, harmony, respect for each other and other people, for older generations, and love for our native land, where we were taught to work to earn our living from an early age. And, of course, my mothers unforgettable statement with a deep meaning: Let people have what they want, but we should have better. This is a wise instruction on how to get around that big green frog that is very pressing for many people in certain situations. Only by being the first, the best in everything you do. When people ask me about my best business partner, I am proud to say that it is my brother Oleh Dzhurynskyi. He has been working side by side with me at VIDI since 2002, all his working life. We were not only told about it, we saw it in the examples of our parents and grandparents. We all remember that you cant raise a child the way you want to raise a child, but it is very easy to raise a child the way you are. At an early stage of our business development, Oleh and I embedded the life principles instilled in us by our parents in our relationships with clients, employees, competitors, and others. Later, when my son Oleksandr Dzhurynskyi joined the family business, we decided to describe and preserve these principles for future generations of the family. We honed these principles for 3 years: every Saturday we gathered as a family and worked on them. Over time, we realized that a text alone was not enough to capture them and pass them on to future generations, so the family coat of arms became the ideal form of their embodiment. In the end, each postulate of our life principles is graphically depicted on the family coat of arms and in the form of a text as a description. For us, a coat of arms is not about belonging to a certain family, not a form of self-assertion. It is a way of showing and passing on our principles, our life philosophy to our descendants. What are the principles that we have captured? Those that we have absorbed with our mothers milk. ‣ Love and respect for the Motherland and parents. The last words have the same root and a surprisingly deep common essence. These are two different but related postulates: The true greatness of the soul, which allows a person to respect himself, lies in sincere feelings for his parents. We want all Ukrainians who left their homes during the war to return home; The true way not to lose oneself is a persons national identity, dedication to serving Ukraine, love for the native land, and readiness to defend it. ‣ Intergenerational continuity. Parents and children jointly cultivate life values, and children inherit them from their parents. The Dzhurynskyis resolve the problem of the inherent conflict between parents and children through love and mutual respect. In the Dzhurynskyis business, this principle is embodied in the brand descriptor - Auto Dynasty. ‣ Personal modesty, respect for ones own and other peoples dignity; balance of interests in everything. Self-respect and respect for others begins with telling the truth in communication in the family, in business, and in society. We build our relationships with clients, our own staff and partners on the principle of balance of interests. Oleksandr, Vitalii, and Oleh Dzhurynskyi near the family coat of arms. ‣ Obtaining the benefits of life only through your own hard work. Work as the only way to become wealthy and happy is embodied in our motto: Dream! Work hard! Achieve! According to the Dzhurynskyis, in order to achieve something in life, you must first define your goal, then work hard, which leads to the desired result and a sense of happiness. ‣ Love for a woman as a guardian of the family and the nation, as the lifeblood of the earth. I, Oleh, and Oleksandr are all fathers. Just as our parents taught us, so we teach our children to adhere to family values, show them an example of how to act at work, among people, in everyday life in different situations, to be human - as my father and Oleh used to say. What is your biggest success and biggest mistake in business? The biggest success in business is that we have found our market, our niche in it, earned the trust of key partners - automotive manufacturers, customers, and are implementing our business strategy in the automotive retail market. We have built a powerful team of professionals. We are implementing our family philosophy. While my brother Oleh and I used to run the business together, now my son Oleksandr has joined the management team, and Olehs son Vitalii is taking his first steps in the family business. In other words, the foundations have been laid for the Dzhurynskyi family to own and develop this business in future generations. During one of the meetings on the construction of a new Toyota Center Odesa dealership, VIDI Palmira. As for mistakes, there was one miscalculation that caused us to suffer significantly, but thanks to it, we realized that it was the retail business that would guarantee us stability. When we were working in the market of spare parts for various machinery, we worked with corporate sales and experienced all the risks it carries. I first heard about these risks from our CFO at a New Years corporate event when the company was celebrating the year 2000. He said then that the company was going down because 75% of its turnover came from wholesale sales, and they were generated by less than 10 large customers. He concluded that one day it might stop, because our current customers might continue to buy the goods they needed, but we might not be involved in these purchases as a seller. A year has passed. Our market in Ukraine has become more interesting for a large number of participants, and the blue ocean in which we felt very good has turned red in an instant. As a result, we faced fierce competition, dumping wars, and a drop in profitability. We went through 2001 by inertia, and in 2002-2003 we felt