GRANT'S DESI ACHIEVER
SUCCESS LESSONS FROM A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR
Haresh Mehta, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
By SHAGORIKA EASWAR
Entrepreneur, philanthropist and community builder Haresh Mehta attributes his success to his team and the blessings and good wishes of people he has worked with.
“It was always a team,” says the man who set up three medium to large-sized ventures headquartered in the financial district of Toronto, with a global footprint that at one time employed 350 people in Canada, the US and India.
His story begins in the US in 1969.
Originally from a small village in Gujarat, he’d fulfilled his father’s dream of studying in the US. When the coveted Green Card didn’t materialize after he completed his Bachelor’s in Marketing from St. Joseph University, Philadelphia, his father suggested he look at Canada.
Mehta called the Canadian embassy in Washington, they sent him a two-page form that asked for name, address, and educational qualifications, and within six months, he had Canadian immigration. He returned to the US to obtain an 18-month training visa that students were eligible for, only to be told he had 15 days to leave the country. He was now a resident of Canada, to go find a job there.
“My wife Prafulla and I were both crying, we had no idea what the future held for us,” he recalls. An immigration lawyer they approached asked for $1500.
“So we rented a U-Haul and drove to Canada.”
A friend in Toronto had agreed to let them stay with him for a few days, but when Mehta made a collect call from Buffalo to tell him they were en route, he said they couldn’t stay with him. Desperate, Mehta called another friend in Philadelphia and asked if they could stay with his brother, also in Toronto.
“Arvind Bhakta only knew us as his brother’s friends, but he welcomed us,” says a grateful Mehta. From there the couple moved to a one-room place on the second floor of a home.
“We threw a mattress on the floor and began our life in Canada.”
He was offered a position as an accounting clerk at a Ford dealership for $140 a week. Even on a tight budget, they needed $165. Mehta asked for $160, saying they would further cut their expenses, but the dealership was inflexible.
Then his wife spotted an ad – a recruiting company was looking for a consultant. Mehta applied and was hired. On commission.
Though Mehta needed a fixed income, he was broke, and accepted. He was the first to show up at work, the last to leave, quickly becoming one of the top producers. In his second week, he received $150 as a cash advance against future commissions.
While cold-calling people from the phone book, trying to place engineering candidates, he would ask if they were looking for an administrative assistant. One was, and Mehta told them he had just the right person for them.
“My wife Prafulla was a lawyer from India, but she had worked in her wealthy father’s office, and therefore had little practical work experience. She didn’t even know how to type!”
They rented a typewriter and she practised for two days before the interview. She was hired.
Mehta was doing so well at work that he was able to clear the $4000 he owed friends in less than six months. He bought a new car, “all cash!”. And in another few months, he was ready to strike out on his own.
He launched FEP Search Group in 1975 with top executive search consultant Ray Guignion, placing accounting, finance, engineering and IT executives. Both invested $10,000 of their own money and within months, had earned it back. Mehta was the first Indo-Canadian to enter the field – Guignion retired after a few years – and one of very few to survive the 1982 recession in which most others went belly up.
During the same recession, and against the advice of his accountant, he purchased a franchise for a ladies accessories boutique, Fashion Is, growing to 25 locations across Canada.
Mehta went on to launch his third business, Eximcan, in 1992, during another recession.
“My other businesses weren’t doing well during the recession but we didn’t lay off anyone from the Search Group. A friend in New York introduced me to his friend Kirit Shah, a major player in commodity trading. Kirit, only 35 at the time, had an impressive business empire with 19 ships transporting rice, coal, sugar, steel, etc. After visiting his operation in Bangkok, I returned inspired and decided to start Eximcan.”
“Be persistent and patient, success doesn’t come overnight.” Haresh Mehta with his team .
Because of the time differences involved in an international business, Mehta worked from 9 pm until 3 am, and during the day at his other ventures.
The first year, he had a grand total of $150 to show for his efforts at Eximcan, after he sold a container of chickpeas to Trinidad.
After a year, the recession ended, FEP began doing well and Mehta expanded Eximcan’s operations. Within a few years, they were in distribution, imports and exports, trading in fibre glass, chemicals, food commodities and warehousing. Their food division has branch offices in Baroda and Ludhiana in India and representative offices in the US, China and Argentina, and they were trading in beans, pulses, oils, dairy products, oils, seeds and spices, adding new products as the operations grew.
“As an entrepreneur, you are always looking for new ways to generate income,” says Mehta.
