The Souza story
Enterprising first steps
The year 1975 saw a young entrepreneur, armed with self belief, set up his first enterprise in Udupi, a coastal town in the South Kanara region of Karnataka. His resolve was to manufacture and bring home to local households, unmatched quality aluminium utensils - the trusted, durable metal of the early decades of modernisation in India. In fact, the extended Souza family in the regions including Puttur and, later, Mangalore were already trading in the popular metal. Souza Aluminium was the brainchild of Walter D'Souza, who spent his early entrepreneurial years at Udupi, setting up this modest factory with a mighty vision. Today, in the new millenium, the old unit continues to turn out much-trusted alumnium kitchenware with an unstintingly loyal clientele..
The cashew foray
Cashew is a staple crop of the coastal belt, especially along the Western Ghats, and the entrepreneurial bug perched itself on the tips of the Souza fingers. What began as an idea to trade in cashew turned out be a lifetime journey of impacting the cashew industry at large. Canara Cashew, the flagship company, was incorporated in the early 80's, with a view to leverage local and global markets while impacting the lot of the cashew producer. The early initiative by founding Chairman of the Souza enterprise led to far-reaching changes in the industry, including his advocacy of stringent production methods, high-quality produce and deep-rooted customer relations. Today, Souza Cashew is a reputed producer and retailer of cashew products with its S Nuts brand a popular takeaway, an enterprise managed by his son, Dr. Christopher D'Souza, whose wife, Bettina D'Souza, directly oversees the two stores at Mangalore and Udupi, as well as the recently launched online store www.souzacashew.com.
More enterprise
Extending the goodwill earned with the aluminium kitchenware and the cashew and dried fruits enterprises, the Souza family ventured into home furniture, with an exclusive store at Udupi committed to bringing home durable, design-centric wood craft, including beds and mattresses, dining area requirements and comfort furniture, In the words of a longstanding customer, 'I have been purchasing Souza Furniture for over thirty years and have never failed to be amazed by the robust products and reasonable prices. I have always recommended their furniture to my family and friends'. - This trust, a result of the House of Souza's commitment to stringent quality standards and customer contentment over nearly half a century of enterprise.
