Achievers
KIA – small beginnings, now a dynamic force
“Nothing is unique about my business,” says KIA CEO Raymond Levin, who won last year’s Jewish Achiever Award in the Listed Company category. “Save that keeping it lean and not building empires, has allowed us to generate substantial profits.”
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He’s especially proud of having built a brand that had hardly been heard of in South Africa 16 years ago, and “building a team of people who would travel the journey with me”.
Levin has built his team by looking for people “who challenge my thinking process and are innovative. I surround myself with confident self-starters,” he says, citing his business mantra: “Never say it can’t be done. Serve as you would like to be treated.”
With clear ideas as to what it will take to grow the South African economy, he says: “Small and medium-sized businesses need to be given a chance.”
Further, KIA SA under Levin’s leadership, has made a substantial contribution towards sponsoring the community service award in the Jewish Achievers award bouquet; it will henceforth be called the KIA Community Service Award.