Maxim Alexei, a young entrepreneur from Molovata Noua, a village in the Dubasari District of Moldova, has successfully transformed his childhood passion into a lucrative business.
The passion – for making wooden toys – was inherited from his grandfather and father, and led him to open a modern workshop where he now produces the toys.
“My father was a woodworker, and so was my grandfather,” Alexei says. “This craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation. As a teenager, I was passionate about sports, but when the time came to choose my future path, I instinctively chose wood carving.”
Alexei began crafting wooden toys about twelve years ago when his father suggested making some cars for his grandson Kiril – Alexei’s son.
“I carved some toys and gave them to Kiril and my younger daughter to play with, and they almost fought over them.” Alexei says. “Then, my dad encouraged me to make a few more models and sell them.”
This was the starting point for Alexei’s business – selling toys at fairs and on the streets of the Moldovan capital Chisinau. “I remember it well,” he says. “We would sit with the toys on the corner of Stefan cel Mare Boulevard and Tighina street, with a small table. It was hard work, but there were also beautiful moments. That's how I ventured into the world of toys.”
Alexei has always prioritized sustainable production methods. The wood used for making the toys is sourced from the locals in Molovata Noua and the surrounding area. To give the toys a unique texture, Alexei mainly uses wood from fruit trees, which is also an environmentally friendly way to reuse natural resources.
“In producing toys, we primarily use fruit trees such as walnut, mulberry, pear and cherry,” Alexei says. “We get the raw materials from people in the village.”
Friendship turns into business partnership
On one of the streets of Chisinau, Irina Agafita, the organizer of the Ia Mania and Mai Dulce festivals, noticed Alexei and his wooden toys.
“I met Maxim when he was selling his toys on the streets,” Agafita says. “I was in charge of organizing folk craftsmen who wanted to participate in events and festivals. That's how we met, and over time we became friends.”
However, the collaboration between Agafita and Alexei faced challenges when the COVID-19 pandemic began, as Alexei relied on fairs and events for sales, and large public events were banned under pandemic lockdown rules. The uncertainty prompted the young man to seriously consider finding a job abroad, as he could no longer financially support his family. In response, Agafita suggested launching an online store to showcase and market the toys. This initiative led to the creation of the “PINO” toy brand.
Expansion opportunities with EU support
To further expand their business, thanks to the East Europe Foundation, Alexei and Agafita secured a grant of EUR 37,500 financed by the European Union, co-financed by Sweden as part of the project “We Capitalize on the Potential of Civil Society for the Promotion and Development of Social Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova”. The investment is being used to construct a modern workshop from the ground up, enabling them to increase toy production and create more jobs in the community.
“As part of this project, we’re building a production hall, which will also include space for organizing workshops for children,” Agafita says. “We plan to purchase the woodworking machinery that we will need to enhance our production capacity and will allow us to manufacture new kinds of toys. Our dream is to collaborate with major stores abroad and introduce our products to foreign markets.”
Another idea for the future is to create a “fairy” space for children on the banks of the Nistru River.
“On the banks of the Nistru River, Maxim has a large area of land surrounded by pine trees, and we’re thinking of building a workshop and creating an open space there, where both children and parents can reconnect with nature through toys and games.”
“It's a grandiose project we're dreaming of.”