all of the above. What would you recommend to entrepreneurs who want to start their own business now? Dream, work, achieve. Set yourself the craziest and most incredible goals. Determine your place in life, outline your path to achieving these goals, and dont be afraid to change either your goals or your path to them. Constantly pedal, be the driving force behind changes, even if they have to start with building small islands of well-being. In pursuit of your goals, dont be afraid of plagiarism. Do business honestly: tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. Find a balance of interests. Remember that doing business in Ukraine is difficult, but not impossible. If you suddenly have to crawl on your belly instead of running at a gallop, do it, just to move forward. In the words of a classic: ...Break this rock, let neither heat nor cold stop you.... ABOUT PEOPLE How does VIDI motivate its employees? This is a difficult question. Salaries are perhaps the largest expense item, but VIDI management understands and takes into account that people go to work to have a stable high income and provide a certain level of material well-being for their families. This realization is key to building a motivation system that will become a magnet that will attract professional candidates, keep them employed, promote their professionalism and lead to career growth. During one of the many informal meetings of VIDI employees. When will an employees salary always be high? Of course, when they manage it themselves through their quantitative and qualitative contribution to the results of the team they are part of. That is why we have the vast majority of positions with piecework remuneration. As for the target salary levels, we naturally monitor the labor market and adjust salaries to prevent staff turnover. Each employee has every chance to succeed in the workplace - just work, learn, and improve. Every year, the Group recognizes the best employees in the front office and in the business groups - the best sales consultants, service receptionists, mechanics, and others. Employees have all the conditions for career growth. Let me give you a few examples. Two of my most trusted people, who were members of VIDIs Supervisory Board before volunteering for the Armed Forces, have been with the company since the early 2000s. Almost all of the groups top managers have made their careers at VIDI: they have all been with the company since the completion of the VIDI Kiltseva car park in 2007-2011. Their team, like in the movie Oceans Friends, is supplemented by managers who have the competencies required in a new area of work. Thus, in 2016-2017, we chose an e-marketing strategy. To implement it, the team was subsequently strengthened by the CIO and the Head of Marketing, who have the relevant skills and abilities. In general, the fact that the group of companies consists of 43 enterprises gives employees more maneuvers in building their careers, and the group has a way to avoid losing professional staff, having the opportunity to rotate employees between enterprises both horizontally and with promotion. Non-material motivation is also important. People need to realize and demonstrate that they are valued at work. In this context, an employees loyalty to the company and his or her career path with it is important to us. 114 employees have been working in our group for more than 10 years - this is the so-called golden fund, 73 employees have been working for more than 15 years and 10 employees have been working for more than 20 years. The latter are the people who worked with me back in the office on Chervonoarmiyska Street, who were at the origins of VIDIs business. Our team has a kind of backbone - employees who hold key professional and corporate competencies. All those who have worked for VIDI for 10 years receive the VIDI Gold Badge, and those who have worked for more than 20 years receive the VIDI Platinum Badge. The golden badge of VIDI. It is significant that government agencies recognize the services of our employees to the country and our region. When Kyiv was under siege, our businesses were operating. Despite the shelling and blockades, our employees got to work, lived at work, and later did everything possible and impossible to increase performance day after day. As a result, 31 VIDI employees were honored by the Ministry of Defense, 9 by the Kyiv City Council, 38 by Kyiv City Military Administration, and 22 by Kyiv Regional Military Administration. ABOUT FUTURE PLANS What are your plans for the development of the VIDI Group? We continue to invest in our business because it is one of the components of bringing victory closer. We have recently opened a Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Airport in the 2S format on Boryspil Highway and a Jeep VIDI Challenge car center on Velyka Kiltseva. Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Airport on Boryspil highway. As for our current plans, VIDI is implementing an investment project to build a 3S-concept Toyota car center for our Odesa dealer Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmira, including a car body repair shop. Despite the war, we aim to complete it in the next few years. The project budget is about USD 6 million. USD. This is what the modern Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmira dealership will look like after its opening. Looking ahead, the potential of the Ukrainian automotive market is enormous. This is evidenced by two things: car sales in the pre-crisis years of 2007-2008 reached 570-625 thousand cars, which is 140 cars per 10 thousand people, while the current market volume of 60 thousand cars is 19 cars per 10 thousand people; the issue of potential is a comparison with the current level of car sales in Europe at about 300 cars per 10 thousand people. Ukraine