Astra Metals

Astra Metals is over in the Verna Industrial Estate at Plot No. L-75. Verna is a big place, so it takes a while to find us if you don't have the plot number. Our shop is full of metal sheets and scraps. It’s loud because of the cutting and the banging. We don't have any soundproofing, so you hear the neighbors and they hear us. It’s a very industrial atmosphere. We wear heavy boots and gloves because the edges of the metal are sharp. The floor is concrete and usually has some oil or dust on it. We aren't a big corporation with fancy desks. My desk is just a metal table in the corner with a bunch of invoices. The Goa humidity makes the metal sweat sometimes, so we have to watch out for that. We have a few machines that have been with us since the start. They aren't new but they work fine. Most of our days are spent loading and unloading trucks. The sun hits the metal roof and it gets really hot by noon. We just keep water bottles everywhere. We don't do any big promotions. Most people in the estate just know L-75 is where the metal work happens. It’s a straightforward, tiring job, but we've been doing it for years now.