It can definitely be said that Ramin Fallah is one of the most influential individuals in the field of medical and laboratory equipment. He is a cofounder and CEO of “Fanavari-e Azmayeshgahi” company. Those who are working in medical and laboratory equipment field know that the abovementioned company has a 31-year brilliant experience in the field.
I expected to wait for long hours to start the interview with Ramin Fallah , but it did not happen. Unbelievably, he welcomed me really well as if we have been knowing each other for a long time. He answered all of my questions with kindness and patience. The first characteristic of him that impressed me was honesty. The interview took about 2 hours. Some parts of the interview that were more private were deleted due to his wish and you can read the rest of it below.
Please provide us with a brief introduction about yourself.
I was born in Tehran, in December 1, 1965. I am married and I have two children.
Mr. Ramin Fallah , please tell us about your educational life.
Given that my father was as employee in Ministry of Agriculture, my family experience many travels to different cities of Iran. For this reason, I spent the elementary courses in Azerbaijan, in a really small school in Mugan plain. The school was so funny and interesting; however, it might not be a good time to explain about it. It can be enough to say that in that school, the lessons of all grades were taught by one person. All in all, I liked my school so much and I believe that studying in that school had great influences on my life. In general, travelling many times and living in different cultures cause human to become more experienced than his age. I have been observing the influences of those travels and also, of living with various people on myself and my relationships with the others, even until today.
We lived in that region until I reached the age of ten. Then, we returned to Tehran. I studied intermediate and high-school courses in Kharazmi School, and I chose to study Experimental Sciences.
In 1983, I took university entrance exam and I was admitted in Geology in Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman and later on, I continued to study in Shahid Beheshti University.
The story of my admission in M.A. course is really funny in that four years after the entrance exam, I was informed that I was admitted in university. When I asked for the reason of the 4-year delay, they told me that they had forgotten to notify me! That’s it! At that time, I even fulfilled Military Service term. Anyway, I started to study for M.A. degree but I gave up after a while because I had started my business and I was fully engaged with the company works.
Later, I began to study MBA in M.A. since I thought that it could help me in my business.
Mr. Ramin Fallah , What were your interests, other than business and education?
Family is the most important pillar and the fundamental reason of my life. However, if you mean the activities that are interesting to me, I can surely point to sports. It is interesting to know that I played football, volleyball, Ping-Pong and swimming, simultaneously, in university, and I was a member of my university team. My desire to sports and also, positive relationships I had with the people around me caused me to be elected as the university representative at age 19. Probably an injury prevented me from moving towards Championship Sports otherwise my living procedure might differ totally. Under that circumstance, you would interview with a professional athlete.
If you will, tell us about your private life. When did you marry? And what is the result of your marriage? Tell us what you will.
I got married when I was so young and I am happy with my early marriage. I recommend everyone to marry early, if the condition is right.
When it came to your mind to establish “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi” company?
The company was not entitled “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi”, at the beginning. Two friends of mine, i.e. Mr. Soleymani and Mr. Malekanian, and I establish a company, in 1987, called “Teb Technology”. The initial idea was given by one of my friends. Since we were both friend and relative, he suggested me to start the business. Hence, two of my friends and I established the company.
After a while, we changed the company name to “Technology Azmayeshgahi” and new partners joined us. The partners, then, left the company and we decided to change the brand name to “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi”. We still are working under the same title.
We established the company at the time war when many people escaped from the country and actually, a heavy stagnation was ruling the market. Probably, one of the reasons of our progress and advance at the first days of working was that we did not have many tenacious competitors and the market was really thirsty at that time. I remember that in those day, mostly 100% of the invoices issued led to successful sale. However, nowadays, not total of the invoices lead to purchase despite of several-year experience and credibility of the company. Another reason of our success was that in those days, medical and health-care centers received desirable budgets and they had to spend all of them.
Business at the time of war had its own hardership. I remember that one day, I went to Imam Khomeini Hospital of Tehran to sell a product. The same day, a missile struck the hospital building but fortunately, it did not explode. However, the strike was so extreme that it hustled my car and threw it into the raceway next to the street. Under that hard circumstance, I continued working and surprisingly, I could sell the product. By this story, I mean to the extent that the condition was hard to work, we were determined and resolute.
We did not have access to email and fax.
Decisively, I believe that one of the reasons of our progress and development was that we have based our work on accuracy and honesty, from the first day. We have taken it serious to provide after-sales services though at that time, they were not as common as today. We have provided post-sales services from the first day of working and we still are doing the same.
Accordingly, you rate the company’s trend positively, don’t you?
Definitely, I do. In fact, at the first day, the company was composed of only one person and I was doing all works alone. Today, however, “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi” has become the representative of many famous brands of the world. We have provided entrepreneurship opportunities for about 300 people, and we are progressing day by day.
In “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi”, what brands have you represented?
Olympus company was the first brand we could represent. It happened in 1988; and could reach great successes in selling the products of this brand.
Gradually, many other companies referred to use among which we can point to Fukuda that was a Japanese holding. After that, we worked with several British companies the first of which was Jenway.
Some other brands that has been working with us during these years include Sklar, RMV, Erma, Drager, Getinge, AMSCo and Siemens. There are a great number of companies that are represented by us and I mention only a few of them.
In your opinion, what made all of these companies choose you as their representative in Iran?
Our commitment and honesty in working and more importantly, God’s favor.
Mr. Ramin Fallah , I know that you are working in some other firms than “Fanavari Azmayeshgahi” Company. Tell us about them, if possible.
I am a member of the board of directors and also, the vice chairman in Iran Merchants Union and Association of Medical Engineering Companies. A great part of my daily time is spent in those firms. Particularly, in the current days when the guild is under heavy pressure due to exchange rate changes and failure of medical centers to pay the payments, I am obliged to attempt to realize the guilt members’ rights.
Mr. Fallah, have your ever thought of living abroad?
Never at all. In my opinion, Iran is a fine place to reach success in business. Here, many inventions will lead to great turns. I enjoy more to live and work in my country than abroad.
Has Ramin Fallah ever experienced failure in his life?
I have experienced many failures. The first failure I experienced was in sports field. As I mentioned before, I was semi-professionally playing different sports at the same time and I was even a member of my university team. However, an injury and break in my leg bone destroyed my chance to wear National Team clothing. In the professional life, failure has always been a part of business but I can say that the ratio of success to failure in my business in 80 to 20, and even much better.
How does Ramin Fallah treat failures?
In the early years, I got really upset by failure. However, as human obtains more experiences in his life, gradually, he learns great lessons from life and appreciates the existing things more. We should always know that a good spouse, a good family, great friends, youth, health and many other things in life are considered blesses and their lack has been possible. They are given to you and you must appreciate them because they are the greatest triumph for you.
Mr. Ramin Fallah ! You have about 300 employees. What would you like them to think and feel about you?
I have a constant motto: Do not expect anything from anyone.
However, I thing everyone know me as an honest person, and I hope they do not judge me as a bad man.
How does Ramin Fallah view the future?
In contrast to many, I see a bright future for my country. We will pass the hard economic situation, and many brilliant days are waiting for us.
Do you have any recommendation to the readers?
Seriously, follow what you like and want, and never give up. If not, you will regret for it and you have to think of it every time in your life.
Thank you for the time you devoted and also, for the honesty in your words.