Ex-soldier helps Afghans rebuild
For 27 years, Steve Appleton found purpose through his work in the military, completing tours in Sarajevo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
After retiring as a senior colonel in 2005, Appleton’s purpose shifted when he formed a consulting company with offices in Afghanistan.
“(Soldiering) is a destructive profession. ... My purpose has transitioned to create things now. I still have tremendous purpose, I still want to make differences in people’s lives, but I want to do it now ... in a building way versus a destructive way,” he says.
Since its formation in 2007, Appleton Consulting has delivered more than $400 million worth of projects to its clients and spearheaded several projects that will contribute to the rebuilding of Afghanistan after decades of war.
Today, the company employs 38 Afghans and it serves as an on-the-ground ally for those doing business in Afghanistan.
The ex-colonel attributes the company’s success to a focus on building relationships. In the company’s infancy, Appleton travelled all over Afghanistan meeting chiefs, living in the homes of businessmen and observing customs.
“I develop relationships with the right people, the right tribal leaders, the right businessmen in a way that’s about 180 degrees different than what we teach at business school here.”
His approach is paying off and 2013 has been a monumental year for Appleton Consulting.
The company was awarded the contract for a $179-million US housing project for low-income families in Kabul in May.
Then, in December, Appleton Consulting and Montreal-based CANARAIL won a bid to design nearly 300 kilometres of railway in northern Afghanistan that will move vast amounts of minerals into the global market. It’s a remarkable achievement in a country that up until two years ago had just 25 kilometres of railway.
In December, Appleton was recognized as the Businessman of the Year by the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce.
Appleton plans to take his successful business model to emerging economies in Central Asia.
“I think it’s a very exciting and complex part of the world we need to better understand,” Appleton says.