Veronica Pentelei, entrepreneur: Change is never easy, even if it is benefic

The entrepreneur, Veronica Pentelei, is the owner and director of "Velitextil-Plus", a local business known to the public due to "Crème Brûlée" a „sweet” clothing brand for kids. But not everyone knows that the business is expanding further abroad. Due to the company "Velitextil-Plus", which produces clothing for famous brands from Germany, Italy, France and Belgium, the labels on the clothes of European brands have the inscription "Made in Moldova". Within the UK-MD project „Reform Assistance to Moldova”, initiated by the UK Government, the brave entrepreneur shares her ideas on how to change the dynamics of its business after the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA).

The business woman tells that she worked and dreamed all life about her own company. "I have done my studies in the textile industry for 11 years: five years of college, five years of university and one year of Master. I even started a PhD, but I realized that it is better to start working", says Veronica Pentelei.

Until 2007 she worked for others, experienced the market and grew as a professional. Then she felt it was time to open her own business. "We managed to work a year and the crisis came. The first to be hit by it were the ones from the textile industry. We work directly with foreign partners, and they, when the world economy is facing difficulties, cut from the list the companies that seem too expensive”, explains Veronica.

It states that the she does not regret the failure of a decade ago. "It was a very good experience. In 2008, I had restarted the failed business and began to offer advice to other businesses through my company Velitextil. It's not hard to open a company in Moldova. It is difficult to find partners to start your business and then, step by step, to cover your expenses and have profit. So, in 2011 I decided to start my own production company instead of consulting others how to do it", admits Veronica Pentelei.

After one year, in 2012, appeared "Crème Brûlée" the line of clothes for children: "This project represents only a small part of what we do. The main part consists of work with European partners. We worked with Germany, Italy, France, Holland and Belgium. In average, we have 10-15 European customers”, says the entrepreneur.

Veronica Pentelei managed to establish partnerships with foreign entrepreneurs until the implementation of the DCFTA. The entrepreneur states that the signing of the MD-EU Association Agreement has brought good and bad. „Change is never easy, even if it is benefic. There are still many things to be polished and added. The Association Agreement was signed, but the national laws remained the same", she believes.

"Among the good things that has brought the DCFTA implementation are that people abroad found out about us," said the designer, who claims that before European clients had a skeptical attitude towards Moldova.

In addition, the entrepreneur affirms that with the implementation of the DCFTA the customs procedures were simplified.

Source: www.agora.md