About us
Origins of Govdhan Industries (Pty) Ltd
Govdhan Industries (Pty) Ltd. was established in 1985, with it’s primary business being the the manufacture of high quality plastic products by means of injection moulding process. Over the years we have mastered the manufacture of plastic school rulers and we are proud to say that we currently have the biggest ruler manufacturing plant in South Africa.
Because rulers are a seasonal product, we began manufacturing plastic houseware. This range of housewares is manufactured with our signature level of quality, and it focuses mainly on a market of LSM 1-5.
With Govdhan’s high capacity of houseware products, we found that we unfortunately did not have the resources to market these products to retailers, so we decided to create our own retail division called Eplastic.
Govdhan, derived from the names of Govan and Dhani, worked primarily on the manufacture of these products, while Eplastic acted as their own retail division.
Govdhan has created a firm foundation, which is represented symbolically by a square. We feel that the symbol of a square captures our company vision and what we stand for, as it symbolizes our group of companies which work together, the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west), and the four main seasons (summer, spring, autumn, winter) which we cater to. The square also represents our four priorities which are our family, our community, our country and our world.
The problem solver
Founder: B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering IIT Bombay
- Jayram initially worked in the mining industry and due to job reservations, started his own plastic injection moulding company. His first projects included steel fabricated work such as stools, work benches, tool trolleys and the ‘No M Bed’. This aided in funding his first injection moulding machine in 1985. His dream was to manufacture a product that would foster education, and this is where the idea of manufacturing a 30cm school ruler was born. However, his ideas could not yet become a reality due to the manufacturing process. To fund the company and maintain expenses and commitments, he started manufacturing plastic houseware for the lower end domestic market. By 1989, he had mastered ruler production and supplied his first order of 250,000 units which took 8 months to manufacture. By 1999, Govdhan was supplying rulers to the South African tender market via stationery distributors at a rate of 2 million units per year. By 2000, the company stagnated and he called his sons to join the business.
The executor
Operations Director: Masters in Mechanical Engineering
- Nitin initally worked for a printing / packaging company before he joined the family buinsess. By 2011, he managed to upgrade the manufacturing plant with a total overhaul of machines into modern technology. He streamlined the complete manufacturing process, from the purchasing of raw material to the delivery of finished goods. Currently, the company has 14 injection moulders (50 tons to 700 tons), 3 extrusion lines, 5 printing systems and a complete graphic and design infrastructure. An introduction into the retail market became a reality in 2003, when Nitin and his brother began to market the domestic houseware products which they manufactured.
The BOSS
Managing Director: National Diploma In Mechanical Engineering
- Krishna initially worked for a telecommunication company before he joined the family business. From 2000-2005, he restructured the company for sustainability, by identifying the change in market and experimenting with other products. He changed the target market for rulers and entered the consumer / branded market. As of 2011, Govdhan boasted a production capacity of 1 million units per month. By 2011, the first rulers began entering markets outside South Africa.
Govdhan, its directors and its associated companies have a combined experience of 73 years in fields of management, design, research, production and sales within the following industries: Plastics (Injection Moulding, extrusion, recycling); printing (screen, pad and offset); mining; engineering; real estate and retailing.
Govdhan’s milestone statistics:
- As of 2013, Govdhan has manufactured and sold sixty five million (65,000,000) school rulers for students and still counting. This has satisfied the founders dream and vision.
- The famous ‘Big Mama Stool’, a product made from 100% recycle material, has aided the poorest of the poor by having a place to sit at home. Currently, 800,000 units and counting have been manufactured.
- The 54cm Waskom, another product made from recycle material, aided the poor in improving their hygiene both personally and at home. Currently, 1,345,000 units and counting have been manufactured.