MSI’s Shah Receives National Honor

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –Manu Shah, chairman and chief executive officer of M S International Inc. (MSI) received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 national award Distribution, Manufacturing and Security category.
Shah received the honor during an Ernst & Young event in Palm Springs on Nov. 17. Now in its 21st year, these awards recognize leaders and visionaries who demonstrate innovation, financial success, personal dedication and a commitment to the community as they create and build world-class businesses.
Shah was recognized for turning MSI, a small business that he started in his basement, into one of the largest distributors of natural stone in North America. Headquartered in Orange, Calif.. MSI also maintains state-of-the-art distribution centers in New Jersey, Atlanta, Dallas, Boston, Chicago and Phoenix. The product line includes natural-stone products imported from 33 countries in five continents; the company maintains overseas purchasing offices in Brazil, China, India and Turkey..
Shah’s national award follows being named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year regional winner for the distribution category in Orange County, Calif.
In receiving the award, Shah noted, “… for a man who came to this country with $210 in his pocket and $3,000 of debt, this is a humbling experience.
“Natural stone has been for ages and remains an incredible job creation machine. It is one of the few industries today that continues to support the population in the rural regions of the world.
“I would like to dedicate this award to the millions of people belonging to the non-glamorous stone trade,” he added. “They have brought us, and continue to bring to us, the vivid, stunning, exquisite and affordable natural stones from far corners of the planet to our homes and businesses.”
“This award is truly a reflection of the ingenuity, hard work, and consistent innovation of the entire MSI team,” he said, “which includes dedicated employees, our suppliers in over 33 countries, and devoted customers across the world. We continue to look forward to bringing growth, innovation, and efficiency to the natural-stone industry.”
After emigrating from Bombay, India, Manu Shah and his wife, Rika, started MSI in their Fort Wayne, Indiana, home with a modest goal – to bring in some extra income to supplement Shah’s earnings as a mechanical engineer. Shah had a brother in India who worked in the natural stone
business and Shah saw the possibilities of importing stone for use in monuments.
A key milestone came in 1981, when MSI won the contract to provide black granite for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. After the company was awarded the contract, Shah left his position as a project engineer for International Harvester and joined the family business full-time.
Three years later, he relocated thecompany to Southern California, believing it would be the ideal location for distribution. Shah positioned the company to expand into commercial and residential markets, just as demand for granite and other stone surfaces in homes began to grow.
Since then, the company has opened seven natural stone super-centers nationwide and has amassed more than 2,000 recurring customers in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico.
The company experienced strong growth each year since its inception 32 years ago. Despite the slowing housing market, MSl has seen growth of more than 100 percent since 2004. The family business now includes Manu and Rika’s two sons and more than 400 employees.