Cullen College Alums Durga and Brij Agrawal, along with Hari Agrawal, trace their success and generosity to their early years in India and the opportunities of the United States.

Whether nature or nurture, it’s easy to see common traits among family members—the knack of a natural handyman, a peculiar sense of humor and a talent for music all can be seen across generations of a given family.

Durga D. Agrawal (1969 MSIE, 1974 PhD ME) and his nephews, cousins Brij (1988 BSME) and Hari Agrawal, share the enviable traits of an entrepreneurial spirit, a philanthropic impulse and a true passion for education.

All three came to Houston from India as young men, have formed successful businesses, and have given generously to educational and community organizations in the area and around the world. And all hope that those who receive their help will give in turn.

Initial Impressions

For each Agrawal, the motivation to come to the United States was simple opportunity. While they could have all done well for themselves in India, the rewards available to them in the United States were too great to ignore. “We grew up in an environment where we worked the same way we do now. We just got rewarded here 1,000-times more,” said Hari Agrawal.

The period of adjustment after coming to the United States was different for each. Brij Agrawal came to Houston in 1979 shortly after having graduated from high school, and found the change difficult. Hari, however, was older when he left India in 1980, having already earned a master’s degree in microbiology, and found the transition a little easier.

All, however, were taken aback by how accepting the country was to them as foreigners. Durga was especially touched by how welcoming the professors at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering were to him when he began his graduate work in the late 1960s.

“When I came over here, the professors probably didn’t understand half of what I said, and I didn’t understand half of what they said. Still, they did not discriminate,” Durga stated. “All these professors did not worry about the color of my skin, they did not worry about my accent. They poured their heart and soul into a foreign student, even in those days, in 1968.”

Entrepreneurship

Of course, hard work—extremely hard work—defined each Agrawal’s early years in the United States. When Hari immigrated, he delivered newspapers from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., then worked eight-plus hours at his full-time job. Durga earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in industrial engineering at UH while working and raising a family, and Brij was married and worked full-time while earning a degree in mechanical engineering at UH through night classes.

Eventually all three moved from working for others to working for themselves.

For Durga Agrawal, a fairly straight line can be drawn from his education to his business interests. Shortly after finishing his doctorate in 1974, his entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. Working as a designer of piping and pipe-hanger systems for an engineering and construction company, he was frustrated by the long lead times between designing and ordering a system and actually receiving it from the manufacturer—often around 16 weeks.

“I couldn’t understand why it took so long for them to make such a simple product,” he said. “I started thinking about designing and making the product myself. That’s when I got into this business.”

Durga’s initial start-up has since grown. Piping Technology & Products Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries: U.S. Bellows Inc., Sweco Fab. Inc, Pipe Shields Inc. and Fronek Anchor Darling Enterprises now employ approximately 550 people and count some of the largest companies in the world as clients, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Bechtel, KBR and Dow Chemical.

A few years after earning his B.S. in mechanical engineering from UH, Brij Agrawal purchased a company that provided maintenance services to refineries and petrochemical plants. A few years later the firm began manufacturing drilling rig components and equipment for refineries and petrochemical companies. The expansion earned the company a spot on the list of Houston’s 100 fastest-growing companies. At the urging of a his older brother, who felt the manufacturing business left Brij little time for anything else in life, he purchased his first Subway sandwich shop franchise in 1998 and sold his manufacturing company a year later. He now owns 49 Subway units in and around Houston, making him the area’s largest franchisee and one of the ten largest in the world.

Hari Agrawal, though not an alum of UH, has undoubtedly established himself as a member of the Cullen College of Engineering’s community through his family’s connection to the college and through his own activities. Like Brij and Durga, Hari worked in various jobs in the area
before starting his own firm. He now owns and operates CNA Metals, an exporter of ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals to the recycling industry worldwide.

Giving Back

Durga, Brij and Hari Agrawal all trace their success back to a few common factors. In India, business acumen is known to run in the Agrawal clan—a group that can trace its roots back 5,000 years to Maharaja Agrasen, a well-known Indian king, and numbers in the millions. For all three, this reputation was borne-out at home, with the parents of each operating their own businesses. It was through these businesses, in fact, that they were taught their earliest lessons about generosity and charity.

For example, every day both Hari’s parents and Durga’s parents would set aside a percentage of the profits from their businesses for charity.“My father would explain to me, whatever we are, we are because of the people around us and because of that we should give to those around us,” Hari said.

At the University of Houston, this attitude finds its form primarily through the financial support of students. Durga has established an endowed scholarship for the Industrial Engineering Department in the name of Piping Technology & Products, and both Hari and Brij donate to that scholarship fund. In addition, Brij has set up a Presidential Endowed Scholarship at the Cullen College and Hari is a regular contributor to scholarship funds at UH’s Bauer College of Business.

Durga, Brij and Hari make active efforts to build relationships with the students who receive these scholarships, forming bonds that last well beyond college.

The Agrawal’s philanthropic efforts extend far beyond the Cullen College of Engineering, of course. All three Agrawals donate to a charity in India called One School, One Teacher, which provides funding for teachers in small villages.

Durga is also spearheading the creation of a new community center in Houston. In addition, Brij sits on the board responsible for the expansion of the UH System at Sugar Land campus. Such a project, which makes education more accessible to those living in Houston’s southwest suburbs, is a natural fit for Brij.

“When I came here, I had to work to survive,” he said. “I would not have graduated from college if it wasn’t for UH. That’s why I’m so passionate about community colleges and schools that offer programs where people can take classes at night. That’s why I’m so attached to the Sugar Land campus.”

Like most who give generously of their time and money, all three Agrawals hope these endeavors impact more than just their direct beneficiaries. They hope that the students who receive financial support through their scholarship donations will in turn help support others when their time comes.

“When I was in college, I got a scholarship that paid for everything—tuition, food, everything,” said Durga. “I hope these students who get support from us will turn around and help other students five or ten years from now.”

More alumni news in this issue:
• Durga D. Agrawal (1969 MSIE, 1974 PhD ME), Brij Agrawal (1988 BSME) and Hari Agrawal — Common Causes
• Mitch Bunnell (1985 BSEE) — Play the Game: Real-World Impact in the Virtual World
• Arup K. SenGupta (1984 PhD EnvE) — Engineering Alumnus Recognized for Arsenic Removal Process
• Class Notes