J. K. J. Steel

We have been based here at No: 132 on Cemetry Road in Old Washermenpet for a good while now. Most days start early, before the sun gets too high and the traffic starts building up on the main roads. You can hear the city waking up around us, and there is always a layer of dust that seems to settle on everything by midday. Working with steel means our hands are usually dirty and the yard is never quiet for long. People know where to find us because we are right there on the road, near the old landmarks everyone recognizes. It’s a busy part of town, and sometimes the lorries have a hard time turning into the gate when the street gets crowded. We just get on with the work, moving the stock around and making sure the counts are right. It is not a fancy office or anything like that. Just a practical space with a roof that leaks a bit when the heavy rains come to Chennai. We have our tea from the stall just down the way, and that keeps us going through the afternoon slump. Most of the guys here have been working together for years, so we do not need to say much to get the job done. It is just how things are at J. K. J. Steel. We deal with the heat and the noise and the heavy lifting every day without complaining much.