About Time Inc.

Shashi G. Vaswani and Priya Vaswani were both born in India. Both of their families moved to Texas in hope of a better life. 

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In 1987 Shashi and Priya would marry. They have 2 fabulous  children. 

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Shashi has been involved in a business environment since 1981 when he was 15 years old. It was at this time, that Shashi learned the “ropes” by helping in the family business.  His parents trained Shashi in a manner that by the time he was 18 years old; he owned and operated his own retail jewelry business in Laredo.

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In 1987, Shashi got married and Priya moved to the Caribbean Island of St. Maarten to open a jewelry store on Main Street to cater to the cruise ship passengers and the many vacationers that visited the Island. During the next three years in St. Maarten, their business increased on a yearly basis; however, since both Shashi and his wife had never experienced life on an island, “Island Fever” set in, and with a young daughter approaching the academic age and a second child on the way, Shashi and his wife decided to move back to the United States in 1991.



It was here in Laredo, Texas that the Vaswani’s got involved in the video game industry. About Time, Inc. (ATI) was started as a business to distribute video game software, hardware and accessories into Mexico and Latin America. ATI has grown from 6 million USD in revenues the first year to 51 million USD in sales for the year ending 2002. Since then the growth continued and in 2011, ATI reached a sales figure of over 150 million USD, its best year ever.



In 1999, ATI expanded across the border and opened another distribution office in Mexico City to handle the importation, logistical and servicing of Wal-Mart of Mexico’s and other retailer’s needs for their video game distribution and sales. This office was closed in 2008 because of the increasing issues pertaining to violence in the capital city.



Currently, ATI employs 18 individuals in Laredo, Texas.

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Alongside About Time, Inc., Priya and Shashi operate several South Texas hotels and the Laredo Heat Soccer Club and Academy. Priya serves as the primary accountant, personnel and facilities manager for About Time, Inc., as well as the Vaswani’s interests in the Motel 6 Laredo, La Quinta Inn and Suites Laredo Airport and various real estate properties. She manages and oversees the families businesses’ marketing strategies as well.

 

The Laredo Heat have operated as a member of the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League since 2004 and they’ve never failed to qualify for a postseason tournament, winning a national championship in 2007 and appearing in four other championship games. The youth academy has flourished in a youth-soccer deprived region, having seen its Under-5-years-old to Under-20 teams compete and succeed in state, regional and national tournaments. Several athletes of the Laredo Heat Soccer Club and Academy have also earned scholarships. About Soccer is a non-profit organization.

 

Priya and family are also passionate advocates with Make-A-Wish of Laredo. Priya is on the board with Casa de Misericordia and Vantage Bank. She and her family illustrate their self-driven investment into their community though their various work with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, South Texas Academic Rising Scholars, Bethany House of Laredo, the South Texas Food Bank and many others. Priya was also recently assigned a Board seat with Laredo Medical Center.



The Vaswani’s, together, have weathered many storms the past 25 years; most notably, the Mexican Peso devaluation in 1994. Through perseverance and a professional work ethic, the Vaswani’s have been successful in whatever they have partaken in.



If and when the Vaswani’s take on a business, they will seize it and strive not only to maintain the business challenge but to excel in order to make it succeed.