Meda Workshop – Our Story

 

We Are Meda Workshop – And This Is Our Story

They say New York never sleeps. Neither does the main character of our story. He has worked his entire life, never tired, and in the end, he built what he dreamed of as a child — his own craft. Since his earliest days, he would secretly slip into his grandfather’s workshop, usually earning a scolding because children aren’t supposed to play with tools and sharp objects. During the chaotic nineties this habit faded, only to return at the beginning of the new century, stronger than ever. Through several entrepreneurial attempts and small businesses, he finally arrived at what exists today — a workshop whose production is mostly focused on export. Many dream about starting their own business, yet few gather the courage or the time to actually begin.

With his contagious charisma, Meda also brought his wife, Milena into this traditional craft, one that is rapidly returning to the spotlight. Meda, also known as Goran, designs and handcrafts every product himself — from chairs to coat racks and other small furniture pieces, mostly made from oak or acacia.

What Is Meda’s Story?

A love for wood. This is the beginning and the end. His whole life revolved around it. And finally, he found both the opportunity and the support to do what he truly loves. Like many stories, this one didn’t start with a plan. While working as a director in a successful IT company, he realized administrative work wasn’t what motivated him. It wasn’t money either. He needed to create something of his own — something made with his own hands. And that is how the story of Meda Workshop began.

The company was officially founded in early 2017, but the original idea was to create a marketplace for handmade products together with a colleague. It didn’t take long to abandon that plan once they realized how much effort and funding would be required to work closely with artisans and make the project viable. Meanwhile, Goran worked on smaller projects with clients he personally knew.

Since the idea originally included collaborating with artisans and selling their products online, there came a moment when one manufacturer delivered such poor-quality work that Goran decided to make the piece himself. Since both he and his wife come from families of craftsmen, there was enough old equipment in the family workshops to get started — and that encouraged him to buy his first machine. Then, quite spontaneously, he began producing things on his own, as if that had always been the plan. Seeing his passion, his sister bought him another machine — because sisters always know what you really need. After that, production gradually began. And because this business was always meant to be a family venture, they decided that his wife would take the lead in the company. Years ago, a friend once told him that nobody makes three-legged stools anymore. That thought stayed with him — and eventually inspired him to explore chair-making.

About the Workshop

He could talk about the workshop for days, but above all, it is built on effort, passion, and countless hours of work. All products are handmade — from raw wood to the final piece. Machines help prepare the wood to certain dimensions, but after that point, no piece leaves their hands. Just like before the 21st century, everything is shaped using sharp manual tools to achieve the highest quality.

Metal in the workshop is used only for making jigs and templates. Very few products contain metal elements. Instead of screws, they use wooden dowels. To ensure the joints are stronger, they design each connection so that pieces interlock naturally, making the final product look as if it were crafted from a single block of wood rather than multiple pieces. A finished piece should resonate when tapped — if it doesn’t, something in the structure is not right. They lovingly preserve the tools of Grandpa Zoka and Grandpa Dule. Some have been outgrown by time, but they still decorate the workshop as reminders of the hard and devoted work of past generations.

How Does Milena Balance Workshop Duties With Family Life? You Have Three Children.

Yes — our pride and joy: Lenka, Boris, and Elena. Working with wood relaxes me. Goran likes to say I’m a good finisher. I handle the final sanding after the first oiling. Each of our products has multiple layers of different oils and waxes. I’m also in charge of quality control, so I often suggest improvements. After drying, every product goes through multi-layer packaging. We design and make our own shipping boxes. Lately, my sister Marijana has been a great help, taking over the accounting.

You Truly Are Becoming a Family Business?

Absolutely — the energy around us is contagious. And the family sees how much of ourselves we invest in this, so they don’t want to just stand by and watch. There are ten of us in the household, and we often need to coordinate. It’s not unusual that we eat from the “same pot” at lunchtime — Mom cooks for everyone. As for the workshop, we’re working with a long-term plan; even Goran can’t do everything on his own. We plan to expand the workshop, buy new machines, get certifications and all the necessary approvals for a manufacturing company. As they say, true organic growth.

You Mentioned Shipping. Do You Sell Online?

Milena packs our products so they can travel all the way to the United States — our strongest market. We have several websites, are present on all social networks, and appear on various global marketplaces specialized in handmade products. For now, we don’t have enough production capacity to present our work in salons. There is simply too much demand through the channels we already have. We receive orders daily.

How Did You Decide to Leave Your Job as an IT Director and Move Into the Workshop?

People find it fascinating — going from a comfortable office to dust and work clothes. Administrative work is like housekeeping: you spend the entire day fixing and organizing things, and when you’re done, you know tomorrow will be the same. There is no product you can say you made. To me, putting on work clothes isn’t a step backward — quite the opposite. This way, we also teach our children the spirit of entrepreneurship. They are involved in all stages of production, observing and absorbing the work process. Later, what we do now will be normal and natural to them. They know their dad leaves the workshop before they wake up and returns late, sometimes after they fall asleep. During the day, we take breaks so we can spend at least a little time together. We hope that once the business becomes more stable, we’ll have more family time.

When we started, the plan was to build a workshop on the outskirts of the city — to buy land and set up production there. After a few months, we realized that having the workshop on the family property has many advantages. We have enough space; now it’s up to us to upgrade it as needed. That way, the children can visit the workshop often. They’re still too young to work, but soon enough, they’ll grow and learn how to use tools. They’ll learn to create things with their own hands. And that’s the point — to be able to look back and say: I made this.