Meet The Boss: Mr. Folaranmi Seyi, CEO, Huramson Nigeria Limited

  Mr. Folaranmi Seyi’s work is his hobby and he tells you in this interview with Connect Nigeria how to make your venture your hobby. He spoke to us also about coring, Huramson’s unique selling point which is on its way to being in high demand. CN: Tell us about your educational and professional background. FS: I attended St. Louis College, Molete Ibadan and I attended Lagos State University where I studied Economics and graduated in 2009. Before University, I worked with different construction companies and worked for 10 years. I acquired different experiences from the construction companies so when I graduated, I did not want to look for white collar jobs but decided to delve into what I know already. CN: What do you do at Huramson Nigeria Limited? FS: It is an engineering-construction company. We have different aspects of the works we do. Particularly, we are unique in this – coring. Coring is the making of holes for renovations for example, when there is the need to pass cables, pipes or conduits through the floor, instead of chiseling which will damage and weaken the floor and the columns. We have a special machine that will make holes of different sizes within three minutes, without weakening the ground and without tearing the floor, and with that machine you can make as many holes as you want in a day instead of chiseling one hole in a day. Coring takes no time at all. CN: What need do you see out there that Huramson Nigeria Limited helps with? FS: We want to facilitate the work of our customers. Mechanical companies and electrical companies are some of our customers. In most cases, they drill holes so instead of using chiseling which would be rough and can damage the ground, we make the hole through our coring machines and the hole is done neatly and damages nothing. We also offer our customers Braithwaite tanks. It is a kind of reservoir that is erected. We do the erection of pipes according to how the client wants it before we erect the tank. I am also into structural engineering, and structural roofing. Structural roofing is when a house is built without using wood and zinc for cover. Most would prefer to cover with iron. Using iron is part of our job. We do burglary proof in different designs. We sell to customers and make designs they choose. Additionally, we are also into aluminum works. I am a subcontractor to some aluminum companies such as EBM system. We fixed the burglary proof glass for 1004 estate. CN: How did you come about the name Huramson? FS: I came across the name when I was reading my bible. The name Huramson in the bible was the person responsible for the craft work in King Solomon’s day and kingdom. That was where I got the name.  CN: What is your experience as an entrepreneur? FS: As an entrepreneur, you get the good and the bad times. You will meet those who will encourage you. I met Mr. Benson White, the head of the Mercedes Benz centre along Lekki on the 2nd round about who was very encouraging. EBM collected the contract and sublet the contract to me. I did the Braithwaite tank behind the Mercedes Benz workshop. You will meet some people who will encourage you. Some will also ask you to go and start the work and because they don’t trust you they won’t give you the money you need to do good work so you have to go and get a loan but it is hard. I work with Unity Bank but it is not enough. If you are not courageous, you will be weighed down. My experience is also that sometimes it is hard to get the quality materials you want so to get the ones you want, you have to go the extra mile because there are a lot of lesser quality materials around.  CN: Which customers would you like to work with? FS: The customers I desire are the construction firms such as GKapal, Bergerand Kennol, who I feel need most of our work. Construction companies that basically deal with renovations. Renovations and constructions are what we work with particularly. CN: What is your unique selling point at Huramson Nigeria Limited? FS: Coring is what makes our work unique. I have not seen an individual or a company using it. Instead of using chiseling, coring ensures making holes is easy, fast and that they are perfectly done. CN: How do you effectively combine the demands of work and personal life? FS: When you work, you should make it your hobby. For example, footballers might be seen as people who just play but it is work for them. Although it is work, it is also a hobby because they love doing it and that is the way I do my work. For me, my work is my hobby. CN: What is your vision for Huramson in five years? FS: My personal vision for Huramson Nigeria Limited is to employ people like me and teach them the knowledge of what I am doing. I want to train them. In the next five years, I want to see Huramson as a company that will serve the nation and employ people to enrich their lives. I want to reach people and touch lives with the work I do. CN: What advice would you give young entrepreneurs about this industry? FS: I have experienced the good and the bad in business. Your determination is what helps you overcome. I work because I want to reach people and touch lives. And if you want to touch lives, you will go through a lot of things that you just have to bear. Work to establish your passion and along the line, before you know it, you will have established and become a household name by what you do.