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| Varijakshan Mangad, 'Thrupthi', Near Paramekkavu temple, Thrissur |
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Not many small-scale industries can dare advertise a ‘satisfaction-guaranteed-or-your-money-back’ scheme about their products unless they are quite confident of the quality of their products. If Varijakshan Mangad’s ‘Craze’ biscuit making business can do that, then it is a sign of attention the company is bestowing on quality.
In fact, it was the quality that helped his ‘Cookees (India) Private Limited, Chiyyaram, Thrissur to survive during the initial years of its existence, when it had to compete with the big companies in the biscuit-manufacturing field. An engineering graduate, Varijakshan started the firm in 1985 after a long stint in various management positions in India and abroad. While working in Nairobi and London, he had the habit of visiting the Indian Consulates to read Malayalam newspapers. It was from them that he came to know about the scope of starting small-scale industries in Kerala.
Starting with an initial offer of 3 biscuits, the company now produces about 35 items offered in 90 different packets. Though the initial years were difficult, by 1989 the company installed a 320 KVA generator to tide over the crippling power cut. In 1990, the company expanded to include the toffee-making unit at Palakkad. The cartons and wrappers used by the ‘Craze’ products come from another sister concern, ‘House of Cartons (India) Pvt.Ltd, at Kochi. A second production unit of the company was started at Madurai in 2000.
‘Craze’ has an employee strength of 500 while another 1000 find indirect employment. The Rs.20 crore company received the national award for quality from SIDO under Central Industries Dept in 1988 and 1997. Besides it won the national productivity award in 1994, 1996 and 1997.
Varijakshan’s wife is Jayanthi. His elder son, with an MBA from London, is managing the Madurai factory. Second son is in HSBC while the third son is a student of computer science in Singapore.
Courtesy: M.K.Santhosh, Mathrubhumi, October 27, 2003
Contributed by: Administrator