is heading to Europe, so the market will grow until it reaches the European level, but this requires, of course, that the standard of living and income in Ukraine become European. We very much hope that this will happen. If we reach such market volumes, automakers may consider us as a potential option for production location. VIDI in 30 years: how do you see the business? I hope that it will no longer be an island of prosperity but one of many powerful businesses in a wealthy Ukraine, whose economy will be at least as efficient as VIDIs today in terms of increasing performance, working conditions, salaries, and taxes paid to the budget. I see VIDI as a business that unites the Dzhurynskyi family: my son is at the helm, my grandchildren work with their father, and the synergy of his experience and their creative thinking, which is typical for young people, generates extraordinary successful management decisions for the company that do not allow VIDI to lose its leadership position in all markets where the group operates. I see my nephews alongside them, who, together with my son and grandchildren, work in and manage the family business. Are you planning to globalize and enter other markets? For now, we have only one plan - victory and peace. Until now, we have only built, not bought anything. We have recently entered the motorcycle market, but it also operates on the principle of distribution, is similar to the automotive market in terms of technology and way of functioning, so the experience we have gained has helped us a lot. But never say never. Victory and peace come first. ON A PERSONAL NOTE Do you have any favorite car brands? I love all the brands represented in VIDI equally. Yes, they are all different, and it was not easy to start working with them. Everyone has their own requirements, everyone wants you to become 100 percent theirs forever. But the first steps are the most difficult, just like in childhood, and when you represent a dozen brands, it is a guarantee of success, a confirmation of your experience, expertise, and professionalism. Initially, not having such experience, we had to prove that we would not fail. For the first 5 years of our car citys existence on Kiltseva, a representative of a reputable brand who was developing the network assured me that there would never be a car business on Kiltseva. But perseverance wins out, and other importers believed us. Then we saw a stage of jealousy of others. Sometimes it even resulted in insults. They said, for example, that one brand was developing at the expense of another. Once, even one of the top managers of a well-known brand wrote me an official letter saying that if we did not stop the construction of a car dealership of another brand on Kiltseva Street, he would terminate our contract with the brand he represents. We were forced to be patient and constantly confirm that we are working hard and developing all brands. Today, each of our dealerships located on Kiltseva Street is the first in their brand networks: Toyota Center Kyiv VIDA Autostrada, Lexus Kyiv West, Jeep VIDA Challenge, Nissan VIDA Sunrise, Mazda VIDA Sky, Subaru VIDA Star, Peugeot VIDA Avenue, Citroen VIDA Elegance, Suzuki VIDA Grand... We are the first among the official networks in the sale of used cars. This is exactly the task that each of our teams faces. How do you manage to combine work and family? I have come up with the ideal formula for a family business - live by work. Please do not talk about substituting the concepts of life and work. Living the work means for you, as the owner of a business that employs most of your family, to always think about your family. For you and your family, work is moving to a new level - it is no longer just a way to make a living, it is a way of life. Reconciling work and personal life is a complex problem, and it is impossible to give a unique, universal recipe for solving it. Obviously, you have to find a balance. You have to work hard if you want to be successful - its an axiom. Obviously, you will pay for it with time that you could spend on your personal life, on meeting friends and family, on rest and hobbies. The question arises: who are you to your family, relatives, and friends if you are constantly busy with work? The conflict is obvious. Balance is possible by defining boundaries: On the one hand, you are the breadwinner in the family, the founder of the business, and your loved ones should understand and support you; On the other hand, you cant earn all the money, and you shouldnt strive for it, so you shouldnt forget about your family, friends and relatives. What are your favorite books? During the formation and development of the company, of course, we have familiarized ourselves with literature that has stood the test of time. These are Dale Carnegies How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Stephen Coveys 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families, Jim Collins Good to Great, which is about which is about why some companies make the leap and others dont, and Richard Rumelts Good Strategy/Bad Strategy. We studied the literature on the Deming cycle, which describes a cyclical decision-making process applicable to quality management systems. VIDI works with Japanese companies, so our reference books are Masaaki Imais Kaizen. The Key to the Success of Japanese Companies, our business bible is Jeffrey K. Likers The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the Worlds Greatest Manufacturer. As for business literature. New trends are emerging today. For example, the transition from competition between products to competition between marketing and management systems is relevant, e-marketing is being introduced everywhere, etc. Recently, one of my favorite books has become a book about Aladdin, which I enjoy reading with my grandchildren.

