KIMOHA ENTREPRENEURS LIMITED
D 55 – Dubai – United Arab Emirates
www.kimoha.com


Vinesh Bhimani’s Kimoha Entrepreneurs Limited, based in Dubai, UAE, is a thriving label converter in Middle East Asia. With more than two decades of effort and dedication – overcoming a few roadblocks along the way – Vinesh created his label brand “Xel-lent.” He graduated in Commerce from Nizamabad, with his father hoping he would take up the offer of RRL Jorhat, (Regional Research Laboratory) to manufacture carbonless paper.  The seed for his involvement with paper was sown.

Vinesh was sent to Oman 40 years ago to get a feel for business before returning to Nizamabad to embark on new ventures. Vinesh had joined Khimji Ramdas as a trainee and left his post of general manager in 1988. From Oman, he arrived in Dubai and started a trading company with his brother-in-law, Kiran Asher, where they faced financial hardships and a burst water pipe that threatened the business. Left with nothing, Vinesh offered to sell his house in Mumbai to repay Kiran. Kiran asked him to stay on and the partnership remained. It was then that they established their company, Kimoha.

Kimoha briefly began packing food items but soon shifted to manufacturing telex and fax rolls. It was a humble beginning, with a machine made by his uncle in Nizamabad. Business began to grow with exports to many countries, and Vinesh started to travel extensively. During his travels, he decided to manufacture airline baggage tags and self-adhesive labels.

Vinesh went to Labelexpo Europe in Brussels in an effort to learn about the industry. He had his mind set on advanced features of his new press. He wanted a 24-inch repeat and three die stations. Before the show ended, he was decided on the configuration of the press, including print stations, turnbar, sprocket hole punching and fanfold. Asher concurred, and Kimoha was on its way to producing labels.

The company began with no operators, so Vinesh had to go to India for recruitment. In 1995, Kimoha got its first contract for baggage tags from Emirates Airlines. In the three subsequent Labelexpos, the company kept investing in new presses. The company had just two employees in 1988 and an 18 square meter office, but Kimoha now operates out of a 20,000 square meter facility in Jebel Ali, Dubai.

Kimoha has 13 flexo label presses and one digital press, along with a host of other finishing and converting equipment that have capabilities for hot-foiling, embossing, online numbering and applying registered holograms. The company’s label presses include Gallus, Nilpeter, Aquaflex and Xeikon. Its converting capabilities extend to AB Graphic, Prati, Rotocontrol, Rotoflex, and GM Grafisk Maskinfabrik.

The total workforce at Kimoha is in excess of 300 employees. Kimoha offers a range of baggage tags, label products, flexible packaging and stationery. With a sales turnover of multi-million Dirhams, its products have a presence in more than 35 countries. Its baggage tags segment is very strong, with supplies going to over 100 international airlines, airports and ground handling providers over the world.

Purnima Bhimani, Vinesh’s wife, is also active in the office on a daily basis, taking care of finances and interior planning. Kiran Asher, Vinesh’s brother in law and partner, is the chairman of Kimoha. Vinesh’s brother, Rajesh, has also been with Kimoha for almost two decades. He has numerous responsibilities, including housekeeping duties.

Vinesh Bhimani thinks of his team like family. He tirelessly works to instill  family values. He took 267 people one day to visit Burj Khalifa, in an effort to deliver his message of aiming high and having higher virtues in life and to understand how one feels when one “At The Top.”

Each day starts with the entire Kimoha work family joining in morning prayers. At lunch, they are served a high-end restaurant catered meal and are allowed some extra time to play indoor games before returning to production. Education of employees’ children, medical expenses, insurance, etc., are areas where the company supports its employees.

Kimoha has been honored as one of the top 100 SMEs in Dubai in the first ever ranking initiative in 2011 and then again in 2013. In 2011, they were ranked No. 38 in the overall top 100 SME companies in Dubai, and 16th in human capital development. In 2013, they were ranked 27th overall, 5th in innovation, 14th in human capital development, and 15th in growth performance.

Kimoha has also been conferred with the CSR Label from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry for three consecutive years, as well as the Leed Gold Certification from United States Green Building Council for Kimoha’s new state-of-the-art warehouse. Kimoha has received multiple international awards for printing excellence from FINAT, FTA and more.

Kimoha is also an ISO 9001 – 2008 certified company, running a warehouse 24/7. Its in-house flexo and digital prepress facility features laser labels produced from recycled labelstock and packed in recyclable boxes. The company converts photopolymer plates from 1.7mm to 1.14mm, thus reducing its carbon footprint by 17%.

The company recycles 95% of platemaking solvent and has installed LED lighting in the office and factory. There is also an ongoing project to install solar to run the factory and office using 100% solar energy.

Vinesh Bhimani expects the company to expand and diversify. He wishes that his entire Kimoha family remains bonded together and involved in creating something special. The goal is, to be unique and achieve a status where the entire team has contributed, to bring excellence to Xel-lent and beyond and be the part of global network.  –Harveer Sahni