Last week The Budapest Times presented the Érd-based company GIA Form Kft, which specialises in the production of injection-moulded and CNC-machined plastic parts. Within just a few years owner Attila Gaszt has built up his company into a very successful supplier for big-name car manufacturers. Then the economic crisis hit in autumn 2008. GIA Form’s orders fell by around 20% and the machines in the workshops were not being used to full capacity. Attila Gaszt had to act.
Research finds revenue
Following extensive market research, Gaszt established the company Creaform. In collaboration with the Budapest designers from Co & Co the firm made its first products: small dessert bowls for buffet dinners and snacks with matching spoons, and later coffee cups. The products all feature elegant curves and have a contemporary look. The solid plastic is worlds apart from standard disposable tableware, both in terms of looks and feel. In addition the products are more environmentally friendly because they can be used up to a hundred times. In this way the products offers caterers an optimal solution between sophisticated, but complicated glass and simple, but cheap disposable tableware.
Going where glass cannot go
Creaform is planning a series of drinking glasses, from shot glasses to tulip beer glasses, for next year. “There are currently two leading companies on the market, one from the USA and one from Austria,” explains Gaszt, showing some of the products of the Austrian competition alongside Creaform’s prototypes. The difference is immediately apparent: while the Austrians favour traditional, well-known glass shapes, Gaszt sets out to give added value to the plastic material, resulting in distinctive, extravagant forms – again in cooperation with Co & Co. Nevertheless, why would one want to drink champagne from a plastic glass rather than one made of glass? “Glass is now prohibited at cultural and sporting events, as well as at pool bars,” he explains. “Many luxury hotels have even closed their pool bars because they don’t want to serve their guests with disposable tableware.”
Creaform hopes to fill that gap in the market, and offers customers a number of extras. “Customers can choose the colour of the tableware and have it imprinted with the company logo on request,” says Attila Gaszt. What is unique about Creaform is that customers get everything from design and production to delivery from one source. Gaszt launched the project to balance out the fall in orders from the car industry. The same machines now make the elegant dessert bowls and shapely coffee cups.
Traditional market bounces back
Meanwhile the car industry is recovering. “Vehicle manufacturers are replenishing their stocks again,” says Attila Gaszt. “Even now we have orders exceeding the volume of the period before the crisis.” Gaszt also has a lot of plans for Creaform in the field of office supplies, as well as gastronomy and other areas. GIA Form’s next development is probably just a matter of time.
