Sri Shanmuga Metal Mart

We are located at No. 6/127 on Northstreet in Natchiyarkovil. This town is famous for its metal work, so there are a lot of shops around here doing similar things. We focus on selling metal items that people use in their houses or for religious reasons. The shop is quite narrow and deep, so it gets dark in the back. We use a lot of old-fashioned shelves to keep everything organized. My father taught me everything I know about metal, like how to tell the quality just by the weight or the sound it makes when you tap it. We don't have a marketing department or anything like that. Most of our customers are people who have been buying from us for years, or their kids. It’s a very local kind of place. Sometimes we have to send things out for polishing and that takes a few days. We try to be honest about how long things take. The street outside is usually busy with people walking and the occasional cow wandering through. It’s just the way life is here. We open up early and sweep the front every morning before the sun gets too high. It isn't a glamorous job, but it is what we do and we are used to the rhythm of it.