The Sunderjis moved to Dallas from Canada, where they had emigrated from their native Tanzania in 1973. Social upheaval throughout East Africa forced more than 50,000 Ismaili Muslim families to leave the region, with most migrating to North America.
“Leaving Africa wasn’t difficult, but you couldn’t transfer currency, so many people ended up in refugee camps or entered Canada with little more than they could carry,” Andy Sunderji says.
Two years later, he and his brothers opened a mattress factory in Calgary, Alberta, where he worked as sales manager until he and his wife moved to Dallas in 1979. It took them another 11 years to save enough money to start Sleeptronic.
Today, the company employs more than 100 people, with 70 of those in manufacturing. Each of the Sunderjis’ three sons joined the company after graduating from college. Rizwan Sunderji oversees sales and marketing and works with his father and brothers to craft the company’s strategic direction. Alim Sunderji, who is executive vice president of manufacturing and operations, has played a central role in integrating advanced technology into the company’s manufacturing processes. Jameel Sunderji, vice president of operations and information technology, runs Logitronic, the company’s freight hauling division. As he puts it, he “makes sure that goods are coming out on time and efficiently and that the front office runs smoothly.”
The three brothers are acutely aware of what their parents sacrificed to build Sleeptronic.
“We know where we came from and don’t take anything for granted,” Alim Sunderji says. “Our parents started with two lawn chairs in the front office and, when we were young, we bagged mattresses along with everyone else. There’s a family sense of pride in everything we do.”
Ismailimail 