Bala Minerals

At 754 Marayapuram Road in Kappukad, things move at a steady pace. This is where Bala Minerals is based. It’s a dusty kind of job, which is what you expect when you’re dealing with minerals all day long. The road outside can get a bit bumpy after the monsoon season, but we manage. My clothes usually have a layer of grit on them by noon, and the boots don't stay clean for more than five minutes. We have a small yard where we keep the materials. It isn't a very large operation, just a handful of us making sure everything is sorted and ready for whenever it needs to go out. The locals in Kappukad know the sound of our gates opening in the morning. We don't have a big reception area or a secretary answering phones. If the phone rings, whoever is closest picks it up. Usually, we are out back handling the heavy stuff. It’s honest work and it keeps us busy from Monday to Saturday. Sometimes Sundays too, if there is a lot to catch up on. The air here smells like earth and old stone. We’ve been at this address for several years, and the walls have the stains to prove it. We don't worry too much about the looks of the place as long as the equipment is running and the orders are moving out the gate on time. Our days are long, but we prefer staying productive over sitting around.