Shops

Pictures taken by J Waldby on 1 June 2004 in Coimbatore city, Tamil Nadu state, India, a small town of 8 to 18 lakh persons, depending on who you consult. (1 lakh = 100000). Around 2 dozen textile mills in the area account for significant demand for tools and machinery here.

These shops are on Dr. Nanjappa Road, in the 2-km stretch south from 100 feet Road to Avanasi Road, except the last picture is on Avanasi slightly east of Nanjappa. Each store front is 2 to 3 meters wide in most of these pictures.



Go to: Top, or pictures of: Flowers, Foods, Hotel Scenes, Kodaikkanal, Kolkata - January 2005, Madurai, Ooty (Coonoor, Udagamandalam and Mudamalai), Vellore - November and December 2004, Various Maps , Shops , MIS ICON at Kovai Medical Center Hospital, Traffic and such,


[Snapshot of 0601_018r.jpg] Nataraja and Co. This shows Nataraja Power Tools Co. outlets for Carborundum Universal Ltd, next door to Swathi Enterprises welding, with an insurance company upstairs.

[Snapshot of jksteel1.jpg] J. K. Steel, a metal shop -- Picture taken from across the street on film that got xray-fogged at airports. There are a dozen or more small metal shops like this, in this part of town, selling aluminum, brass, and steel bar, tube, and extrusions. J. K. Steel appeared to have more stainless steel tube (from about 1 mm ID, 2 mm OD up to 50 mm OD) and brass sheet, bar, and tube than the others. [In Vellore during November and December, I visited dozens of stores, seeking in vain for brass tube. Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, all have far larger manufacturing bases and far-more-complete metal parts suppliers]

[Snapshot of jksteel2.jpg] Metal shop - closer view This is a slightly-closer view of part of the previous picture.

[Snapshot of 0601_022r.jpg] South Coast Enterprises -- A fairly typical tool store, with welders, cutoff saws, roller chain, gears, air compressors. Like dozens of other shops along Nanjappa, this store also sells water pumps (about 18 companies manufacture pumps in Coimbatore, and even more sell them). Next door to it is a fasteners store; I only noticed half a dozen shops like this one, but probably overlooked quite a few.

[Snapshot of 0601_023.jpg] Coimbatore Tube Co. et al -- Coimbatore Tube Co. and Auto-Mech Tools are twice as wide as most stores on this street, while Om Auto Parts, M. M. Oil Seal and Rubber Engineering Co., Mithra Electricals, and Guru Enterprises are of typical size.

[Snapshot of 0601_024.jpg] Equipment Agencies, et al -- Equipment Agencies, Crompton Greaves Electricals, Balaji Pumps, Featherlite, Spotlight.

[Snapshot of 0601_025.jpg] Rollwell Bearing Co. Suresh Hardware, Lakshmi Electricals, India Electricals, Surya Bearings, Hinal - Brass Components, ... bus, "auto rickshaw" (yellow three-wheelers, cost 30-60 rupees to anywhere in town; ~44 R/$), motorcycles ...

[Snapshot of 0601_026.jpg] asian paints, Murligan Hardware Stores -- Tools Agency, Kirloskar Pumps, Hardware Tools and Machinery Mart, Alea Machine House; just to the south of previous picture.

[Snapshot of 0601_027.jpg] Sushila Agency -- I don't know what these metal boxes (foreground) are for. Note scaffolding against building in center background. Many of the buildings in these photos were built using bamboo scaffolding, much manual labor, and little or no power equipment except portable concrete mixers.

[Snapshot of 0601_029c.jpg] 4 bearing companies -- A temple, S. K. Bearing Centre, an Electricals company (ie, lights, switches, outlets, wire, with different emphases and inventories at each of a couple dozen "Electricals" stores in this area), R. K. Bearing Company, Sun Superior Capacitor House, SKF Bearing House, Globe Machines. I saw about 40 bearing companies, while walking 3 or 4 km along 100 feet Road, Nanjappa, and Avanasi.


Go to: Top, or pictures of: Flowers, Foods, Hotel Scenes, Kodaikkanal, Kolkata - January 2005, Madurai, Ooty (Coonoor, Udagamandalam and Mudamalai), Vellore - November and December 2004, Various Maps , Shops , MIS ICON at Kovai Medical Center Hospital, Traffic and such,