Stretch the limits

Transformer Table takes efficiency to another level

Costco members Zaur and Dzera Pkhalagov ran into a big small problem: The married couple loved hosting friends and family, but were limited by the space in their condominium for large furniture.

With a background in mining and engineering, Dzera’s brother—Soslan Tsoutsiev—went to work to find a solution.

Without any experience making tables or marketing products, Zaur, Tsoutsiev and five other friends combined their various backgrounds in defence, video production and graphic design—along with plenty of research and trial and error—to form Transformer Table in 2016.

The result is a concept that developed into one of Canada’s most successful startups after taking off on social media.

“We never let go of the dream,” says Artëm Kuzmichev, one of the friends and now Transformer Table’s chief technology officer and director of marketing.

Driven by innovation

Based in Montreal, Transformer Table makes modular tables and benches for small spaces. Their dining table can stretch from 46 centimetres (18 inches) to as long as almost 3 metres (10 feet), turning a compact console into a banquet table.

“The furniture industry needs more innovation,” says Richard Mabley, Transformer Table vice president of business development and another one of the friends, along with Alexandre Doré, Cedric Deltandre and Holland Wabie. “There are more and more condos and smaller homes now. People are wanting to really maximize their space and they want high-quality furniture that will accommodate them for a long time.”

Space saver

Expandable tables with drop-in leaves have been around for decades, but Transformer Table crafted a heavy-duty telescopic mechanism that allows anyone to smoothly change their table or bench, depending on how small or big they’d like it to be, with no assembly required. Expansion panels stack easily and neatly inside an internal storage box when not in use.

“The mechanism is based on a wooden version from Japan made about 100 years ago,” Mabley explains. “We expanded on it. Ours has tiny ball bearings inside. It makes our tables super user-friendly and super resistant. Anybody can expand them. And it’ll be the only table you’ll ever need.”

Tables with all five panels can seat 12 people, with four additional size options in between, and can hold up to 340 kilograms (750 pounds). Each bench stretches to 3.3 metres (11 feet), with enough space for six adults to sit down.

“We wanted a table that was perfect for any moment, no matter how big or small your space or family is,” Mabley says.

Quick growth

Transformer Table ballooned from 400 customers in its first year to 70,000 currently, with business around the globe, its own manufacturing facility in Vietnam and 500 employees worldwide. The company’s annual revenues increased from $360,000 in 2017 to $75 million in 2022.

The company has also prioritized sustainability as it has grown: Each piece is constructed with responsibly sourced, high-quality solid wood and MDF. It also plants 10 trees for every item sold.

“We’ve challenged the boundaries of furniture,” says Saskia Rose, Transformer Table head of communications. “We’re really trying to revolutionize the status quo.”

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