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| N.Suresh, 'Sakthiman’, Koovappadi, near Perumbavoor |
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Behind the story of a small scale PVC pipe manufacturing unit of Koovappadi, near Perumbavoor, becoming the 1st pipe manufacturer in South India to win ISO 9002 certification is a tale of uncompromising attitude towards quality and a willingness to work hard.
N.Suresh, an engineering graduate, thought of turning to business after the company he was working in was locked out. In 1985 he started a small unit, ‘Chloroplast’ in Koovappadi and took over the manufacture of ‘Sakthiman’ pipes from his brother.
The 360-ton per year capacity plant grew slowly. 1998 was a watershed as its product obtained ISI certification. At that time there were 12 manufacturers of PVC pipes in Kerala. The company built adequate quality control processes in order to ensure that the ISI mark could be engraved on each and every pipe. In fact during that year the company had to reject 11000 pipes in order to meet its own stringent criteria.
But the sacrifice has paid off. Today the percentage of rejection has been brought down to zero. “Last year our growth was 65% when the national growth rate of the industry is just 8%,” says Suresh.
The company makes adequate effort to inculcate best working practices among plumbers by arranging frequent Plumbers’ Meet. It also makes effort to satisfy the customer by giving 1m length of pipe free to those who buy 12 lengths of pipe.
There has not been any labour problem in the unit, which is into its 17th year now. For the cordial worker-management functioning, both the parties have signed a 5-year wages settlement package.
Many honours have come to Suresh. He is a special invitee to the Standards Committee of Bureau of Indian Standards besides acting as President of all Kerala Small scale PVC Pipe Manufacturers’ Association and as a member of the Regional Committee of Central Excise. His wife too is in the business field, taking up the leadership of the garden hose manufacturing unit.
Courtesy: M.K.Rajasekharan, Mathrubhumi, April 7, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
