SACC Honors Entreprenuers At Awards Banquet
INDIA HERALD -- FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1999

Abeezar Tyebji, cheif executive officer of Shipco Logistics, a leading software solution providers, in Houston, recieved the 1999 South Asian Chamer of Commerce outstanding entreprenuer and business leadership award last week.At the SACC's fifth annual banquet and awards ceremony, outstanding business professional and community service awards were also given.

Tyebji's Shipco Logistics, is described as a fast growing enterprise, which produced $3 million worth of software in two years.He has been a catalyst for many south Asian community members to start their own software development businesses. Tyebji considers the software developers as an extended family, rather competitors.

Tyebji belongs to the Dawoodi Bohra community and comes from India.Bandula Wijay from Sri Lanka is a Fulbright scholar and has fonuded three companies in the field of medical devices. He has invented many medical devices and has got 15 patents for inventions. recently, he has developed a device that helps clear the clogged arteries. Currently, Wijay is working on gene therapy.

The outstanding community service awards were givin to Dr. hassan Naqvi, who has been re-running a free medical clinic at Hyberadad House in Houston on weekends, gopal Rana, active volunteer and teh Indian Doctors Club Free Clinic and Prasad Menon, president IMC Maritime Froup, for his association with several charities.

The outstanding SACC service awards were given to Musa A. Dakri, chairman and CEO of Wallis Bank, who was the counder-chairman of the chamer and Raj Natarajan, founder-president of the chamber, who is in real estate development.Wazi Ullah, CEO of Computer expo, Zafar Tahir, operator of a series of Exxon gas stations, Zarir Sethna, insurance agent with New York Life and Farheen Ahmed real estate agent with ERA Keenan & Associates were given the achievement recognition awards.

Houston Metro chairman Robert Miller was the key-note speaker at the awards banquet."Even if you don't ride the bus, you benefit from Metro which means 200,000 cars less on the road and less pollution," Miller said.Miller explained that $4.3 billion, millenium mobility plan which includes the $2300 million light rail project and $1.3 billion for street and road construction.

The light rail component in Metro's capitol project budget is only 7 percent and the mass transit is a toll to combat congestion and pollution, he said.The banquet began with a procession of the seven national flags, representing South Asia, namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.

SACC banquet George Willy in his message urged the Sounth Asian Americans to unite in the name of commerce and trade, without the tinge of regional differences and to move in to the millenium as a unified force.

Messages from President Bill Clinton, Vice-president Al Gore and proclamations from Houston Mayor Lee Brown and other political dignitaries were read.

Students of Anjali Dance Company presented two dances titled Fire and Peace. A fashion show was organized by the designer Fatima Rauf.The outgoing SACC chairman Srini Iyengar and director Ghulam Bombaywala were recognized at the banquet. SACC's current president Haroon Sheikh was away in China. SACC's past president Lufti Hassan will be the chamber's chairman nest year and Munir Ibrahm, the president.