ANDY SMITHS SPEECH ON 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE WITH YOU TONIGHT FOR THIS AUSPICIOUS OCCASION IN THIS FAMOUS MUMBAI LOCATION.
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ATTENDING YOUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN CHENNAI AND I AM EXTREMELY HONOURED TO BE INVITED TO THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY. (I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE THE 30TH).
I HAVE DEVELOPED AN EXCELLENT RELATIONSHIP OVER THE YEARS WITH THE INDIA OFFICE INITIALLY WITH KUSHAL ROY AND ALAN FERNANDEZ AND SUBSEQUENTLY WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER ESTEEMED COLLEAGUES IN YOUR VARIOUS OFFICES AS THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN.
I FIRST VISITED MUMBAI ON ROUTE TO COCHIN, KERALA IN 1976 AND FROM THIS VERY FIRST VISIT I HAVE ALWAYS HAD AN AFFINITY TO INDIA WITH ITS VIBRANT CULTURE AND FRIENDLY PEOPLE.
MY ROLE AT ALEX STEWART IN THE LATTER YEARS HAS PREDOMINANTLY BEEN IN THE PRECIOUS METALS BUSINESS. THIS HAS LED TO SEVERAL VISITS TO THIS GREAT COUNTRY AND TO VISITS TO SOME OF OUR OFFICES HERE.
I HAVE ALSO ATTENDED MAJOR PRECIOUS METALS CONFERENCES IN AMRITSAR, AGRA, GOA AND MUMBAI AND ALSO IMPORTANTLY FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF GOLD REFINERIES THROUGHOUT INDIA.
THE REFINERY ASSESSMENTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT ON BEHALF OF MAJOR COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF INDIA, LED ME TO VISIT A WIDE RANGE OF GOLD REFINERIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TOGETHER WITH MY COLLEAGUES, MR. DEEPEN SHAH, MR. CHETAN JOSHI AND MR. S. BALAJI. THESE COLLEAGUES PROVIDED EXCELLENT ASSISTANCE AND HOSPITALITY AND WERE ALSO SUPERB TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.
FROM THE FIRST REFINERY ASSESSMENTS IN 2014, THIS BUSINESS HAS CONTINUED TO GROW ALONG WITH THE REPUTATION OF OUR INDIA OFFICE AS TRUSTED EXPERTS IN THE PRECIOUS METALS INSPECTIONS BUSINESS.
IT HAS ALSO SEEN EXPANSION INTO REFINERY ASSESSMENTS FOR OTHER COMMODITY PRODUCERS INCLUDING FOR BASE METALS PRODUCTS WHICH IS ANOTHER VERY STRONG AREA FOR OUR INDIAN BUSINESS.
OUTSIDE OF THESE REFINERY ASSESSMENTS, WE HAVE SEEN INCREASING BUSINESS IN A RANGE OF OTHER AREAS OF OUR PRECIOUS METALS SERVICES. THIS INCLUDES DORE BULLION SUPERVISION, LBMA PRO-ACTIVE MONITORING ASSESSMENTS, CATALYST SUPERVISION AND GOLD AND SILVER BULLION AUDITS.
THE UPCOMING OPENING OF THE NEW FIRE ASSAY LABORATORY IN AHMEDABAD IS ALSO GREAT NEWS FOR WHICH WE WISH EVERY SUCCESS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE GROWING THE PRECIOUS METALS AND WIDER COMMODITIES INSPECTION AND ASSAYING BUSINESSES IN INDIA OVER THE COMING YEARS AND WE WISH OUR COLLEAGUES ALL THE BEST FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS AND BEYOND.