[ SPOTLIGHT ]
sponsored by
Dee Thaya, owner and managing director of Abra Wholesale
Dee Thaya (third on left) and his team at Edmonton have been shortlisted for the Gold Medal Cash & Carry Team of the Year.
‘Taking risks is the key to success’ What has been the major milestone or turning point of your career? The decision to sell my group of convenience stores in 2003 and to invest all the funds into a small warehouse in Enfield, North London. I started with household goods, toiletries and pound lines. It was a big risk which thankfully proved to be a success. Who has been the biggest inspiration to you? The team of dedicated Abra people are my biggest inspiration every day. They constantly prove that great results are possible when everyone is pulling hard in the same direction. How do you maintain a work/life balance and how have developments in technology affected this? This is a constant struggle. My family (inset) is very important to me and I do try to set aside quality time for family and friends. Unfortunately, this is not always possible as running a fast-moving business can be very time consuming. I find that modern technology makes me more accessible and, if anything, works against a sensible work/life balance. 14
November 2015
What most frustrates you in business (and in life generally)? When deadlines are not met – both in the workplace and in life generally. There is a big hidden cost to missing time targets. If you were able to retire tomorrow, how would you spend your time? I really enjoy working and can’t foresee a time when I will ever retire. What advice would you give someone starting his/her first job? Set out to learn as much as possible about your chosen career. Be prepared
to do any job in the business. Never forget that people need people – customers and colleagues are vital to success. What type of business would you go into if it wasn’t C&C/wholesale? It would be health and food related. Probably retail. If you had a million pounds to invest in business, how would you spend the money? I would invest in a health-related food business. I believe there is a good opportunity in this sector, with room for CCM growth.
From retail to wholesale in one fell swoop Dee Thaya came to the UK in 1990 from Sri Lanka. He started his career working for various retail companies, before opening a small store in 1993. In the initial stages, he combined the day-to-day running of the shop with driving mini cabs at night. Over the next decade, he built a mini empire of eight convenience stores, before
www.cashandcarrymanagement.co.uk
selling the lot to fund Abra Wholesale. In 2010, Thaya started his own export division. A year later, he relocated the business to a 75,000 sq ft site in Edmonton, North London. Since then, the company has increased its product range to include tobacco, alcohol and grocery. Earlier this summer, Abra opened a second depot in Luton.