From Railway Station to Business Ownership
My name is Kostiantyn Zahaikevych. I am from Koziatyn, Vinnytsia region. I began my career in the railway industry. In 5 years, I worked my way up from entry-level positions to station manager. I then worked in the railway division of an agricultural holding company, and later I was invited to Kyiv to take a management position at a freight forwarding company.
In total, I spent eight years working for other people. After that, I started my own business with a partner, but difficult circumstances proved too much for our partnership model. I had to return to employment. In Dnipro, I took the helm of a large freight forwarding company, where I worked for 6 years. Later, I handed over the reins to the next generation and returned to the idea of running my own business.
My entrepreneurial journey did not begin with a desire to invent something new. I knew railway logistics well and understood how the industry worked from the inside. So I built my own business on that experience. Over time, we expanded beyond rail freight to include different types of railcars, road transport, and the operation of our own and hired fleets.
In 2024, the business was relaunched under the same brand, but as an independent entity. Today, I am its sole owner and am involved in management and operations every day.
At the same time, we are developing related areas. One is an elevator and transshipment complex in Zhytomyr region, which we plan to build with a partner. Another is an IT project to develop specialized software for transport and logistics companies. This involves ERP and CRM systems integrated with Ukrzaliznytsia databases to automatically retrieve the necessary information.
A separate family venture is a glamping site for recreation and events. My wife and I created it using my annual performance bonus from my work as the head of a large company, and later reinvested the proceeds in its further development.
We are also currently working on the MINERAVA project, focused on extracting and using mineral waters for health and recovery.
Industry experience, day-to-day decisions, and networking
What key skills helped you launch your business?
First and foremost, my experience helped me. I spent many years in the railway sector, worked for an agricultural holding company, and managed freight forwarding companies. Understanding the industry allowed me to see its needs and make decisions based on real-world experience.
Another important skill is the ability to make difficult decisions. At work, you have to assess risks, negotiate with business partners, and absorb losses yourself to keep the business running.
I also spent many years building a network of contacts in business, public administration, and the social sector. These connections often help find solutions in difficult situations.
A partnership crisis and a shortage of working capital
What were the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the early years?
The most difficult challenge came in 2018. We grew the business quickly and attracted a significant number of clients. But about six months later, my partner decided to leave the company. Other investors bought his stake, and my share fell to 30%, while the partners held 70%.
Later, they faced difficult circumstances of their own and told me that all the invested funds had to be returned. The business was left without sufficient working capital, even though transport and logistics operations require significant funds to keep shipments moving.
I did not want to lose what we had built in a year, so I looked for other investors. In the end, we agreed to establish a new legal entity. I became its CEO and received an ownership stake through the company’s employee stock ownership plan, ESOP.
The war has lengthened logistics cycles and intensified staffing challenges
What crises has your business faced, and how have you overcome them?
The biggest crisis today is the war. It has destroyed infrastructure and changed logistics routes. The closure of the Black Sea and the reorientation of exports to other countries have significantly lengthened freight journeys and the time it takes companies to receive payment.
Previously, agricultural cargo could reach the port in 10-14 days. After that, the cargo owner would receive payment and could pay the carriers. Now, the full cycle can take two to three months. As a result, many companies are short of working capital.
We feel this directly. Some business partners delay payment by one and a half to two months. They stay in touch, have assets, and do not refuse to meet their obligations, but explain that they do not currently have funds available. They need to wait until the cargo reaches the buyer and the money arrives in their account.
The second major problem is staffing. I deeply value the team that has worked with me for years. About 10-12 people have stayed with us for many years, doing their jobs and earning a decent salary. Restrictions on reserving employees from military service make it harder for us to grow the team and develop the business.
At the end of 2025, we invested several million hryvnias in developing our IT division. After about two years of testing and launching the project, we built a team of up to 25 people. However, changes to the criteria for extending our status as a critically important enterprise meant we could not retain it. One of the criteria was a salary-level requirement that had to be met during the six months before the status was extended. We had not known about this requirement in advance.
We tried to retain the status, including by consulting representatives of the Ministry of Digital Transformation. However, this did not help. Of the 25 people, 18 decided to leave the project in a single day. Two specialists are working on it now.
Scaling requires considered decisions
Which decisions have proved most effective for the company’s growth?
I cannot point to one decision that, by itself, drove growth. Every day, I have to decide when to expand the business, how to minimize risks, when to absorb losses myself, and how to resolve conflicts with business partners so that work can continue. My experience with my first partnership taught me to assess the terms of cooperation more carefully and consider the possible consequences of decisions for the business.
To me, business growth is not just about increasing volumes; it is also about being able to keep operating despite problems with funding, partners, or business counterparts.
A partnership without clear agreements became an expensive lesson
What mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?
My biggest mistake was entering into a partnership without proper legal and operational agreements.
In 2018, I started a business with someone close to me. We registered the company with a 50/50 ownership split, but did not sign a separate partnership agreement. I handled the day-to-day operations, while my partner was not involved to the same extent. At the same time, we had not put our areas of responsibility, risks, or procedures for making important decisions in writing.
I now understand that even when people trust each other, agreements need to be clearly documented. Responsibilities, risks, and what to do in the event of a conflict should be defined in advance.
