Tod Rasmussen/The Reporter Local businessman Tony Hans (center) and his wife, Balwinder Kaur (left) and daughter, Sukhpreet "Simmi" Hans (right) share a light moment in their Vacaville store.

Taking care of business

By Barbara Smith/Reporter Staff

Tony Hans never expected it to be easy.

Twelve years ago, he arrived in America from India, with his wife, Balwinder Kaur, their two small children and $500.

He also held a bachelor's degree from the University of Chandighar, but he cheerfully took his first job in a Bakersfield convenience store.

Now at 39, he owns three thriving grocery and liquor store businesses that are worth more than $1 million.

Was he ever afraid of failure?

"Never," he pronounced with a gentle and unwavering smile. God creates success, Hans said confidently. God and hard work - in that order.

And that's how the practicing Sikh prioritizes his life.

At his first convenience store job, Hans worked seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day before moving his family to Vallejo. There, he worked 16 hours a day at two jobs - one at a liquor store, the other at a gas station.

In 1994, his chance came. John's Liquors, a long-established store on East Monte Vista in Vacaville, was for sale. Hans took his savings - $40,000 - and bought the business.

For the next nine months, he and his wife worked side by side until Hans bought Sky Parkway Market in Sacramento.

His wife handled the Vacaville store, while Hans headed the Sacramento venture.

Every day, he would leave Vacaville before dawn, open the Sacramento store at 7 a.m. and close it at 10 p.m. Then he'd pick up Balwinder at 11 p.m.

The couple's work day was typically 16 hours.

"Then, we would start over in the morning," Hans said.

His third investment was more risky - the purchase of a Fairfield grocery store with no liquor license.

"If the liquor license was not approved, I would be stuck," Hans said.

But the license came through, and Liquor Tree is now one of the family's three businesses, which employ a total of six workers.

For his next venture, he plans to buy a motel, he said.

After 11 years of hard work, Hans and his wife of 18 years can finally go home at a reasonable hour. But they have no intention of retiring.

"It's good to keep busy every day, especially around people," Hans said. "If you work, then everything will go smoothly."

It's a lesson he plans to pass on to his children - Ricky, 16 and Sukhpreet "Simmi," 14, both students at Will C. Wood High School - but not by forcing them to work at the family's store.

"It's their choice," he said. "I will never insist they come and work here."

Hans sees himself as a counselor to his children, eager to support them in whatever path they choose. Ricky is interested in the computer field, and Simmi wants to be a lawyer.

"If I feel something is wrong, I will tell them, but if they don't want to listen to me, that's their life," Hans said.

Hans' drive and work ethic are typical of immigrants from his native Punjab, India, where a five-day work week would be considered a luxury.

While many of those who come from India have four-year degrees, they are often forced - because of the language barrier - to take jobs working long hours in convenience stores, gas stations, or driving taxi cabs.

That willingness to work any job is just one reason Hans prefers to hire Punjabis. He points to Jaspal Madan, his clerk at John's Liquors in Vacaville, who he calls reliable and trustworthy.

"If we have some problems, if I have to go somewhere, I can call him and he will be here within a half an hour," Hans said.

Madan, 29, has lived in America for four years and has worked for Hans about a year and a half. Like Hans, he holds a four-year degree but labors over the English language.

Hans knows that Madan may eventually sock away enough money to move on to his own business venture.

"One day, God will give you the gift," he told him. "One day, if you work hard."

Although the stores have been successful, Hans and his staffers have experienced a few problems with racism, especially after 9/11. Although there were no incidents in the Vacaville store, they had some trouble in Fairfield. And the recent war in Iraq has brought a resurgence of hateful remarks.

"I've been told, 'Saddam Hussein, you go back.' Or, 'You Arabians, go back,"' he said.

Simmi said it's all about looks.

"They see that you are Indian, so they automatically think you are of that race," she said.

But the family shrugs and laughs - especially when they talk about a customer who tried to strike a deal at the Fairfield store, Hans said.

The customer said that if granted a bargain, he would fly an Iraqi flag on his car - just for Hans.

"An Iraqi flag on his car - he would do that to please me," Hans laughed.

Barbara Smith can be reached at dixon@thereporter.com.