Robert Llewellyn Jones talks to one of Wales’ most successful Asian businessmen, Raj Aggarwal

THE longest journey, we are told, starts with a single step. That single step was to carry Raj Aggarwal from Kenya in East Africa to the Georgian splendour of Bath and lead him eventually to commercial success beyond his wildest dreams.

He was 16 years old, the son of a prosperous Kenyan businessman, who wanted his son to sit A-levels at Bath College, which would lead to university and a subsequent degree.

It was, he remembers, his first time away from home and his only encounter with homesickness.

Now a distinguished member of Cardiff’s Asian community, who was awarded the OBE in 2007 for services to pharmacy, Mr Aggarwal can reflect on the past 40 eventful years.

“My parents pointed out that returning home meant an end to my education and work in the family business,” he said.

“After that initial bout of homesickness I remembered I had come to the UK to build a career so I decide to stay and settled down to study and enjoy life in Bath.”

This would eventually lead to a place in Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and a relationship with the city and its various communities he still enjoys.

At the end of his degree course he was offered a placement with Boots, then the UK’s largest pharmacy chain, at its Wood Street branch in Cardiff.

It was his introduction to management – a busy branch with late- night opening and what seemed to him an endless procession of customers. The experience gained proved invaluable and when his training period ended he was asked to take charge of a branch at Ystrad Mynach.

This was to be the insight into business his fledgling career needed.

He said: “Staff were well educated, many had A-levels. They were hard-working and reliable and what had been intended as a three-month stay lasted a year and led to my managing branches throughout the South Wales Valleys before being transferred back to Cardiff.”

Now singled out as a high flier within the Boots corporate structure his next move was to High Wycombe and a large store with a staff of 100, which proved to be a prelude to managing the company’s Regent Street store.

This introduction serves as a prologue which sets the scene for the next phase of his commercial life.

“From 1972 until 1982 I had worked for Boots and had no interest in doing anything else,” he said.

“Then I went back to Cardiff, where an old friend showed me a pharmacy that was for sale and suggested I buy it.”

Fate, he believes took him to look at that pharmacy in City Road, which had trading figures which he describes as “appalling” but which did vitally have potential for success.

He said: “We shook hands straight away. The businesses had been on the market for some time and I bought it for the price of the stock, which was all I could afford. Fortunately within a year we had quadrupled the turnover.”

It was a start of a success story that was to see the opening of a further six branches, one of which was to be located in the newly opened Capitol Centre in Queen’s Street. All would eventually make them attractive acquisitions for large pharmaceutical chains like the Cooperative, Lloyds and Boots.

The one site he has retained is the Central Pharmacy in Wellfield Road, Roath, Cardiff which he describes as “always having done well.”

“We are happy with its performance there are good staff who have been here a long time,” he said.

He added: “I enjoy being here, being part of the service and customer care. I have an excellent manager and a good infrastructure which ensures the business runs as it should be run and that is with the emphasis on customer satisfaction.”

If customer satisfaction is an integral part of his commercial success his guiding principles are quality, service and satisfaction, which together formed the basis of his father’s business philosophy.

Seven years ago Mr Aggarwal started his online business for internet sales of perfumes and cosmetics

“This is run by my son and under his management has expanded phenomenally,” he said.

“All businesses need to embrace technology especially at a time when people are conscious of price and convenience is of paramount importance.

“Our online business guarantees that orders received before 6pm are dispatched the same day and delivered the next day. There is, I believe, room for growth in this market but we are pleased with the way its going.”

To ensure this growth continues the Central Pharmacy has acquired a purpose-built, totally automated warehouse geared to meet these delivery deadlines, employing a staff of 12, all of them graduates from Cardiff University.

With undisguised pleasure he said: “The business is performing exceptionally well in what I believe is a niche market.

He added: “We are amazed how well the business has grown in both Germany and France due to a weak pound. These will become regular, long-term customers and as long as customers get the service and quality products they will keep using us.”

These are the views of a man at the top of his profession but Mr Aggarwal is much more and his views on the Welsh economy are founded on years of close observation and involvement.

He said: “There is more that could be done for businesses of all sizes in Wales.

“Less bureaucracy and greater transparency when it comes to understanding what commercial incentives are on offer. It all comes down to a question of marketing and creating a climate in which entrepreneurs can flourish.

“The Welsh Assembly Government needs to involve more people with actual business experience, who know what business is all about – a quality lacking in civil servants.

“Such people can give advice and counselling and further the cause of entrepreneurship in Wales.”

The need is, he believes, to be focused on giving value for money something which is often hindered by excessive bureaucracy.

“I often feel it’s not funding people want, but someone to guide and mentor them,” he said.

“Such people know the importance of core values like customer service and a good product offering.

“Many companies that have failed have done so because of poor management which is why I advocate that any budding entrepreneur has some corporate management experience as I had with Boots. Good corporate management experience is essential to a successful career.”

His message is those who aspire to a business career need to serve an apprenticeship first.

His time with Boots and the experience gained are testimony to this.

At 61 Mr Aggarwal has made his mark in commerce and the community and it this aspect of his life that has now become the focus of his attention. He is a board member of National Pharmacy Association and Community Pharmacy Wales, a Welsh Assembly Government appointed adviser on various health and pharmaceutical committees, chairman of trustees of Kidney Wales Foundation and a former chairman of Asian Society of Wales.

His enjoyment of community work and desire to develop this is apparent as his is his love of his profession.

“I sit on many boards and get a terrific satisfaction from this,” he said.

“I hope I offer them all value. I’m in a situation where the pharmacy is not an issue any more.

“Having worked hard and achieved what I wanted I haven’t those financial hurdles to hinder me.”

All of which adds up to a degree of independence, which allows him to put something back into the community.

Looking around his office and the framed press cuttings and trophies of his success he said: “Everything I do I enjoy and that gives me a great deal of satisfaction.”

Similar Posts:

Share