FACES OF THE ECONOMY: Carine Baroudi Barakat

There are 1.4 million workers in Lebanon – this is the story of one of them.

By T.K. Maloy

BEIRUT – “I think that in Lebanon women have proved that they are qualified and can compete with men. More of them are becoming entrepreneurs, initially in domains that are related to women or kids,” said Carine Baroudi Barakat, owner and managing director of Entotox Public Health.

“In the next 10 years, we will see an increasing number of women entrepreneurs in more “Male” oriented businesses,” Barakat added.

EPH has grown markedly since Barakat’s initial acquisition to become one of the major pest management and control companies in the Middle East, “using cutting-edge pest management techniques” said the 1998 LAU grad, who holds a BE in Industrial Engineering.

The company provides both pest control and disinfection services to a variety of locales, including hospitals, hotels and schools, to restaurants, plants, and apartments.

Starting in business 12 years ago, with the purchase of the then small extermination company, the entrepreneurial Barakat has built the business to include nearly 100 staff in Lebanon and branches in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

“We bought the company in the year 2000. It was a small company having one employee, one car and a turnover of $35,000. I studied the clients list and the potential and found out that it had a big potential to grow,” the 37-year old business manager said.

Described by others as a meticulous businesswoman, Barakat made a point of involving herself into each of the departmental operations comprising EPH. She has found over the course of 12 years that being the boss is not always smooth sailing, and that there was a learning curve.

“The challenges were to always be able to give solutions to our clients, this is why it was very important to be always learning more about insects and find the best possible solutions and it is still our biggest challenge.”

Also, challenging “was to work in a business type that was not feminine at all,” she said.
Barakat said that a major step in the company’s growth story was the 2007 expansion into Saudi. “We were interested to go outside Lebanon at that time, mainly to UAE, and it was my husband’s (Simon Barakat) idea to go instead to KSA and it was the best decision we took.”

She noted also that a key challenge that faces any business owner is successfully managing expenses, particularly in what has been a difficult economy, and still provide top service to clients.
“Business expenses are huge but I got used to it. We try to manage inventory in a very smart way in order not to have stocks stagnant for a long period and lose cash flow,” Barakat said. “Salaries in our type of business are the biggest part of our expenses as we are majorly a service company.”

She added that, “We have a lot of other operational costs that are incurred in order to be able to run our operation — car expenses, telephone, mobiles, insurances, pesticides and products, tools, equipment expenses, office expenses.”

The business head said there are always challengers managing cash flow “With the economic recession and institutions not paying on time, but as a whole we have been able to make our targeted growth each year, particularly with a lot of effort from all the team members.”

Barakat noted that she was born into a family of entrepreneurs; her father Chawki Baroudi having built one of the largest agricultural companies in the Levant, the Robinson Group. She took early inspiration from her father’s work ethic and entrepreneurial frame of mind. Mr. Baroudi passed away in 2004, and Carine wishes he had lived long enough to see the success she has achieved.

Remarking on her “Team,” she said that the pest management business it is necessary that all her staff members are full timers.

“In our type of business in order to succeed the employees should be very well trained therefore we cannot bring or count on part timers to do the job,” said the Entotox owner.

“Our total number of employees is currently 97 but continuously growing. In Lebanon we are 28 employees 10 are office employees and 18 are the team technicians. Among the 10 office employees there are eight women.”

While her company has grown, Barakat has also developed a business philosophy that “My work is like my house.” She notes that she is friends with all the staff and that the Entotox team “work as a family.”

She observed that for all types of work, workers often spend more time at the office or in the field that with their families, adding, “That is why it is very important to have an environment free from internal tension as the work pressure and tension are already enough; so at least in the office and between the staff — in order to succeed — the atmosphere should be smooth and friendly.”
On the question of being a working mom, which is the case with many working women, Barakat frankly said that it can be difficult managing work and personal life.

“The work worries, does not stay in the office they go with her (working mothers) at home where she should focus on the kids’ education, the home management. To be able to manage work and home, it is very important to be well organized.” she explained. “I follow up my kids’ education, activities and the home needs but I admit that I have a very loaded time schedule and most of the time I do not find time for myself.”

Barakat has two daughters, Celine and Sofia, eight and five-years-old, respectively.
Like any Lebanese household, there are the expense of children’s school fees, home expenses, the cost of activities for children, household help, shopping electricity, and, of course, the cost of generator services.

But Barakat’s hard work on both the work and family front has paid off, not only on the balance books, but also in her recent recognition by BLC Bank as the 2012 “Woman Entrepreneur of the Year,”out of an impressive group of fellow women entrepreneurs.

“It is truly a great honor to receive recognition for all those years of hard work,” said Barakat. “Winning the award was like an assurance that we — all the Entotox ‘Team’– are a success.”
Barakat added, “My advice to young entrepreneurs is to believe in their idea and work hard even if they face difficulties they will succeed with perseverance!”

EDITOR’S NOTE: “Faces of the Economy” Series — There are an estimated 1.4 million workers in Lebanon; this is the story of one of them. Every two weeks Marcopolis.net will profile a different hardworking Lebanese citizen, ranging from the executive suite to the coffee shop. Nominations can be sent by yourself, friends, family or even coworkers, for inclusion in the “Face” series. Tell us your story. Send to contributing business correspondent: T.K. Maloy: tkmaloy@gmail.com