St. Petersburg, Florida Manufacturer Gives $1,000 Bonus to Every Employee

SEMINOLE/ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Some businesspersons are known for being thrifty and penny pinching. Not Rahul Shukla, CEO of S.S. White Technologies/Shukla Medical, manufacturer of aerospace, medical, and automotive components. Shukla surprised his 113 employees when he called them for a meeting and gave each employee a check for one thousand dollars.

S.S. White Technologies/Shukla Medical may be a small company, but it has a big heart. On Thursday December 16, 2021, Rahul Shukla, who started working for the company 47 years ago, gathered the employees for a short meeting.

In these perilous economic times, a company-wide meeting usually predicates bad news. However, Shukla surprised his employees, from janitors and punch press operators to managers, engineers, and office staff, by presenting each of them with a $1,000 holiday bonus.

"When we received a PPP loan last year, we used the money for its intended purpose. Even when the sales were down by 50%, we were able to retain every single employee. We made sure each employee received his or her annual raises. In addition, during most of the last year, we increased everyone's pay with our 'COVID Bonus'; all employees received an additional dollar per hour," said Shukla, "I also decided that come holiday season, we would give a substantial bonus to each employee. I wanted to do more than thank them with just words."

After receiving the unexpected bonus, some employees had tears in their eyes. One even told Shukla it was one of the happiest days of their life.

Human Resources & Marketing Manager Sheryl Nadler said, "To give such a gift is unprecedented but my boss has always believed in sharing our successes with our hard working employees."

S.S. White/Shukla Medical is a rare company; after being a union shop for decades, in 2006, the employees voted to leave the machinist union.

That loyalty may be the result of Shukla's philosophy. "I run the company with my heart, not just my head," he said.

The company moved from New Jersey to St. Petersburg in January of 2018. "We are a can-do company", said VP Subra Naglapura, "We moved 40 truckloads of machinery in a matter of four weeks. Our employees are our biggest asset. We always find ways to show our appreciation."

The employees were overwhelmed by Shukla's gesture; the announcement was greeted with thunderous applause.

"The money will help," said Matthew Finneman, who works in the marketing department, "but for the owner to reach into his pocket and give this bonus to every worker is unbelievable. He definitely showed us he has the holiday spirit!"

"I've been with S.S. White for four years. Mr. Shukla has been good to us, but this was just over the top, and everybody was completely shocked," said Brandy Roche, an assembly operator.

"In this tough economy, our company is doing well," Shukla said. "It's only right to appreciate the employees with tangible gifts, not just with words." 

S.S. White Technologies manufactures a key airplane component, flexible shaft, which it supplies worldwide with the exception of Russia. The flexible shaft is used for a system that synchronizes a plane's engines as it lands.  

Shukla Medical, housed in the same building on Sheen Drive in St. Petersburg, manufactures precise orthopedic surgical tools designed to extract worn or broken implants.

Shukla, who was born in India, came to the United States in 1971 and finished his Masters. While he was working on his doctorate at Rutgers University, Shukla was forced to quit his studies and take a job at S.S. White Technologies in 1973 as a quality inspector. He worked his way up to drafter, methods engineer, manager of industrial engineering, and finally to director of research and development. He purchased the company in 1988.

Founded in 1844, S.S. White Technologies is one of the country's oldest manufacturing companies in the country. 

When the company became available for purchase in 1988, like a Hollywood movie twist,Shukla Shukla bought it and became president and CEO. The company headquarters are located in St. Petersburg, FL. It has two other locations, one in the UK and the other in India. 

For additional information:Sheryl
Nadler: [email protected]; (727) 626-2831
Akash Shukla [email protected]; (727) 273-4302
Rahul Shukla [email protected]; (727) 273-4301

SOURCE S.S. White Technologies Inc.