The Dependable Group of Companies, incorporated in August 2002, has been flourishing and achieving new milestones under the hegemony of Rajesh “Raj” Ahuja a visionary leader, a business expert, and a multitasking personality. Raj holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and began his career with Kempinski Hotels in Dubai and Sheraton Hotels in New Delhi in the engineering, operation and project management departments before immigrating to Canada in 2001.
From the outset, Raj had a strategy for success by waiting for the right opportunity to appear when a small mechanical contracting firm hired him. Raj joined the company as a project coordinator, and in just a few months, he was primarily running all its departments, including estimating, accounting, and project management. The experience of fulfilling numerous roles and working 14 hours per day allowed him to develop the knowledge and expertise of running a contracting business and inspired him to found Dependable Mechanical Systems Inc. (“DMS”).
Soon, the visionary realized that to continue growing professionally, he needed to join a more prominent firm and headed a large electrical and mechanical project for the Department of National Defence. Due to some project funding issues from the Federal Government, this extensive project stalled for a few months in mid-2005. As a result, Raj seized the opportunity to venture out on his own to do contracting work.
Having developed significant contacts in the construction industry, Raj generated revenue of over $1.5M in the first year on his own. Since then, DMS’ revenue has grown exponentially, year after year, and it has been included in Profit Magazine’s list of the fastest-growing firms in Canada for seven consecutive years. DMS’ growth was not limited to revenue but also included an increase in the number of employees, projects’ size, and in the sophistication of the resources and technological infrastructure. Present-day, DMS operates as the Dependable Group of Companies and has several divisions including mechanical, electrical, HVAC, fabrication, residential low, and high-rise and has more than 250 employees.
“Building a business from scratch makes you stronger and more resilient each day. As the company has grown over the years, I have been consistently reinventing myself. The challenges associated with significant corporate growth make me more resilient and tolerant of risk. I actively seek new opportunities while capitalizing on the strengths and expertise that I have developed over the years” – Rajesh Ahuja
The Dependable Team
Raj said that his greatest accomplishment has been developing a team that is second to none. Dependable employees are its most significant asset. The Dependable team can make any complex situation, task, or project easy to execute and can complete it on time and within budget. Many of the employees have been with Dependable for a long time and have developed the brand Dependable in a very real sense.
The “Secret Sauce”
“Building on my strengths and working hard to minimize my weaknesses is a great recipe for success!” – Rajesh Ahuja
Trying to stay ahead of the game vis-a-vis the competition has provided Dependable with a competitive edge. Dependable has developed its own custom technologies to build its infrastructure at every step, which has allowed Dependable to become an industry leader. Dependable is proactive in both its horizontal and vertical integration and actively diversifies its offerings to minimize the risk to its overall operations.
Learning from a Major Business Failure
As the business grew, Raj could not assess the inherent risk in expansion and, as a result, he overstretched the resources at his disposal. As well, a few years back, Dependable became embroiled in litigation on a few projects, which was unforeseen. This litigation resulted in losses on projects that were expected to be quite profitable. It took a toll on the growth of the business and caused him to re-evaluate the overall business development strategy. Fortunately, the resilience built over the years allowed Dependable to overcome these unforeseen challenges. The experience also helped Dependable foster a very stringent risk mitigation method, which is integral to the continued success of Dependable.
Forthcoming Ideas & Future Roadmap
As a leader, it is essential to guide and motivate the Dependable team continually. Dependable is now pursuing the highest safety and quality accreditations to secure projects on a global basis. Dependable is currently developing a national procurement and resource management strategy that will allow it to continue expanding its business operations.
Dependable is poised for significant expansion to Western Canada and south of the border into the United States. Dependable is involved in several prestigious infrastructure and many high-rise development projects throughout Ontario. It has a solid pipeline of work for the next 3-4 years with large-scale projects throughout the Province.
From the Founder’s Desk
“Over the years, I have realized that building a team is only possible when you distribute responsibility, accountability, and empowerment to others. I have created the business with an open and collaborative style where each team member can express their views and offer their ideas freely. This culture of collaboration and employee involvement at every level has been integral to the success of Dependable”, shared Raj while talking about his leadership style.
“Success to me is when our clients, employees, and business partners provide positive feedback about their dealings with Dependable. This recognition of what our team has built over the years fills me with a great sense of pride and is incredibly rewarding”, he further said.
“Vision” in Life
Rajesh is striving hard to build the Dependable brand nationally, with the ultimate goal of establishing a global identity. He also plans to enter the energy storage sector in the coming years. Dependable is building international alliances to secure projects globally
A Leader’s Main Characteristic
Every leader should have the courage and conviction to make tough decisions when facing challenges and develop strategies to manage and mitigate the associated risk. Being afraid of failure is the biggest weakness a leader can possess.
The Best Advice Received
In the quest for achieving greater heights, one should not forget to enjoy and celebrate the small day-to-day achievements of the kids and the family that provide the feeling of personal fulfillment whilst making giant leaps on the professional front.
