The Making of a Family Enterprise

Every ‘corporate journey’ begins with one small step. But it is not this ‘step’ but the ‘Journey’ which defines a life. Defines the identity, the recognition, fame & fortune that one achieves. A journey which is full of exploration & invention, joy & sadness, learning & unlearning, challenges & obstacles, togetherness & solitude, fame & fortune, achievements & success.

The journey of an individual lasts one lifetime. But that of an enterprise, can become eternal, timeless; encompassing lives of many individuals. This especially happens in family run enterprises where the torch is passed from one generation to another, from one leader to another, one visionary to another. Each person lending a part of himself to the enterprise.

Some lend growth & diversification, others lend solidity & consolidation, networking & recognition, unparalleled wealth & asset creation. But all of them lend their values & their vision. Their dreams & aspirations! Their interpretation of ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’. Over the years, all these combined provide a soul to the enterprise whereby it creates a unique identity for the enterprise. An identity which might have taken years of toils & tears, generations of hard work, decades of neck breaking changes, crests & troughs. This is the evolution of an enterprise. Evolution of a family which is strangely encapsulated in a ‘commercial’ enterprise. Which is the sum total of the lives of many people.

Our own Making

Such is the journey of ‘MARIGOLD’. Which began a hundred years ago when Mr. Hem Raj Jain decided to setup a retail shop in the picturesque, salubrious town of Simla. A town which, because of its beauty, weather and location became the summer capital of the British Empire. The whole of India was then ruled out of this town. Being a visionary himself, the interests of this enterprise soon grew into distribution of FMCG & Petroleum products. Soon his five sons joined to help him achieve his ambitions and similar retail and distribution operations were setup in New Delhi & Chandigarh.

The name of this enterprise still lives more than a century and four generations later. ‘GAINDA MULL HEM RAJ’ still stands tall on The Mall in Simla. ‘MARIGOLD’ is an endeavour to build on the strong understanding and experience of the family in the ‘SERVICE INDUSTRY’. But with a fresh perspective.

‘MARIGOLD HOLIDAY COTTAGES’ is a unit of ‘AB Tools Private Limited’. The promoters of the same are ‘GAINDAMULL HEMRAJ’-SHIMLA, a prominent ‘Jain’ family. The ‘GAINDAMULL HEMRAJ Group, is a century old business conglomerate, with businesses ranging from ‘Distribution, Retailing, Steel & Foundry, Real-Estate & Construction, Hospitality, Investment Advisors (equity, mutual funds & insurance), Exporters (home furnishings) & Manufacturers (hospitality textile products).

‘MARIGOLD HOLIDAY COTTAGES’ is a resort in SHIMLA, comprising of ‘SWISS COTTAGES & AMERICAN STUDIO APARTMENTS’. The concept is designed to bring a tourist / traveler closer to Nature & rejuvenate the guest physically and mentally. It is a home away from home & offers a luxury and comfort for a remarkable ‘Family Holiday’ or ‘Indulging Honeymoon’. The Vegetarian Hotel Shimla with Jain food restaurant menu presents the sumptuous ‘Himachali Delicacies’ and a ‘Comprehensive Jain Food Menu’. The in-house activity area comprises of pool table, table tennis and a host of board games. The children / kids area offers video games, trampoline and toys. The location of the resort is surrounded by pine forests, romantic walks, history & heritage, Himalayan village life, great adventure sports, golf course, snow-clad mountains and the evergreen romanticism of SHIMLA, the queen of hills.

Kullu Manali

The old & legendary ‘Hindustan Tibet Road' takes you through the rugged ‘Kinnaur Himalayas', up and down the majestic mountain passes and brings one to the ‘Valley of Gods'- KULLU – MANALI. The journey & tour of ‘Shimla – Kinnaur – Manali' is a traveler's dream which bewilders & enlightens all & sundry (Indian Tourists & Foreign Traveler', with the raw beauty and ruggedness of ‘Indian Himalayas'. The route takes you through ‘The Green- Narkanda', ‘ Base Camp- Rampur', ‘The Kashmir- Sangla Valley', ‘The Himalayan Jewel- Kalpa', ‘The Rocky Sloped- Yangthang', ‘The Army Base- Pooh', ‘The Highest Inhabited Village-Nako',' The notorious- Malling',' The revered- Tabo Monastery', ‘The cold oasis- Kaza', 'The green planed & cold desert like steeps-Spiti', ‘The Majestic- Kunzum Pass', ‘The Home of the Dead- Rohtang Pass' & ‘The Valley of Gods- Manali'. The ‘MARIGOLD HOLIDAY COTTAGES' offers this enlightened modern traveler, cottages which are so contemporary yet embodies the soul of traditional ‘Himalayan Architecture'. By being at the epicenter of the tourist map region, the Kinnaur & Manali holiday cottages can also be christened as ‘Manali Holiday Cottages' or ‘Kinnaur Holiday Cottages'. ‘MARIGOLD' cottages are a more modern and contemporary cottages in comparison to the ones in Manali, which are a mere boarding and lodging spaces. The three routes to Manali from Shimla, one through Lahaul & Spiti , the second one via karsog and Chail-Chowk and the third one via Ghaghas & Sundernagar, makes Manali very accessible.

Conferencing Facilities

‘MARIGOLD HOLIDAY COTTAGES’ also offers excellent ‘Conferencing Facilities’ for the Corporate Guest. The bouquet of ‘corporate team building exercises’ offers white water river-rafting, mountain biking, treks and picnics and a variety of sports. The uniqueness of a formal conference amidst informal surroundings, of spiritually nourishing atmosphere, with a blend of team building sports & entertainment, brings out the positive best of the participating delegates. The Corporate ‘team-building exercises’ are a necessary routine to nurture the vital ‘team spirit’ which is the important ingredient for Corporate Success. This ‘Himalayan Resort’ or Kinnaur & Manali holiday cottage is conveniently and immensely accessible by road, rail & air and so is a preferred & repetitive destination for numerous ‘Indian Corporate’.