Shaffiat reaches the caribbean market form Barrackpore

Like any other devout Muslim, Shaffiat Ali, 37, has been keeping the fast and attending mosque on a regular basis. As head of the huge printing firm, Saudia Enterprises Limited (SEL), Shaffiat has made a name for himself on the Caribbean market and the world at large.

Last Year he did the country proud by winning the ‘Arch of Europe’ Gold Award of Frankfurt, Germany, for excellence in business format. He created history, having been the first Caribbean company to cop this title. The name SEL printing can be seen on many of the largest firms including Internationally-based hotels, banks, telephone companies and others. Today he is aiming at yet another international award, ‘The International Quality Crown Award’ which is given for Business Initiative Director. This award ceremony will take place in the Thistle Tower Hotel in London on November 30. Shaffiat has been invited and he will be making the journey. This young man who runs a million-dollar company in Papourie Road, Barrackpore, looks like a simple guy from next door. He is never seen in jacket and tie. He prefers to wear simple cotton clothing. Speaking from his home in Barrackpore, Shaffiat said his climb to success has not been an easy one. “I can remember clearly, I was afraid to even buy a soft drink in case my money would go down. When I started off my business, I would work like a dog to reach my target. Today I can relax and travel the world. This came about with the blessing from Almighty Allah and from my parents,” he said.

Ali’s family is all together in this as he lost his elder sister, Mymoon Ali, in a car accident on November 8. Since then, the Ali family has been in state of shock. Shaffiat himself mourning the lost of his sister, who he said was an inspiration to him. “Many times you will hear about people getting into accidents and so on, but when it happens to you, only then you know the pain of losing a loved one. I believe that Mymoon is in heaven and looking upon us. This is my only consolation as I live another day,” he said. Despite all that is happening, Shaffiat’s business continues as usual. His workers are as efficient as he is and he is able to meet all his demands on time. “My recipe for success has been customer service and quality merchandise. I offered the companies the best printing service in quick time. Meeting the companies’ deadline is of utmost importance for us at Saudia. We have been able to capitalise on this service, and as a result, success came easily,” he said.

Shaffiat remembers his teenage days after graduating from Barrackpore Senior Comprehensive and not having an income. The ambitious young man went to the bank and opened an account with $1 and pledged to put money each week in his savings. He got a job at Sultan Khan’s Printery (no longer in existence) and he quickly learnt the operations of the world of printing. This was the beginning of great things to come for Shaffiat. After the closure of Sultan Khan’s he started taking orders from the regular customers and taking it to various printeries so that he could make a small profit. He saved his money and was soon able to purchase machinery for printing. He could not afford to employ anyone, so he took orders during the day and worked long hours into the night to fill orders. This he did for five years until he was able to purchase more machinery and employ three other people. Since then, Saudia took off like a jet. Shaffiat was given enough time to contact the bigger companies and to provide an excellent service for them.

At Saudia, there are huge modern machines that produce the most exquisite printed materials. The quality of artwork and colour is second to none. For Shaffiat, it’s a dream come true. It happened for him because he believed that it could happen. He did not try to establish himself in the town area, but instead worked from his home in Barrackpore. He is still there in the rural district, serving the huge companies throughout the Caribbean. Shaffiat is a humble person who reaches out to the poor, for he knows what it is like to live in poverty. He has worked hard towards success and is now one of the most successful businessmen in TT. He gives regular contributions to religious groups in the area — be it Muslims, Hindus or Christians. He recently sponsored the Tandava Tassa Drummers of Realize Road, Princes Town. Here 25 young men were given tassa drums for the formation of a group in the area. “We must be willing to give back to society. It gives you a lot of satisfaction when you can really assist the young people who are in need of direction,” he said. At the press of a button, he started his vehicle from his porch, demonstrating the advanced technology that signals he has made it to the top.