our business: APES LIQUOR
Sikhs Business Success and Finds It
BY MEL W RHODES
Apes Liquor: Secret Mix for Success?
Respect and Customer Service
N
70
owadays he often wears a cowboy hat
instead of a turban, but 75-year-old
Upinder Singh is still a Sikh who has been
visiting Parker County for business reasons
for 4-5 years. “But I’m here permanently
since last year,” he said. “Here” is Apes
Liquor on the west end of Weatherford.
One of his sons, Harpinder, owns the busi-
ness, which Singh called a family affair.
Singh grew up in British India,
during the British Raj. India gained its
independence from Britain in 1947.
When the British quit India, his fami-
ly moved to New Delhi. His father
had served the British government as
an engineer, a profession Singh certi-
fied in as well.
“In 1965, I came to the States for
higher studies,” Singh explained. He
attended Oregon State University
where he studied mechanical and
nuclear engineering. He had already
studied civil engineering in India.
He said he has a master’s degree in
nuclear engineering.
“I worked all over the country for
nuclear power plants as an engineer,
and finally I joined the Marine Corps
as an officer,” said Singh.
After retiring from the Corps,
Singh bought properties as invest-
ments, one of them, in 2007, the
Apes Liquor building and business at
1228 Ranger Highway. He leased the
property to two different liquor fran-
chises, one of which went bankrupt.
“The community needed a store
here to serve their needs,” Singh said,
“so I decided to open it myself. It’s
not rocket science.”
Singh came to the US at age
24, became a citizen in 1968, and
feels right at home, especially in
Texas. “I love this place,” he said.
“The people are very nice and friend-
ly.”
His business plan is simple: treat
people right. He does this by keep-
ing his store cleaner than most liquor
stores you might go into, and by
helping each customer who walks
in his front door. It’s that detailed
customer service that keeps people
coming back time and time again.
“You must serve the people with
respect or you’re out of business,” he
said. “You have to have reasonable
prices and offer great service; and we
have the best customer service.”