Read about the history of development, present and future plans in an interview with Vitalii Dzhurynskyi, founder of VIDI Group.

ABOUT START

How did you get the idea to start your own business?

In 1977, when I was 12, my parents and I visited St. Sophia Park in Uman. Suddenly, my mother stopped walking in the park and turned to my father: “Sasha, I want our children to have a park like this!” My father, looking around to see if anyone had heard such a ridiculous thing at that time, asked her: “Nina, please, not so loud…”

Years later, during a walk with my mother in St. Sophia Park, we remembered this story.

In 1994, I bought an unfinished country house of the former chief architect of Ukraine, Serhii Mykolaiovych Mirhorodskyi, in Kozyn, a nice and cozy place. Next to mine were the houses of the artist Vasyl Hnatovych Nepyypiv and the poet Dmytro Omelyanovych Lutsenko (the author of the lyrics to the song “How Can I Not Love You, My Kyiv”), but there was no park. Later, I created it on the land next to my plot, which I gradually acquired. Then I realized that a lawyer’s salary would not be enough to fulfill my dream of a park. That’s how I came up with the idea to start a business.

In fact, it was only on the third attempt that I entered the Law Faculty of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, which was very difficult to do without any connections and acquaintances. Perhaps the circumstances of 1986 contributed to this, when the wind of certain changes was already felt. During my studies, I finally got rid of my “rose-colored glasses” and realized that there were few chances to realize myself at that time, so the option of trying my hand at my own business looked more promising.

Why the name “VIDI”?

The first logo of our company has two Latin letters – “V” and “D”. These are nothing more than my initials in English – Vitalii Dzhurynskyi. It’s simple and tasteful, and everyone liked it.

One of the first advertising pylons with the VD logo, which eventually evolved into the modern VIDI.

This name stuck because it was easy to remember. During the first rebranding in 2004, when we described our strategy, it turned into ViDi, and in 2018 it became VIDI.

Where did you get the money to start?

We saved it up. Back then, in the early 90s, there was no way to borrow money in a civilized way – the banking system in its current form did not exist, so we had to start small and work.

I set up my first company on May 16, 1994. Further activities, up to 2002-2005, were a period of initial capital accumulation and search for ourselves in the market. Our companies operated in the market of spare parts for machinery, then trucks, special equipment, logistics, etc.

What was the most difficult thing at the start? What difficulties have you encountered in your business over the 30 years of operation?

The most difficult thing at the start was to find our place in the market. To find exactly the type of activity that would guarantee stability and development and allow us to take a swing at leadership positions in the segment. Of course, sometimes you wonder how we managed without basic budgeting, a quality management system, etc. We worked by trial and local mistakes, but thanks to the professionalism and extraordinary thinking of the team, we managed to survive.

The first economic crisis in the country, which began at the end of 2008, showed that economists have no effective recipes. In such periods, two models of behavior are possible. The first (and this is how most people in our market behave): “Boss, everything is gone, the cast is coming off, the client is leaving!” The second is to view the economic crisis as a window of opportunity. While everyone is surviving, you are building up your potential. When the market comes out of the crisis, competitors are just recovering, and you are already working rhythmically and increasing your market share.

If you analyze our history, it was during periods of crisis that we invested and developed because we did not consider it crazy or something incredible.

Take a look for yourself:

in 2008-2011, we opened car centers on the Kiltseva road one after another,
in 2014-2016, we built a car town on Boryspil highway,
in 2022, we opened Toyota 2S car centers in Boryspil and Jeep on Kiltseva,
in 2015, we started distributing Yamaha.

VIDI Kiltseva car park, 2012.

It turns out that we have completed investment projects at only three sites even in times of crisis: Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Autostrada in 2007, Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmyra in early 2008, and Jaguar Land Rover Kyiv West on Kiltseva Road in 2018.

ABOUT SUCCESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

What was the key to your business success?

There is no secret here. My brother Oleh Dzhurynskyi and I grew up in a wonderful family. Our family was not wealthy, but it was filled with love, harmony, respect for each other and other people, for older generations, and love for our native land, where we were taught to work to earn our living from an early age.

And, of course, my mother’s unforgettable statement with a deep meaning: “Let people have what they want, but we should have better.” This is a wise instruction on how to get around that big green “frog” that is very “pressing” for many people in certain situations. Only by being the first, the best in everything you do.

When people ask me about my best business partner, I am proud to say that it is my brother Oleh Dzhurynskyi. He has been working side by side with me at VIDI since 2002, all his working life.

