In every edition of the SupplierAdvisor we highlight a diverse supplier with a great success story. This quarter we are pleased to showcase Apidel Technologies, LLC. Amita Patel, Founder and CEO of Apidel, is a great example of “living the American dream.” With a Master’s degree in Micro-Biology from VP Science College in Anand, Gujarat, India, Amita had the opportunity to come to America in early 1995.
With a drive and passion like Amita’s, she was determined to be productive, better herself, and make a difference, despite her broken English. Within six months of arriving in the US, she learned of an opportunity at a jewelry company, and she knew it was her chance. She bravely caught a bus that required three changes, and while she did get lost, she reached out to a friend who was able to guide her to the interview. The next day, she received a job offer to pack jewelry for minimum wage. Within three months she was promoted to team lead, then to department lead, then to supervisor, and finally, to operations manager. She proved to be indispensable; so much so that when she was ready to start her own company, the jewelry company retained her to run their business until they could stand on their own feet.
Fast forward to 2012, and Amita had started her own business. She reflected on her 20 years of experience at the jewelry company – where 90% of the workforce were women – and she knew she had a calling. Amita liked the idea of helping others, especially women, find work and life-long careers. As a single mother, she knows the unique challenges women face in business, and decided to use her management experience to make a difference. With an investment from her brother and the support of her family, Apidel was born.
Today, Apidel employs a significant number of people through contingent labor and permanent hires globally, 37 percent of which are female. The company’s ultimate goal is to raise that to at least 50 percent. Through her leadership, Amita has created a solid foundation of client centricity, and operational and service delivery excellence that is embedded at the core of the company’s culture. Their core values and employees are at the heart of everything Apidel does, and that makes all the difference. These ingredients have enabled Apidel to double their revenue year over year for the last four years.
In Her Own Words
Amita Patel,Founder and CEO
It is clear that diversity and inclusion are near and dear to me; especially as it relates to promoting and encouraging women in the workplace. Providing opportunities to women and having a diverse work force is important to me, as well as part of my belief of a how to run a successful organization. As a single mother, I had the opportunity to have a mentor who gave me the courage and industry connections to grow my business. My mentor showed me what it means to be empowered and to do more than I thought I could. I want to pay forward the lesson I learned to those who need a chance to be successful.
Having a mentor who took the time to invest in me, was a big change in my life. When someone is willing to invest in you, you gain so much from it. I am truly blessed with having a mentor who did just that, invested in me. From my mentor, I learned that I have to give back to other women in business. I am a mentor now, providing time and attention as my mentor did for me. I see the results, and I am pleased that I can change the life of one woman at a time for the better.
Empowering women means providing more opportunity and growth for women in the workforce. At Apidel, they believe in promoting women and encouraging diversity within their management. As a leading, women-owned business, the company strives to build a diverse workforce to meet their clients’ needs. For example, one client had no notable diversity in their program. Apidel was able to increase the client’s hiring of women by 32 percent within the last six months. The client is so thrilled with the program they are planning to do the same next year.
Ten years from now, my goal is that we will continue to hire for diversity and for women in the workforce at my company. Expanding the influence of women in our workforce is the key to our success, and even our customers are embracing these practices in their organization. It is amazing when your client follows your strategy; it shows we are doing the right thing.
To learn more about Apidel, please visit their website at www.apideltech.com