Davis & Shirtliff, the leading water and power tools supplier in East Africa is celebrating its 75th Anniversary, a major milestone in its company history. This is a most uncommon achievement for any organisation, though especially one which has the same family shareholding and primarily the same market focus since its founding. There are few companies wherever with this declare and D&S is therefore extraordinarily proud of the achievement with varied occasions being held in celebration.
The company was based in 1946 by ex-soldiers Eddie Davis and Dick Shirtliff after leaving the military, initially being primarily based at Westlands, in Nairobi, their neighbour being Westlands Motors that rose to prominence with the Toyota franchise.
It grew rapidly as the nation recovered after the warfare focusing on boreholes, water provides and the espresso business. One notable early project included the water provide for Karen Estates, the complete preliminary water supply infrastructure being installed by the corporate in addition to for lots of different of the residential estates that have been developed at the moment.
D&S grew with the nation and in the mid-1950s the base was moved to new bigger premises at the moment Dundori Rd location in the industrial space. An added exercise was swimming pools, both residential and business and lots of have been constructed that are still in use right now. Water Treatment was one other diversification, many of the KenGen Tana River stations having D&S designed and built equipment.
In 1970 partner Dick Shirtliff retired and after a period with one other partner, Devji Shingadia, the Davis family, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed management. The 70’s and 80’s saw gradual but regular development because the nation grappled with various financial and political challenges, though there was a specific concentrate on building the pump enterprise for which the company is so well-known, notably via illustration of the Danish manufacturer Grundfos.
1993 was a big 12 months for each Kenya and D&S because of financial liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s speedy progress since. It was additionally the yr that Pedrollo pumps from Italy have been first launched, now the Group’s largest supplier. These two developments enabled a distribution technique to be developed as supply constraints have been removed and the department network was then established, initially with Kenya branches being opened in Westlands, Eldoret and Kisumu and subsidiaries in Uganda and Tanzania soon followed by establishing activities at the Coast although the merger with associate Butech. The pump business grew hugely with Pedrollo and the now well-established Solar and Power Generation activities have been then added.
Since the Millennium development has greatly accelerated, revenue increasing many instances to KShs10 Billion at present. Major initiatives have included a complete redevelopment of the Dundori Rd website with expansion into adjacent plots, the opening of subsidiaries and affiliate companies in Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and DRC, considerable progress of the branch community, introduction of the successful Dayliff vary of own-brand products and an enormous enlargement of the product range with Solar being particularly profitable as the company developed its concentrate on renewable energy. เกจวัดแรงดัน has been institution of an enormous 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that gives the resource for elevated stockholding and has transformed distribution effectivity all through the region, this facility being completed in 2020. Staffing has additionally grown correspondingly, the Group now using over a thousand dedicated workers operating from over 70 places.
It is often mentioned that success is transitory and typically unsustainable, though D&S has managed to take care of unbroken development for an distinctive time frame. This has been achieved by business focus, manageable ambition, continuous bodily and organisational investment and, importantly, residing the values established by the founders of Quality, Integrity and ‘Altiora Peto’, which translates to embracing steady change. D&S is now a widely recognised firm within the region and is proud of the contribution it has made, summarised by its slogan ‘Improving Lives’ which is demonstrated both by the essential nature of its activities and likewise by an energetic programme of neighborhood help that focuses on offering water to underprivileged communities, many 1000’s of individuals having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is just a moment in a steady journey and the Group continues to grow with a number of ongoing initiatives and great plans for the lengthy run. Ably led by CEO David Gatende and supported by dedicated and committed executives and employees driving this progress, the corporate is fortunate that the third technology of Davis’s, Edward and Henry, have joined the enterprise so continuity is assured. The Group continues to expand in product and markets with a particular focus on digital business and appears ahead to keep serving the area with essential merchandise that certainly Improve Lives and likewise to show that an indigenous African firm can compete internationally and be a world-class organisation.
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