Sukhbir Rice & General Mills

Out here in Village Lout, things move at a different pace. Sukhbir Rice & General Mills is right in the heart of the post office area for Alowal. We do more than just rice; we handle whatever needs milling or processing for the local farmers who come by. The building is large and has that old smell of dust and dried husks. It’s been here for decades. We don't have a big sign out front, just the name painted on the side wall a long time ago. People know where we are. We spend most of our time out in the sheds or checking the silos. It's a lot of walking back and forth. We don't have air conditioning, just big open doors to let the breeze through in the afternoon. Sometimes the dogs from the village sleep near the gate because it’s shady. We aren't trying to impress anyone with fancy offices. We have a small room with a wooden table where we do the paperwork and settle the accounts with the locals. It’s honest work. We see the same people every year when the harvest comes in. We talk about the crops and how the rain was this year. It’s a community thing as much as a business. We keep the machines oiled and the floors swept as best as we can. It’s not perfect, but it works for us and the people of Lout. We keep at it.