This Is Shri’s Wish – Shrinivas Thanedar

“The more I fail, the more I want to succeed. The harder I fall, the higher I rebound”

Dr. Shri Thanedar is CEO and Chief Scientist at Avomeen Analytical Services Over 30 years experience in developing products and solving manufacturing quality related problems for the pharmaceutical, cosmetics, food, automotive, health and beauty, neutraceuticals, and variety of other industries. 

Shri’s story began half way around the world in a small town called Belgaum in southern India where he grew up. Growing up as one of six children in a low income family, he was taught about the importance of education and need for financial independence. He was enrolled in the local public school system and excelled due in large part to the wisdom installed in me by my mother Sulochana. He used to stay with his family in Mirapur Galli, Shahpur.
He had scored a meager 55% marks in his SSLC and had got a job at the age of 18 itslef in the State bank of India in Bijapur. But he wanted to do his MSc. But the principal of the Dharwad did not allow him to do so. He had to go upto the Vice Chancellor for the same and atlast he got the permission. But the bank denied him leave for his exams for 15 days and he decided to leave from Bijapur and came to Dharwad for his exams. He slept for only one hour for 8 days and finished his studies. Even before his exams got over he got to know that he had been fired out of his job from the bank.
Shri earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Karnataka University in 1973 and was ranked First in the Masters’ program in Chemistry from the University of Bombay. The American consulate denied him visa for 6 times, he got the visa when Mrs.Virginia from the consulate had been on leave and thus he stood on the soil of America. Even his dean in the university had denied to sign his Visa letter.

He then came to the United States to continue studies and earned a Ph. D. in Organometallic/Polymer Chemistry from the University of Akron in 1982. He did post-doctoral work at the University of Michigan from 1982-84. After the studies, he took a job as a researcher with the former Petrolite Corporation and eventually earned an MBA from Fontbonne University in 1987.

In 1990, Shri took the biggest risk of his life and began his entrepreneurial journey. With a bank loan of $50,000 along with $3,000 from his credit card, Shri purchased Chemir Analytical Services. With god’s grace and hard work, he was able to grow the small company into a multi-million dollar business. The testing lab had annual revenues of $150,000 before Shri grew it to revenues of $14 million and sold it for over $25 million. He also grew a pharmaceutical services company with 350 employees and an enterprise value of $130 million before it folded under the 2008 recession. Apart from flagship Chemir analysis, the Chemir group now includes Azopharma Contract Services, a pharmaceutical Product development company based in Miramar, Florida, IQsynthesis, a custom organic molecule making company based in St. Louis, Missouri and CAS-MI, a Paints and Coatings research and Analysis company based in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

He lives in Miami, Florida with his sons, Neil and Samir, and wife, Shashi. Nowadays he finds great challenge and satisfaction in buying and turning around smaller under performing companies. He devotes his time between cultivating new businesses, grooming young entrepreneurs and Thandedar Foundation which he set up together with my wife Shashi which promotes Indian music, theater and literature. The foundation also supports many charitable organizations that support the arts around St. Louis area. The foundation grants fellowships to writers and journalists who study socioeconomic and cultural issues.

His book ही श्रीची इच्छा (English: This Is Shri’s Wish) was a bestseller which is a memoir by Dr. Shrinivas Thanedar.