Building Connections and an Empire to Last: Thiru Ganesan

…..and this is how Kyyba was founded.
Thiru Ganesan along with his brother Tel Ganesan set up their dream project in Detroit, Michigan in the year 1997. Kyyba started as an IT staffing solution provider in US and soon started to spread its wings across the globe. Kyyba is now a global organization with its headquarters in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It has a global presence with offices in Dallas, New Jersey, Toronto-Canada and three locations in India – Trichy, Chennai and Bangalore. Since its inception, Kyyba has grown multifold and today offers a variety of services which includes IT, Engineering, Technology, Training, Customized Project Solutions and Business Consulting services.

Kyyba has experienced a steady growth in terms of the number of employees, customers/industries served and revenue. Kyyba increased its strength and grew at a faster pace, both organically and through mergers and acquisitions. In 2008-2009, Thiru set out to acquire two more companies: RB Systems and 3D Solutions, the former focused on IT services and latter was into Engineering. Originally know as Vision Tech Solutions, Thiru and Tel owned three different companies with three different offices. It was then that they decided to bring all three businesses under one roof and consolidate further under one brand – Kyyba in 2010.

“Vision Tech Solutions, a $6-million company, RB Systems, a $8-million and 3D Solutions, a $3-million company, the three were integrated and branded as a single entity Kyyba, Inc., which is now a $40-million company with 500 employees around the globe. Our offshore office in Trichy began its operation in 2006, not far after the ones in Chennai and Bangalore were opened to accommodate the growing needs of the company“, said Thiru Ganesan, the architect in creating the offshore centers for Kyyba.”Today, the company generates 35% of the total revenue and our entire back office operations.”

Knowing the Entrepreneur
Thiru Ganesan is the co-founder of Kyyba, Inc. A software engineer by qualification, Thiru had a magnetic pull of entrepreneurship. “My passion, hard work and perseverance brought me into this world of entrepreneurship. I believed that the harder and smarter you work, the sooner you will succeed.”

Prior to co-founding Kyyba, Thiru worked as a Lead IT Consultant in Principal Financial group and Nationwide Financial. PMP certified from Nationwide Financials, Thiru carries extensive experience in converting legacy application system to a GUI front end. At Kyyba, he is responsible for Strategy and Operations, Development, Marketing, Infrastructure Support, Training and HR operations of the organization. Thiru has received numerous accolades during his career in Principal and Nationwide.

Being a Software Engineer turned entrepreneur, he has extensive passion for building companies from the ground up. With his technical expertise, coupled with management skills, he successfully doubled the company’s revenue for three years in a row. Known for his business acumen, Thiru is also an active angel investor, dedicated to help budding entrepreneurs and give wings to their dreams.

Founded Chola Power
A creative thinker, risk taker and a person with a special sense of purpose, Thiru soon turned into green energy. Renewable energy’s transformative promise, inspired him to start his new venture in power which he named as ‘Chola Power’. Chola Power deals with solar electric design and installation, making it one of the most experienced companies in India to deal with when considering solar photovoltaic (PV) system. The company offers the latest technology, state of art equipment and financing opportunities for all residential, commercial, government and industrial customers.

Chola Power can help reduce energy costs, carbon footprints and the reliance on dwindling fossil fuels and thereby contribute to a more clean, safe and sustainable world. The company has a dedicated team of engineers, designers and installers to make solar a turn-key solution for customers. They import the state of art equipments from the best manufacturers, and in doing so have built strong relationship with them. This has enabled them to be the most competitive supplier and installer of solar panel systems in India. The company prides itself on being a local business wherever it offers solar solutions and provides competitive jobs to the communities they serve.

In Conversation with Thiru Ganesan (COO)

How do you position yourself currently in the business?
Kyyba, Inc. was listed on the Inc. 5000 list for six consecutive years (2008-2013) and then again in 2015 for having a consistent high level growth rate. Kyyba has shown a steady and continuous growth in terms of revenue, employees and geographical locations since 2005. We are leading when it comes to the metro Detroit area.

Can you brief us on the products and services offered?
Kyyba offers a spectrum of services in IT, Engineering, Training, Customized Project Solutions and Business Consulting. Staffing is the key area where Kyyba has over a decade of experience. Automotive, Education, Public and Financial Services, Aerospace & Defence, Insurance, Transportation, Technology, Government, Healthcare & Medical, Manufacturing and Oil & Energy are various industries we serve.

How do you differentiate yourself from others in this domain?
Kyyba’s core values: Value, Passion, Excellence, Empowerment and Happiness are the real differentiator that makes us unique. At Kyyba, we empower and inspire our people. We invest in them and provide all required skill set and guidance to do a job. When your people have the drive and focus, they think, work and act amazingly.

What are the challenges and hardships faced by you while drawing the pathway for Kyyba?
In this competitive industry we have to create influential experiences for our employees, customers and suppliers. I believe that creating employee experiences or keeping Kyyba talent happy is the only way to drive business growth. Kyyba’s success is almost entirely dependent upon the strength of our team. When employees are happy they will take utmost care to create business and keep our customers happy. This is in part, why we created a 100% flexible schedule to accommodate the personal and professional needs of our employees. They can manage their time between home and office and create a schedule that is convenient for them.

In terms of technology and innovation, what is your benchmark?
We have new business practices and strategies put into practice that will help us grow and expand our global footprint. We wish to create more value for our customers, deliver quality products and improve customer  experiences. Hence, we have tapped into the digital marketing via social media, and are making the best use of all the social media tools available. Digital marketing is in the spotlight and can help create brand recognition, improve customer loyalty and bring more opportunities to convert. Kyyba now brings new talent on board through innovative talent sourcing strategies via social media & digital channels, referrals and recruitment events.

Enlighten us with your future plans?
As far as company is concerned, I have developed varied ground-breaking ideas for future growth of the company and also look forward to invest in startup companies having innovative ideas. Personally, I rejoice welcoming new business ideas and always admire to elongate a helping hand for young emerging entrepreneurs.

Donning the honor of Accolades and Awards
Kyyba Inc. received the Inc. 5000 Award for Fastest Growing Private Company six years in a row (2008-2013) and then again in 2015.

The other Awards and Recognitions include:

• 2015 – Best of Mich Business winner in HR Wizards & Partnerships category
• 2015 – Metro Detroit Elite category: Recruitment, Selection & Orientation for 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in Michigan
• 2013-2015 – 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work for in Michigan
• 2012-2014 – Corp! Michigan Economic Bright Spots
• 2014 – Corp! Magazine Diversity Focused Company Honoree
• 2014 – Fast 50 Asian American Owned Business
• 2014 – Inc.’s Build 100 Award
• 2013 – Michigan 50 Companies to Watch
• 2012 – CRAIN’s Detroit Cool Places to Work in Michigan

Sharing one of his memorable moments so far, Thiru said
Chrysler was our first customer,and still is our largest customer. Kyyba was one among the 33 suppliers of Chrysler when we started doing business with them. We soon became one of the 20 largest suppliers on their list and recently have been proclaimed as their 3rd largest supplier, number one minority supplier, which is indeed an achievement to be proud of. In 2015 we made 346 hires, which is almost a hire a day for the entire year. This is the best we have ever done and is a true testament to our growth as a supplier to Chrysler, as well as a company in general.

“We are very flexible, we are aggressive. We don’t look at the years of experience; we look at passion of the employee.”