We were not only told about it, we saw it in the examples of our parents and grandparents. We all remember that you can’t raise a child the way you want to raise a child, but it is very easy to raise a child the way you are.

At an early stage of our business development, Oleh and I embedded the life principles instilled in us by our parents in our relationships with clients, employees, competitors, and others. Later, when my son Oleksandr Dzhurynskyi joined the family business, we decided to describe and preserve these principles for future generations of the family.

We honed these principles for 3 years: every Saturday we gathered as a family and worked on them. Over time, we realized that a text alone was not enough to capture them and pass them on to future generations, so the family coat of arms became the ideal form of their embodiment.

In the end, each postulate of our life principles is graphically depicted on the family coat of arms and in the form of a text as a description. For us, a coat of arms is not about belonging to a certain family, not a form of self-assertion. It is a way of showing and passing on our principles, our life philosophy to our descendants. What are the principles that we have captured? Those that we have absorbed with our mother’s milk.

‣ Love and respect for the Motherland and parents.

The last words have the same root and a surprisingly deep common essence. These are two different but related postulates:

The true greatness of the soul, which allows a person to respect himself, lies in sincere feelings for his parents. We want all Ukrainians who left their homes during the war to return home;
The true way not to lose oneself is a person’s national identity, dedication to serving Ukraine, love for the native land, and readiness to defend it.

‣ Intergenerational continuity.

Parents and children jointly cultivate life values, and children inherit them from their parents. The Dzhurynskyis resolve the problem of the inherent conflict between parents and children through love and mutual respect. In the Dzhurynskyis’ business, this principle is embodied in the brand descriptor – “Auto Dynasty”.

‣ Personal modesty, respect for one’s own and other people’s dignity; balance of interests in everything.

Self-respect and respect for others begins with telling the truth in communication in the family, in business, and in society. We build our relationships with clients, our own staff and partners on the principle of balance of interests.

Oleksandr, Vitalii, and Oleh Dzhurynskyi near the family coat of arms.

‣ Obtaining the benefits of life only through your own hard work.

Work as the only way to become wealthy and happy is embodied in our motto: “Dream! Work hard! Achieve!” According to the Dzhurynskyis, in order to achieve something in life, you must first define your goal, then work hard, which leads to the desired result and a sense of happiness.

‣ Love for a woman as a guardian of the family and the nation, as the lifeblood of the earth.

I, Oleh, and Oleksandr are all fathers. Just as our parents taught us, so we teach our children to adhere to family values, show them an example of how to act at work, among people, in everyday life in different situations, to “be human” – as my father and Oleh used to say.

What is your biggest success and biggest mistake in business?

The biggest success in business is that we have found our market, our “niche” in it, earned the trust of key partners – automotive manufacturers, customers, and are implementing our business strategy in the automotive retail market.

We have built a powerful team of professionals. We are implementing our family philosophy. While my brother Oleh and I used to run the business together, now my son Oleksandr has joined the management team, and Oleh’s son Vitalii is taking his first steps in the family business. In other words, the foundations have been laid for the Dzhurynskyi family to own and develop this business in future generations.

During one of the meetings on the construction of a new Toyota Center Odesa dealership, VIDI Palmira.

As for mistakes, there was one miscalculation that caused us to suffer significantly, but thanks to it, we realized that it was the retail business that would guarantee us stability.

When we were working in the market of spare parts for various machinery, we worked with corporate sales and experienced all the risks it carries. I first heard about these risks from our CFO at a New Year’s corporate event when the company was celebrating the year 2000. He said then that the company was going down because 75% of its turnover came from wholesale sales, and they were generated by less than 10 large customers. He concluded that one day it might stop, because our current customers might continue to buy the goods they needed, but we might not be involved in these purchases as a seller.

A year has passed. Our market in Ukraine has become more interesting for a large number of participants, and the “blue ocean” in which we felt very good has turned “red” in an instant. As a result, we faced fierce competition, dumping wars, and a drop in profitability. We went through 2001 by inertia, and in 2002-2003 we felt all of the above.

What would you recommend to entrepreneurs who want to start their own business now?

Dream, work, achieve. Set yourself the craziest and most incredible goals. Determine your place in life, outline your path to achieving these goals, and don’t be afraid to change either your goals or your path to them.

Constantly “pedal”, be the driving force behind changes, even if they have to start with building small “islands of well-being”.

