ราคาเพรสเชอร์เกจ & Shirtliff, the main water and energy tools supplier in East Africa is celebrating its seventy fifth Anniversary, a serious milestone in its corporate historical past. This is a most uncommon achievement for any organisation, although especially one that has the identical family shareholding and essentially the same market focus since its founding. There are few companies anyplace with this claim and D&S is therefore extremely pleased with the achievement with numerous events being held in celebration.
The firm was based in 1946 by ex-soldiers Eddie Davis and Dick Shirtliff after leaving the army, initially being primarily based at Westlands, in Nairobi, their neighbour being Westlands Motors that rose to prominence with the Toyota franchise.
It grew rapidly because the country recovered after the struggle focusing on boreholes, water supplies and the coffee business. One notable early venture included the water provide for Karen Estates, the entire preliminary water supply infrastructure being put in by the corporate in addition to for many different of the residential estates that had been developed at that time.
D&S grew with the country and in the mid-1950s the base was moved to new larger premises at the present Dundori Rd location in the industrial space. An added exercise was swimming pools, each residential and commercial and tons of have been built which are still in use at present. Water Treatment was another diversification, lots of the KenGen Tana River stations having D&S designed and constructed gear.
In 1970 associate Dick Shirtliff retired and after a interval with another companion, Devji Shingadia, the Davis family, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed control. The 70’s and 80’s noticed gradual however regular development as the nation grappled with varied economic and political challenges, though there was a selected focus on building the pump enterprise for which the company is so well known, notably through representation of the Danish manufacturer Grundfos.
1993 was a major yr for each Kenya and D&S because of financial liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s speedy growth since. It was also the year that Pedrollo pumps from Italy had been first introduced, now the Group’s largest supplier. These two developments enabled a distribution strategy to be developed as supply constraints were eliminated 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 on the Coast though the merger with associate Butech. The pump business grew vastly with Pedrollo and the now well-established Solar and Power Generation actions were then added.
Since the Millennium growth has significantly accelerated, income growing many occasions to KShs10 Billion at present. Major initiatives have included a whole redevelopment of the Dundori Rd web site with expansion into adjoining plots, the opening of subsidiaries and affiliate firms in Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and DRC, considerable development of the department community, introduction of the profitable Dayliff vary of own-brand merchandise and a huge enlargement of the product range with Solar being particularly profitable as the company developed its concentrate on renewable vitality. More recently a major improvement has been establishment of a massive 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that provides the useful resource for increased stockholding and has remodeled distribution efficiency all through the area, this facility being completed in 2020. Staffing has additionally grown correspondingly, the Group now using over 1000 dedicated staff working from over 70 places.
It is commonly stated that success is transitory and sometimes unsustainable, though D&S has managed to keep up unbroken development for an distinctive time period. This has been achieved by commercial focus, manageable ambition, steady physical and organisational funding and, importantly, residing the values established by the founders of Quality, Integrity and ‘Altiora Peto’, which interprets to embracing steady change. D&S is now a extensively recognised firm within the region and is proud of the contribution it has made, summarised by its slogan ‘Improving Lives’ which is demonstrated each by the important nature of its actions and also by an active programme of neighborhood help that focuses on providing water to underprivileged communities, many thousands of individuals having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is only a second in a continuous journey and the Group continues to develop with a selection of ongoing initiatives and great plans for the long run. Ably led by CEO David Gatende and supported by dedicated and committed executives and workers driving this progress, the company is fortunate that the third technology of Davis’s, Edward and Henry, have joined the business so continuity is assured. The Group continues to increase in product and markets with a particular concentrate on digital enterprise and looks forward to maintain serving the area with important 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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