From fruit-picker to leading supplier of stones in New Zealand, a true-blue Kiwi-Indian success story of Siva Kilari (Copy)
Siva Kilari, 40, came to New Zealand from Tirupati, India, in 2002. A graduate of Loyola College in Chennai, his first part-time job here was picking asparagus on minimum wage at Feilding near Palmerston North, while studying automobile engineering.
Now, almost 18 years later, he is the Director of Universal Granite (UC), New Zealand’s leading supplier of stones including marbles, granites, quartzite, soapstone, onyx and more. UC is also the country’s exclusive supplier of Compac, Uniquartz engineered stone and Ascale porcelain; as well as the largest importer of natural stones from Brazil, Italy, India, Greece, Turkey, Taiwan, Spain, Sweden, Portugal and even Taiwan.
“I still remember those days. Especially working in the fruit and vegetable farms, and vineyards. Those days were tough. I still remember constantly bending and picking from the ground, for hours and hours,” he says.
Nowadays, Kilari lives in Auckland, with his wife and two sons and a daughter. He employs 18 people, and owns warehouses in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.
“We are suppliers of more than 60 percent of stones used in New Zealand. We work with Cambridge Homes, Stonewood Homes, and Landmark Homes, among others, supplying them kitchen benchtop, stone induction cooktop and another installations. We have worked with SkyCity fulfilling their stone requirements. We have supplied the entire black granite that you see in every Prada outlet in New Zealand,” Kilari adds.
But like any good and inspiring story, Kilari’s journey also had many hiccups. And a serial entrepreneur, he had his share of unsuccessful businesses as well.
“After completing my course in engineering, I joined a Toyota dealership as a stock controller. I also drove a taxi on the weekends to earn some extra money during that time. But my heart was always in becoming an entrepreneur and starting my own business. So in 2006, I started selling print cartridges. It collapsed and I lost almost five thousand dollars, which was a very big deal for me at that time,” he says.
He then thought of advertising New Zealand as a shooting location to the South India movie industry. “This business also collapsed, and this time, my loss was double the last time.”
Then, a chance encounter happened.
He was on a smoke break with a work colleague pondering about his future, when he saw a truck filled with granite slabs passing by.
“I was instantly curious, and invested a great deal of time learning the nitty-gritty of importing granite slabs to New Zealand from India. Then in 2007, I launched UC. In the first year, we imported six containers full of stone slabs. Here too, the business took some time to take-off, as the quality of material in the first lot was not good, and we couldn’t sell half of it,” he says.
Not the one to give up easily, Kilari persisted though. And rest, as they say, is history.
Last year, UC imported 282 containers full of stone slabs, he informs.
Kilari also fondly mentions another hugely successful Indian New Zealander, Dr Kantilal Patel of East Tamaki Healthcare, who gave him his first cheque of 1,100 dollars. “Not only that, he also helped me with the tools needed to do a tile-cutting job at that time. I was really down when I met him. But he said, ‘Siva, don’t give up if you really want to be successful in your business. Be persistent and you will surely see the results.’ That was such good advise coming from such a great man.”
While they lost touch thereafter, their acquaintance was renewed some time back.
Kilari is now helping with the flooring work of a temple Patel built in South Auckland. “While we don’t normally carry out these works ourselves, as UC is mainly a supplier. For Patel saab, we made an exception,” he says.
On the question, of what he wants to achieve now, Kilari is very candid. “Firstly, from 60 percent, I want UC share in the New Zealand’s stone market to increase to at least 80 percent. Furthermore, I am investing in larger warehouse spaces, so that customers can come and have a look themselves at the quality and range of stone products we offer. I want them to go back impressed, and demand from their designers, fabricators, architects, and builders to use only UC products in their homes.”
“While our products range is already quite big, a further product diversification is also on the cards,” Kilari concludes.
-Gaurav Sharma