Changing direction: Jitendra Ragunath on leaving law and reshaping Vergola

At just 28, Jitendra Ragunath walked away from a career as a commercial lawyer to take a chance on a business he had originally bought into as an investment.

That business was Vergola, the South Australian manufacturer behind the opening and closing louvred roof system. Nearly three decades later, Jit is its sole owner and Vergola products continue to be manufactured in South Australia, with a presence in markets around the world.

In this episode of Owner Insights, Jit talks to James Orchard about the decisions, mistakes and lessons that have shaped the business along the way.

They discuss:

• Buying into an established business rather than starting or inheriting one
• Recognising when a business model isn’t working and unwinding arrangements that no longer make sense
• The challenges of licensing a product in overseas markets
• Why diversification isn’t always the answer and the decision to refocus on one product
• Taking Vergola into the US with a very different business model

It’s a story of changing course, learning from mistakes and growing a South Australian manufactured product into an international business.

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