Dover Rug & Home is pleased to announce company CEO, Mahmud Jafri is the recipient of the 2013 Immigrant Entrepreneur Award, an annual awards program sponsored by the Immigrant Learning Center (ILC). Over two hundred people attended the awards dinner and reception held May 8th at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA, which featured ILC board trustee guest speaker Steven Grossman, Massachusetts Treasurer and Receiver General, and master of ceremonies Richard A. Davey, Jr., secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
Mr. Jafri received the award in the category of “Outstanding Neighborhood Business.” Other winners includeMr. Rafael Guzman, founder of RM Technologies in Outstanding Business Growth; and Dr. Chiang Li, founder of Boston Biomedical in Outstanding Science/Technology Business.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” states Mr. Jafri. “When I immigrated to America in 1974, I was often apprehensive about what it would be like to start a new chapter of my life in an entirely new country. But I knew that this great nation offered endless opportunities and welcomed people of all races and creeds from every corner of the world with open arms. The acceptance and camaraderie I experienced along the way taught me how fortunate I am to live in a country that offers the resources and guidance to anyone who has the drive and ambition to succeed – regardless of where you are from, the color of your skin, or what higher power you believe in.”
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) of Malden, MA, is a not-for-profit organization that helps immigrants and refugees become successful workers, parents, and community members through direct service programs and public education. Their direct service program provides free year-round English classes to immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston.
Consideration for the “Outstanding Neighborhood Business” award goes to those actively involved in a senior management position of their business, and their company must service neighborhood customers, as well as attract patrons from outside their community. Mr. Jafri was recognized for impressive growth of his business, Dover Rug & Home, which began out of his home in 1989 and now occupies a 36,000-square-foot space on Route 9 in Natick, MA, along with his commitment to community development, which is evident in the school programs, interfaith initiatives and charitable organizations he supports. Born out of his love of the sport, Mr. Jafri also built the Dover Squash & Fitness facility for area enthusiasts to play and use as a platform for cross-cultural understanding.
Mr. Jafri has been appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to his Advisory Council on Immigrants and Refugees, and is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), International Furnishing and Design Association (IFDA), and World Floor Covering Association. Dover Rug & Home is the recipient of the 2011“Best of” Boston Home award, as well as the CNC Reader’s Choice award for “Best Carpet Store” ten years in a row. The company is consistently recognized for its philanthropy, as it supports over 50 charitable organizations on a regular basis.
