Shavo,
Part II
A
look at how Shavo Norgren is reinventing itself as a total pneumatic
solutions provider
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Harshad
Vora, MD, Shavo Norgren, flanked by his sons Vishal and Ashit
Vora (right)
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“Ask
our clients,” responds Harshad Vora, MD, Shavo Norgren (India), when
asked about the quality of the company’s products. “They are the right
people to talk about our products and services.”
Shavo
is in the limelight because it has recently extended its products portfolio
from a well-established Filters-Regulators-Lubricators range to include
valves and actuators as well. In short, after years of supporting pneumatic
equipment through its FRLs, the company is now ready to project itself
as a one-stop total pneumatic solutions company.
Shavo
started in 1968 as a joint venture company with CA Norgren Company of
US, which originally provided the technical know-how for manufacturing
processing equipment. Over the last 35 years, Shavo has established
itself as a name to reckon with when it comes to the Filters-Regulators-Lubricators
(FRL) range of equipment.
“We
were the pioneers of FRLs in India. Before us, all the processing for
compressed air equipment was done by plumbers, who didn’t understand
pneumatic science. As a result, they would apply hydraulic solutions
to pneumatic equipment. We brought about awareness for the need for
appropriate processing equipment to go with valves and actuators and
other compressed air cylinders,” says Mr Vora. Shavo began by educating
their customers on the need for FRLs and how to use and maintain them.
It held workshops for its clients and often went to its clients’ factories
to educate the workers.
Now,
after proving itself as a market leader in FRLs, Shavo is ready to reinvent
itself as a total pneumatic solution provider. In the year 2002, Shavo
commenced manufacturing of solenoid valves, manual valves and actuators
to meet the needs of the fluid power industry. Says Mr Vora, “The components
for these products are globally sourced to meet with customer requirements
as per international standards. We have in-house capabilities to design
pneumatic applications.”
But
why this decision to reinvent itself and why now? Says Ashit Vora, Director
(Marketing) and son of Mr Harshad Vora, “Till the year 1990, India had
a closed economy. The License Raj required any manufacturing company
to take a plethora of licences before commencing manufacturing. Not
only did the licenses restrict what to manufacture, but also how much
to manufacture. Accordingly, we found it more feasible to limit ourselves
to FRLs.”
It
was with the liberalisation of the Indian economy that .....
....CONTD
