Sanuj Kohli, group executive director at Laser and Electronics Middle East Group (LEME Group), has built a company that spans four continents and employs 20 staff, and he did it before turning 30.
The company, which he founded in 2006 with a loan of AED 160,000 from his late father Ramesh C. Kohli, has grown by almost 500 percent over the past three years alone, Kohli states. With headquarters in the UAE, it now has offices in China, Hong Kong, UK, and Kenya, and employs 20 full-time staff.
“When we first began there was plenty of bureaucracy,” Kohli recalls. “The process of getting a trade licence was not as straightforward as we imagined. The entire process took us two to three months to complete.
“Another challenge was getting loans from banks. They don’t lend to start-ups unless you have three years of audited financials.
“Finding an office was also difficult as the cost of leasing office space in a high rise is extremely expensive.
“Then there are the high costs of visas, which pertain not only to hired staff, but to the founders of the business as well.
“By doing due diligence, speaking to other entrepreneurs, and seeking legal consultation on company formation, we were able to get through the red tape relatively quickly. We found an affordable office in Bur Dubai and kept our overheads low.
“We sought people who believed in our vision and wanted to become part of the company. We have continued to incentivise them as the company has grown to retain good talent, which is hard to come by.”
Over the years, Kohli has diversified the group’s portfolio to include WaterWise Car Washing, a waterless car wash service provider; LEME Lighting, a new lighting brand providing complete turn-key lighting solutions for indoor and outdoor; and LEME Media, which installed the first digital media facade screen in East Africa.
“Don’t give up,” he advises other entrepreneurs. “It’s because I never take no for an answer that I have got to where I am today. It took me almost three years to make a profit. There were times when I wanted to give up but my father encouraged me to keep going.
“Success only comes from hard work so be prepared to work weekends and odd hours. I used to work seven days a week for the first few years.”
In 2013, Kohli entered into a strategic partnership with a signage company to set up LEME Signage that has become the preferred signage company in Kenya and has completed projects for PwC, Oracle and KPMG.
This year, he says, the team will focus on introducing new fitness concepts to the UAE. However, his main goal is to expand the business across East Africa.
“I grew up there and I travel to Kenya every six weeks, so I have a deep understanding of the market and its potential,” he says. “For this year, we’ve got several ideas lined up, including food trucks, the first male grooming concept, fuel cell technology, and cost-effective vehicle security products for East Africa.”
The LEME Group makes annual charitable donations to New Life Home Trust Kenya, an organisation that cares for abandoned, orphaned and other extremely vulnerable babies, as well as schools in Kisumu, Kohli’s late father’s hometown.
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