The Company started production of plant protection appliances in August, 1947 with the Hand Rotary Duster and went on to develop more and more sophisticated equipment needed with the development of better and effective pesticides. The Company being the pioneer in agricultural spraying and dusting equipment is the largest of its kind in India. Having started with 7 persons it has today spread over an area of 13 acres of land in Bombay and has also established 3 associate companies - one in Thane District of Maharashtra State and two in Bilimora in Gujarat State employing more than 400 employees.

The growth of this organization has synchronized with efforts the country has put in towards agricultural development by introducing scientific methods and farm mechanization. This organization, like any other organization, which began from scratch, too, had its trials and tribulations. Shri. L.M. Patel played a pivotal role in the making of American Spring and Pressing Works Ltd. Shri. L.M. Patel’s activities over the past 41 years have been inextricably interwoven with plant protection in India. Plant protection has been a part of his life, since the late forties, beginning his career as a School Teacher in East Africa in 1925, before launching the plant protection venture; he took part in the freedom struggle and later joined an engineering concern in Bombay.

A small workshop under the style of “American Spring & Pressing Works” owned by a Sindhi and a Punjabi Gentleman, manufacturing spring and sundry items, situated near the Company where Patel was employed, was for sale. Patel took it over. The landlord of the premises did not agree to the transfer of tenancy-rights to Patel and hence the factory was continued in the old name and style. It would thus be clear that the name is a misnomer. It is neither “American” nor does it manufacture any “Springs.” 
IT IS A CONCERN OWNED AND MANAGED BY INDIANS. IN SHORT, IT IS A HUNDRED PERCENT INDIAN CONCERN.
PRODUCT RANGE

Aspee is a manufacturer and exporter of manually and power operated agricultural sprayers, Dusters, Threshers, Seed Drills, Paddy Weeders and Wheel Hoes for crop protection and for facilitating agricultural operation, Compression Sprayers and Hand- Bucket Sprayers based on World Health Organization specification of Malaria Eradication Programmes and Flame Guns for Agriculture and Foundries.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

With the years of experience in the manufacture of Sprayers, Dusters and other Equipment, we have been able to establish our own Research and Development Department, where all our equipment are under constant trial and development. The R&D constantly tries various components and tests them in our laboratory and then in the field before they are standardized in our equipment. Similarly, suggestions received from actual users are also tried and are put to the test for improving our products.The Company has also set-up Aspee Research Institute at Bhiwali, near Bombay to carryout intensive research in Agricultural Engineering and particularly Agro Chemical Application Technology.

MARKETING

The Company’s marketing network includes 120 state and district level distributors and under them about 600 dealers and stockists to represent the company at all important district and taluk levels spread over every nook and corner of the country. This has helped the company to find its way to every nook & corner of the country and to render prompt and efficient after sales service at the doorsteps of the farmers and also through the maintaining of sufficient stock of equipment and parts.The Company has a full-fledged training section where training is imparted regularly to mechanics of the distributors, thus keeping them abreast of developments and modification in the products. Mechanics of the foreign governments and buyers have also been trained free of cost at the organization’s works in the repairs and maintenance of plant protection equipment.

EXPORT

Apart from catering to the local needs of this country, Aspee also exports their equipments to Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Iraq, and other Middle Eastern countries, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malavi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Sudan, and other African Countries, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and other Far Eastern Countries and also to Nicaragua in South America. The company has also full-fledged agents in some of these countries.

DISTRIBUTORS’ ASSOCIATION

In order to make one large homogenous Aspee Family the company has formed an Association of their distributors and dealers under the banner of Aspee Distributors’ Association. This organization has helped to maintain a close relation between the principals and their distributors and dealers.
UNDER ONE ROOF

Aspee is probably the only manufacturer of crop protection having facility to manufacture each and every part that goes into the making of complete equipment – whether it is a Nozzle, Washer, an extension rod or fabrication of a blow-moulded tank. Thus, when the Company claims that their equipments are quality products, they know what they talking about since they can vouch for each part.
STANDARD

Initially the company started manufacturing equipment as per British Standards and thereafter with the formation of the Bureau of Indian Standards, the Company is manufacturing most of its equipment based on the specification and standards laid down by this Institute. Thus, majority of equipment manufactured by the company are ISI Quality marked. The spraying equipments used for Malaria Control are manufactured as per the specification of World Health Organization and these equipments have earned a good name in the International market.
OTHER ACTIVITIES

This organization has not failed in its duty to humanity. With a view to help the needy persons in the field of Education, Medicine and Social Welfare, the Company has established a Public Charitable Trust, “Aspee Charitable Trust” with sufficient funds at its disposal to carry out the objectives. The Trust has extended a helping hand to a number of Institutions and individuals.

Since its inception the company has always kept before it the motto of “Service to Agriculture”. Therefore, the Company and their Distributors established an Organization called “Aspee Agricultural Research and Development Foundation” (ARDF) with the object of undertaking scientific research in the field of Agriculture, of extending the development technology from research laboratory to the farmers and providing Fellowships etc. to agricultural students for further studies in the field of Agriculture. Besides, the Company has also taken up Rural Development Programmes for the upliftment of the villages viz. Agricultural Development, Cattle and Diary Production, Vocational Training, Public Health, Irrigation, Crop Competition, establishment of a College of Nutrition and other activities.

Source: Aspee, Kolkata