At the age when his peers were just graduating the faculty, Ion Durnea, a young man aged 22 years old, from Rezina, is managing his own business and has several employees. With the help of a grant from the European Union, the young man opened a station for technical servicing of heavy trucks and lorries. Every month, dozens of trucks are repaired here thoroughly.

He was dreaming of his own business since he was a pupil 

He got this business idea since he was a pupil. “My uncle is a truck driver. During the holidays I was frequently visiting him and from the discussions with the drivers I found out that trucks break down quite often. Thus, I have realized that it is necessary to have a service which would repair rapidly and efficiently all the emerging technical problems,” tells Ion.

The chance to see his plans coming true was provided by the Support to Confidence Building Measures Programme, implemented by UNDP with the support of the European Union, from which he found out about the grants’ contest for young people from both sides of the River Nistru.

Ion was studying at the Commerce College when he applied for the contest. In parallel with the admission exams to the faculty, he developed the business plan within the project and learned how to register a company and to manage it so as to have a profitable business.

Several months later, he found out about the fact that he is one of the lucky people who got the grant. With the provided amount of about 13,400 Euro, he bought all the equipment and devices necessary for a truck repairing station – vulcanization device, welding machine, high pressure washing equipment, a special device for collecting the oil from the engine, etc. And because many times it happens for the trucks to break down on the road, he also bought a power generator, which would allow him dealing with the repairing at the place where the truck got broken. Three car mechanics with experience are carrying out the repairing works, while Ion takes care of business administration and relations with clients. “This part is the most difficult. It is always necessary to give the reasoning for the price, to convince them not to go elsewhere,” says the young man. At all the stages of building his own business, he was supported and helped by consultants employed in the project. In parallel with developing his business, Ion was a part-time student at the Academy of Economic Studies.

Ion Durnea’s workshop operates in the suburb of Rezina city, near the cement factory, on the territory of a car firm, so the basic clients are coming from the place where the main activity is carried out. “17 trucks, 12 wheels each – this is already a huge workload. In the past, if a wheel got broken, the drivers had to go to Rezina, where they had to pay more and wait in the queue. It was very inconvenient,” states the young man. Besides, Ion’s clients also include dozens of trucks transporting goods and construction materials, including from the left side of the River Nistru. 

He dreams of extending his business

Being launched two years ago, Ion Durnea’s business became profitable, although the young man admits that initially he had much more optimistic plans. He thinks that the revenues are more modest because of the economic crisis – people do not build as much as they used to several years ago, when the queue of trucks at the cement factory was of several kilometers.

Nevertheless, Ion thinks that the grant from the European Union gave him a unique opportunity: “Without this help, I would have never succeeded to obtain what I have now.”

In several years he sees himself also here, in the truck repairing station that he launched. Meanwhile, he hopes to get one more grant, but this time more consistent, so as to have the possibility to build some premises for 2-3 trucks, where repairing works would be carried out during the cold season, when it is difficult to work in open air.

Ion Durnea is one of those over 70 young people from both sides of the River Nistru, who got European grants for a value up to 13,500 Euro to start up or develop a business. Moreover, the young people benefited also from services provided by personal consultants, who over a period of 14 months have helped them to manage their businesses as efficiently as possible.

The Support to Confidence Building Measures Programme, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP, contributes to enhancing confidence among the population from both sides of the River Nistru by involving representatives of business environment, local communities and civil society in joint projects for business and social infrastructure development.