“If you dare nothing, then when the day is over, nothing is all you will have gained,” wrote Neil Gaiman
Somchand Pethraj, a farmer born in Mithoi, left his comfort zone and moved to Kenya to take chances and shape his destiny. He had simply followed his elder brother, Raichandbhai, in 1935 as many youths of those times were doing. When he took his first job in Nairobi as a shopkeeper with his brothers, there wasn’t a slight hint that this would become the foundation of success for all his future generations.
While Somchandbhai was busy with work, his wife, Kasturben, became the primary anchor to raise their nine children. The elegant and charming woman played a warm and wonderful role in upbringing them all. She gracefully adapted well to take on the challenges of a foreign country. Her grace, adaptability and strength came out all the more reflective when Somchand passed away at an early age. It was tough for her to do everything single-handedly but she found support from her extended family and did it all extremely well.
Kirit was born on 18 October 1954 in Nairobi. Slipping down his mesmerising childhood days, he shares, “Although we weren’t born affluent, we lived in a rather felicitous circumstance, to say the least. Childhood was always fun and liberal”.
He took his pre-primary education at a Jain community-run school, Visa Oshwal Primary School, and later went to Jamhuri High School. Active sports and extracurricular activities interested him more than studies. Shah’s elder brother, Amratlal, gave him money to fulfil his little dreams like going for a swim, movies, playing tennis and golf. He was good at cricket and hockey but his Indian blood made him play gilli danda the most. Some vices came with age. Sharing a small incident, he chuckles, “On an uneventful Saturday, before starting for a school meeting, I was chilling out with my friends and we were unfortunately caught – smoking. I was quaking in my boots. It felt like a contentious relationship with the mind. The following morning, teachers spanked us in front of the entire school. By God’s grace, I wasn’t shouted upon by my parents but they were really upset, so much so that I quit smoking”.
He further adds, “Fun was alright but my father was very particular about education. He would spend late evenings and weekends with other members of the Oshwal community for educational programmes. Indeed, my mother was extremely concerned for our education. She belonged to a generation that didn’t educate girls. Her lack of education was perhaps the biggest motivating factor for her to ensure all my four sisters graduated, to say the least. They went to England for higher education and university degrees”.
Memories bring a tear in his eyes as he shares, “I was just 12 when my father succumbed to heart attack. We feel lucky to be his kids. Were it not for his blessings and all that he did for us, we would never have achieved what we did!”
Faith is seeing light in the darkness
Kirit’s elder brothers, Amratlal and Shashikant, gathered all their courage and continued working with their uncles till 1971 to provide for the family. Business came in tough during the political mayhem of the early 1970s, especially as they had chosen to keep their British passports. By then, another brother, Kanti, completed his studies in India and returned to become a qualified accountant in Kenya. Praful, another of Kirit’s elder brothers, studied in the UK and then in 1970, he immigrated to Canada. He took his further studies at the University of Western Ontario and later started working for the Bank of Montreal in Montreal. He saw great opportunities in Canada and told his brothers to immigrate for better prospects. It became the family’s roots in Canada, built upon further by Kirit and Shashikant. Kirit had yet to start his graduation and so took admission in Concordia University, Montreal, for a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1974.
Starting all over again in a new avant-garde country, adapting to the Canadian harsh winters and having no money challenged him. But he was eager to explore the new world of opportunities and had entrepreneurship on his mind.
Remembering the challenging times, he recalls, “We had background knowledge of running a textile business, yet it seemed we’d have to refresh ourselves for the same now that we were in Canada. To begin, it required a lot of capital. Getting finances from the bank was hard. At times, we even contemplated going back to Kenya. But as they say, if God closes one door, he opens another. We took an idea from one of our cousins, Rajnikant Shah, who used to ship pulses from Kenya to Canada. Consulting him, we started Shah Trading Company and imported the basic Indian items in Canada for further trade – it was something many Indo-Canadians looked forward to, one after the other. The rest is history! As we expanded, we started a flour and spices mill. As time passed by, immigrants from different ethnic cultures came and the business kept growing. Our success mantra has always been family closeness and unity. We held the backs of each other when it came to dreaming and living them.”
As life was on track, in 1982, Kirit married the love of his life, Mayuri, who he had met in Nairobi. “She has been my biggest support all through my personal and professional journey. While I was busy building the business, Mayuri devoted herself to raising our two daughters, Sonali and Sangeeta. They are my pride – strong, determined, well-mannered and cultured. They have grown up to be ambitious and successful, yet homely. And why not! Women run the world,” he believes.
As new immigrants, initially it was a roller coaster ride for the Shahs. The need for ethnic and healthy pantry staples was growing in Canada. Shah Trading Company expanded its work, capital and capabilities to become one of the leading ethnic and natural food manufacturers and distributors in North America. As they augmented, their next generations also joined them eagerly and diversified into other fields with new standards and styles of work. As the business spread its wings wide and strong, the family remained the same – same values, same culture, same bonding! Today, Kirit provides the much needed visionary leadership to the second generation Shahs. He has seen the business clinch new heights. He eyes to further expand business opportunities with young and zealous blood in the family. Sonali is a commerce graduate from McGill University and is married to Shyam Bid, a CPA. They have two lovely kids, Shane and Sia. Sangeeta is a political science graduate from York University. “Together with their cousins, Sanjiv and Kamal, they are leading Shah Trading Company to immense success for the last 10 years,” adds Shah.
The Shahs have always associated with the Jain Society of Toronto (JSOT) and several other Jain temples ever since they have been in Canada. In fact, they have been supporting some right from its inception. Over a period of time, as the community grew, he broadened his engagement with the society. He joined the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple, Toronto, Digambar Temple in Bolton, JAINA Convention in Toronto and many others irrespective of its ethnicity, like churches, food banks, education society, etc. He has always felt strongly for the needy and contributes his part following the footsteps of his father back in Kenya.
Once in a while, Shah takes time out of his busy schedule to engage in his passion – reading and listening to music. As an avid reader, he indulges in politics-based books by V.S. Naipaul, Bob Woodward and Carl Stevens. Though he wasn’t born or brought up in India, yet he is as Indian as a native and resident can be. He still loves Indian cuisines and quips, “what’s life without Indian food?” As a family man, he ensures making two trips a year with his family, brothers, nephews, nieces and grandkids. “Travelling is not just an experience but also a worry-free time to bond!”
As a successful entrepreneur, he believes family happiness to be his true success. While determination and hard work are the virtues of a successful business, none of it can be fulfilling and complete without someone to share it with, says Kirit.