Agrocrop Exports Ltd: Customer satisfaction is important to us

Yash Karia learned how to run his family business at the age of twenty-four when his father passed away, leaving him at the helm of business operations. With a business that was scaling upwards, Karia had to learn the business and grow the operations at the same time. In 2017 Karia relocated his business from Brampton to a newly built 110,000 square-foot facility with room to grow in Caledon.

Agrocrop produces private-label packaged pulses, lentils, beans and peas for import and export.

Father of two daughters, Karia is hopeful that one day one or both of his daughters will lead the business that was started by their (late) grandfather Kirit Karia.

We met Yash Karia and asked him about his business journey and future plans for Agrocrop Exports Ltd.

How did you get your start in this business?

My father owned and ran a successful food export business in India. It was one of the biggest import and export companies at the time. In 2000, my father decided to move to Canada. He started Agrocrop as a general food trading company when we first arrived. I entered the business at the age of 22 as a student of International Business at Centennial College. I was tired of the monotony of trading and working from home so my father suggested that I start a bean-packaging plant to complement the trading business. In 2007, we rented an 8,000-square-foot facility for that purpose. A month later my father passed away leaving me in charge of the business. I had to learn and grow the business at the same time. The beginning was difficult but hard work and my father’s blessings brought success and prosperity.   

Where do you get the products from?

We started with the South Asian market and began supplying to Loblaws, Sobey’s and Walmart. The product comes from different countries: fifty per cent is sourced locally from Canada and the rest comes from other countries such as Burma, China, Dubai, Thailand, South America and Australia.

How many people do you employ and are you currently hiring?

Currently, I have 45 employees and that includes part-time workers provided by an employment agency. I am hoping to finalize a potential bid and if it’s secured, we will be hiring more employees for the packaging lines with five days of shift work. With space and two-phase permit I previously secured, this warehouse and office space has a lot of potential to grow.

Are you planning to add other items or products to the existing line?

I wanted to buy a new business but I have not found the right company yet. I would like to stick with the current product range but grow by developing new spice combinations and creating a range of new vegetarian snacks. After we develop the seasoning, we will reach out and explore opportunities with other companies. There is a demand and market for healthy vegetarian snacks that are organic, gluten-free and non-GMO so we are actively working on that these days.

The aim is not just to make money but to provide good quality food products. Customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Why Caledon?

I used to have a facility in Brampton and I was looking to expand but the land was very expensive there. In Caledon, I was able to find a bigger area for the facility at a price that I could afford. The facility is close to Hwy 50 and I only live 3 km away. It’s a great location and I believe it was a very good decision to move here.

What are your future plans?

I am excited about a lot of ideas and we are working towards developing them. I keep exploring options to scale the business even more and we also plan to automate the facility more than it currently is. I have been very fortunate to achieve what I have today. Growing and expanding this business is a source of pride for me.

agrocropexports.com