The journey wasn’t without challenges. “It was most difficult to find clients,” says Mehta, candidly. “I was the only Indian in the business and the reception wasn’t great. I had to work harder than others to prove I could deliver.”
While he himself harboured no doubts about making it, he says Prafulla had many sleepless nights when he moved to an apartment on Lakeshore Boulevard and their rent went up from $80 to $185.
“But it was all an upward graph,” says Mehta. “For the first four or five years, there were no worries about where the money would come from. We were working hard and with integrity and we were successful.”
His own sleepless nights occurred during the recessions when he wondered how he would pay his employees. “But each crisis was an opportunity to start a new business.”
Mehta’s mantra, his life philosophy, has been that success is a measure of how much one has done for one’s community.
He donated to many causes and supported blood donation clinics and hospitals, and his philanthropy became more pronounced when he was asked by his friend and real estate tycoon Moti Champsee to help build the Sanatan Mandir in Toronto.
It took three years, and a lot of work, sorting out land acquisitions, collecting donations and government grants, but they were determined to give the community a temple and a cultural centre.
He started scholarship programs at the mandir, recruiting young adults working in hi-tech, finance and medicine, to inspire youth from the community to get involved in community projects. To build bridges between the community and mainstream Canada, he developed political connections and brought in leaders to the centre.
“Being the founding member was not the intent, I was there to help my friend. But I enjoyed the process and the satisfaction, the fulfilment I gained was far beyond what I gained when I made money.”
As Vice President of Business Development for Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, he led a trade mission to five cities in India in 2013. He also serves on the Canada India Foundation Board of Governors, is a lifetime trustee at Sanatan Mandir, and is an executive member with CNCH.
He established a family trust in 1986 in Dungar village in Gujarat to assist impoverished people with cataracts and eye disorders. Over 5,000 cataract surgeries have been performed and over 15,000 patients have been examined. A walk-in medical clinic served over 10,000 patients with free medicine. Many families in the village receive annual grocery supplies and students receive scholarships.
He built a high school in his father’s name in Dungar in 2011 where 800 students are enrolled and donated 40 computers and started a computer lab for high school students. Four water filtration plants he funded ensure clean drinking water for over 1,700 schoolchildren in four schools. He has also built toilets and shower facilities for the school hostel and provided solar power facilities.
Mehta is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and Platinum Medals and the ICCC Humanitarian Award. Gujarat Public Affairs Council of Canada presented Gujarat Gaurav Award to Mehta for Lifetime Service.
Mehta’s tips for succeeding in Canada include:
Embrace cultural diversity. Canada is known for its multiculturalism. Respecting and understanding different cultures will help you integrate better and build meaningful relationships.
Learn the language. Proficiency in English or French is crucial. It will improve your job prospects, help you communicate effectively, and make daily life easier.
Be persistent and patient. Success doesn’t come overnight. Be prepared for challenges and setbacks. Persistence and patience will help you navigate the ups and downs.
Network actively. Building a strong professional and social network is key. Attend community events, join professional groups, and don’t hesitate to seek out mentors.
Focus on continuous learning. Canadian employers value education and skills development. Pursue additional certifications or courses that can enhance your qualifications and stay updated in your field.
Understand the Canadian workplace culture. Be aware of the norms and expectations in Canadian workplaces. This includes the importance of punctuality, collaboration, and respecting others’ time and opinions.
Maintain a positive attitude. Stay optimistic, even when things get tough. Your attitude can make a big difference in how you are perceived and how you handle challenges.
Contribute to the community. Engaging in volunteer work and community service can provide you with valuable experience, help you integrate into society, and expand your network.
Understand the cost of living, taxes, and financial systems in Canada. Proper financial planning will help you manage your resources effectively and avoid unnecessary stress.
Seek professional advice. Don’t hesitate to consult professionals, whether for legal, financial, or career-related matters. They can provide you with valuable insights and guidance.
Be honest and ethical, embrace integrity and mutual respect, hard-work and reliability.
Both his sons are successful businessmen in their own right, allowing Mehta to step back and hire a CEO to run Eximcan.
He has built a gym at home and works with a personal trainer on his fitness and health.
At the age of 76, he does weight and strength training and cardio.
“I can do 100 knee push-ups in less than three minutes, plank for three minutes and leg press 220 pounds! I also meditate and express gratitude for all that my family has been blessed with.”
• Grant’s is proud to present this series about people who are making a difference in the community. Represented by PMA Canada (www.pmacanada.com).