In pursuit of your goals, don’t be afraid of plagiarism. Do business honestly: tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. Find a balance of interests. Remember that doing business in Ukraine is difficult, but not impossible. If you suddenly have to crawl on your belly instead of running at a gallop, do it, just to move forward. In the words of a classic: “…Break this rock, let neither heat nor cold stop you…”.

ABOUT PEOPLE

How does VIDI motivate its employees?

This is a difficult question. Salaries are perhaps the largest expense item, but VIDI management understands and takes into account that people go to work to have a stable high income and provide a certain level of material well-being for their families. This realization is key to building a motivation system that will become a magnet that will attract professional candidates, keep them employed, promote their professionalism and lead to career growth.

During one of the many informal meetings of VIDI employees.

When will an employee’s salary always be high? Of course, when they manage it themselves through their quantitative and qualitative contribution to the results of the team they are part of. That is why we have the vast majority of positions with piecework remuneration. As for the target salary levels, we naturally monitor the labor market and adjust salaries to prevent staff turnover.

Each employee has every chance to succeed in the workplace – just work, learn, and improve. Every year, the Group recognizes the best employees in the front office and in the business groups – the best sales consultants, service receptionists, mechanics, and others.

Employees have all the conditions for career growth. Let me give you a few examples.

Two of my most trusted people, who were members of VIDI’s Supervisory Board before volunteering for the Armed Forces, have been with the company since the early 2000s.

Almost all of the group’s top managers have made their careers at VIDI: they have all been with the company since the completion of the VIDI Kiltseva car park in 2007-2011. Their team, like in the movie Ocean’s Friends, is supplemented by managers who have the competencies required in a new area of work. Thus, in 2016-2017, we chose an e-marketing strategy. To implement it, the team was subsequently strengthened by the CIO and the Head of Marketing, who have the relevant skills and abilities.

In general, the fact that the group of companies consists of 43 enterprises gives employees more maneuvers in building their careers, and the group has a way to avoid losing professional staff, having the opportunity to rotate employees between enterprises both horizontally and with promotion.

Non-material motivation is also important. People need to realize and demonstrate that they are valued at work. In this context, an employee’s loyalty to the company and his or her career path with it is important to us. 114 employees have been working in our group for more than 10 years – this is the so-called “golden fund”, 73 employees have been working for more than 15 years and 10 employees have been working for more than 20 years. The latter are the people who worked with me back in the office on Chervonoarmiyska Street, who were at the origins of VIDI’s business. Our team has a kind of “backbone” – employees who hold key professional and corporate competencies. All those who have worked for VIDI for 10 years receive the VIDI Gold Badge, and those who have worked for more than 20 years receive the VIDI Platinum Badge.

The golden badge of VIDI.

It is significant that government agencies recognize the services of our employees to the country and our region. When Kyiv was under siege, our businesses were operating. Despite the shelling and blockades, our employees got to work, lived at work, and later did everything possible and impossible to increase performance day after day. As a result, 31 VIDI employees were honored by the Ministry of Defense, 9 by the Kyiv City Council, 38 by Kyiv City Military Administration, and 22 by Kyiv Regional Military Administration.

ABOUT FUTURE PLANS

What are your plans for the development of the VIDI Group?

We continue to invest in our business because it is one of the components of bringing victory closer.

We have recently opened a Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Airport in the 2S format on Boryspil Highway and a Jeep VIDI Challenge car center on Velyka Kiltseva.

Toyota Center Kyiv VIDI Airport on Boryspil highway.

As for our current plans, VIDI is implementing an investment project to build a 3S-concept Toyota car center for our Odesa dealer Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmira, including a car body repair shop. Despite the war, we aim to complete it in the next few years. The project budget is about USD 6 million. USD.

This is what the modern Toyota Center Odesa VIDI Palmira dealership will look like after its opening.

Looking ahead, the potential of the Ukrainian automotive market is enormous. This is evidenced by two things:

car sales in the pre-crisis years of 2007-2008 reached 570-625 thousand cars, which is 140 cars per 10 thousand people, while the current market volume of 60 thousand cars is 19 cars per 10 thousand people;
the issue of potential is a comparison with the current level of car sales in Europe at about 300 cars per 10 thousand people.

Ukraine is heading to Europe, so the market will grow until it reaches the European level, but this requires, of course, that the standard of living and income in Ukraine become European. We very much hope that this will happen.

If we reach such market volumes, automakers may consider us as a potential option for production location.

