COVID- 19 made several industrial establishments go bust. However, it only strengthened the business of Caitanno Fernandes, founder of Panaji based CAM Group dealing in various kinds of hygiene products and services.
Fernandes say that, the pandemic helped prosper his core business of sanitation and waste management as it made people very conscious of cleanliness.
Not many know Fernandes pioneered portable sanitation facilities in the state. He was the first to bring in portable toilets way back in 2005 when the significance of toilets at beaches and event venues was not yet understood and transportable toilets was a new concept.
Since then Fernandes has handled virtually all the events in Goa. The Sunburn festival, India Bike Week, Goa Fest, ISL, IFFI, Old Goa fest, Zambaulim Zatra, BRICS, DEFEXPO, Vasco Marathon are just some of the big events where he provided sanitation services as well as nearly all the exhibitions.
The ongoing waves of the pandemic have kept Fernandes especially busy. He is responsible for 350 portable toilets at the border check posts as well as toilets for migrants at the stadiums when the first COVID wave struck.
During the assembly elections in the state as well as the Lok Sabha elections, his company set up 1200 portable toilets in election booths.
“Sanitation is always the last area that people want to get into. It is actually like service to gods. When I decided to move back to my home state in 2005, I wanted to start business that was really needed. Everybody knew Goa as famous for its beaches and happening events. I realized the necessity of sanitation facilities and set up business in portable rest rooms, wash basins, toilets, etc.”
Originally from Chandor, Fernandes lived most of his growing up and working years in Mumbai. He worked at Advani Oerlikon Ltd, an Indo-Swiss company manufacturing welding equipment. “In 1998 I was the seventh person in India to have certification in welding from the American Welding Society. For three years I worked in Mumbai with Advani Oerlikon and when the joint venture split I was selected by Oerlikon to work in Switzerland where I was until 2005,” says Fernandes of his background.
Living in Europe and seeing the clean beaches inspired Fernandes to change his line and start a business.
“Working in the industry of welding equipment for 10 years I was looking for a new venture that would give back to society. In Europe everybody was using portable toilets. But when I started out they were not used in India leave alone Goa.”
Since Fernandes was new to the industry and had no experience in business it took him almost four years to set up his company. In early years he worked as a proprietorship firm and provided toilets for free. “Not only was I was new to business I was also new to Goa. I worked in a personal capacity. Events were taking place but event organisers did not believe that toilets were necessary and it took a lot of convincing to sell the idea.”
“The Old Goa fest particularly attracted thousands of devotees but I was surprised to see that there was no toilets for the visitors. I managed to convince the priests to allow me to set up toilets. That was my first success and from there onwards awareness came in and my business took off,” he says.
In those days Dr Willie D’souza and Churchill Alemao were very supportive. In 2006 with their support our company provided 15 toilets on north Goa beaches. After that we got work from political rallies. Slowly our work load started increasing. Today at any given point of time we have about 500 portable toilets in different venues,” said Fernandes.
He revealed that, the portable toilets are imported from the US. They are made of HDPE and have a life of about 25 years. “The Swachh Bharat campaign benefitted my business like anything we expanded into housekeeping services, zero waste management and now we are a brand. At any outdoor event CAM Industries is the first preference because of its quality,” says Fernades.
He adds that, recently his company also looked at the export market and provided 300 portable toilets on an experimental basis at Mecca, Dubai. The project was a success and now Fernandes is on the lookout for more events in Dubai.
“COVID is a bad thing for the economy but we did good business. Toilets and sanitation are a essential and Goa is a tourist spot. All industries were my clients during shutdown and also hotels. “Man can go anywhere but what about women? They need proper toilets,” says Fernandes wisely.
The group employs about 400 people including staff and employees on field. In 2020-21 it made a revenue of about Rs 198 crore and is aiming for Rs 500 crore revenue in the next three years. On the cards is projects in other states, viz. Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
We are the first company to provide the full gamut of sanitation services that covers toilets, sanitation, housekeeping, garbage recycling. As CSR we have maintained portable toilets from Dona Paula to Miramar stretch. We also do lot of gratis work churches, says Fernandes.
He believes that, the state government is keen to provide sanitation services to tourists but needs to go about it the right way. “The awareness is there but just calling for tenders and giving bids is not enough. Tenders need to be given to reputed companies who can do the work,” says Fernandes.
His dream project is clearing Goa’s rivers of plastic waste for which he is tied up with Geneva based company. Presently the ongoing major works are remediation work at the garbage sites in the state. CAM Industries has bagged remediation contract for nine dumps of which we have completed about four dumps, says Fernandes.