 After emigrating from Bombay, India, Manu Shah and his wife Rika started M S International, Inc. in the basement of their home in Fort Wayne, Indiana home. Their goal at first was modest – to bring in a bit of extra income and supplement Shah's earnings as a mechanical engineer. Shah's brother in India worked in the natural stone business, and Shah saw a business opportunity in importing stone for use in monuments. A meticulous planner, Shah continuously redefined his goals for the expanding business. A key milestone in MSI's growth came in 1981, when MSI won the contract to provide black granite for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.
After the company received this contract, Shah left his position as a project engineer for International Harvester to devote full time to the family business. Three years later, Mr. and Mrs. Shah relocated the business to Southern California, a location they believed to be ideal for product distribution. The couple positioned the company to expand into
commercial and
residential markets, right at the time when demand for granite and other stone surfaces in homes began to grow. Their vision for MSI was to become the only nationwide distributor of natural stone. The company has opened nine mega-distribution centers nationwide, and has amassed over 2,000 regular customers in all 50 states. In 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Shah's two children also joined the business. Our latest achievement occurred in 2007 when Manu Shah, MS International's chairman and chief executive officer, was named Ernst & Young's "Entrepreneur
of the Year" in the Distribution, Manufacturing and Security category. The annual award recognizes those entrepreneurs who have demonstrated extraordinary innovation, financial success, personal dedication and community involvement over the course of the year.
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