VIDI in 30 years: how do you see the business?

I hope that it will no longer be an “island of prosperity” but one of many powerful businesses in a wealthy Ukraine, whose economy will be at least as efficient as VIDI’s today in terms of increasing performance, working conditions, salaries, and taxes paid to the budget.

I see VIDI as a business that unites the Dzhurynskyi family: my son is at the helm, my grandchildren work with their father, and the synergy of his experience and their creative thinking, which is typical for young people, generates extraordinary successful management decisions for the company that do not allow VIDI to lose its leadership position in all markets where the group operates. I see my nephews alongside them, who, together with my son and grandchildren, work in and manage the family business.

Are you planning to globalize and enter other markets?

For now, we have only one plan – victory and peace. Until now, we have only built, not bought anything. We have recently entered the motorcycle market, but it also operates on the principle of distribution, is similar to the automotive market in terms of technology and way of functioning, so the experience we have gained has helped us a lot. But never say never. Victory and peace come first.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

Do you have any favorite car brands?

I love all the brands represented in VIDI equally. Yes, they are all different, and it was not easy to start working with them. Everyone has their own requirements, everyone wants you to become 100 percent “theirs forever”. But the first steps are the most difficult, just like in childhood, and when you represent a dozen brands, it is a guarantee of success, a confirmation of your experience, expertise, and professionalism.

Initially, not having such experience, we had to prove that we would not fail. For the first 5 years of our car city’s existence on Kiltseva, a representative of a reputable brand who was developing the network assured me that there would never be a car business on Kiltseva. But perseverance wins out, and other importers believed us.

Then we saw a stage of jealousy of others. Sometimes it even resulted in insults. They said, for example, that one brand was developing at the expense of another. Once, even one of the top managers of a well-known brand wrote me an official letter saying that if we did not stop the construction of a car dealership of another brand on Kiltseva Street, he would terminate our contract with the brand he represents. We were forced to be patient and constantly confirm that we are working hard and developing all brands.

Today, each of our dealerships located on Kiltseva Street is the first in their brand networks: Toyota Center Kyiv VIDA Autostrada, Lexus Kyiv West, Jeep VIDA Challenge, Nissan VIDA Sunrise, Mazda VIDA Sky, Subaru VIDA Star, Peugeot VIDA Avenue, Citroen VIDA Elegance, Suzuki VIDA Grand… We are the first among the official networks in the sale of used cars. This is exactly the task that each of our teams faces.

How do you manage to combine work and family?

I have come up with the ideal formula for a family business – “live by work”. Please do not talk about substituting the concepts of “life” and “work”. “Living the work” means for you, as the owner of a business that employs most of your family, to always think about your family. For you and your family, work is moving to a new level – it is no longer just a way to make a living, it is a way of life.

Reconciling work and personal life is a complex problem, and it is impossible to give a unique, universal recipe for solving it. Obviously, you have to find a balance. You have to work hard if you want to be successful – it’s an axiom.

Obviously, you will pay for it with time that you could spend on your personal life, on meeting friends and family, on rest and hobbies. The question arises: who are you to your family, relatives, and friends if you are constantly busy with work? The conflict is obvious.

Balance is possible by defining boundaries:

On the one hand, you are the breadwinner in the family, the founder of the business, and your loved ones should understand and support you;
On the other hand, you can’t earn all the money, and you shouldn’t strive for it, so you shouldn’t forget about your family, friends and relatives.

What are your favorite books?

During the formation and development of the company, of course, we have familiarized ourselves with literature that has stood the test of time. These are Dale Carnegie’s “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, “7 Habits of Highly Effective Families”, Jim Collins’ “Good to Great”, which is about which is about why some companies make the leap and others don’t, and Richard Rumelt’s “Good Strategy/Bad Strategy”. We studied the literature on the Deming cycle, which describes a cyclical decision-making process applicable to quality management systems.

VIDI works with Japanese companies, so our reference books are Masaaki Imai’s “Kaizen. The Key to the Success of Japanese Companies”, our business “bible” is Jeffrey K. Liker’s “The Toyota Way: 14 Management Principles from the World’s Greatest Manufacturer”.

As for business literature. New trends are emerging today. For example, the transition from competition between products to competition between marketing and management systems is relevant, e-marketing is being introduced everywhere, etc.

Recently, one of my favorite books has become a book about Aladdin, which I enjoy reading with my grandchildren.