Davis & Shirtliff, the main water and power gear supplier in East Africa is celebrating its 75th Anniversary, a major milestone in its corporate history. This is a most unusual achievement for any organisation, although especially one that has the identical household shareholding and basically the identical market focus since its founding. There are few companies anywhere with this claim and D&S is therefore extremely proud of the achievement with numerous occasions being held in celebration.
The company was founded in 1946 by ex-soldiers Eddie Davis and Dick Shirtliff after leaving the military, initially being based mostly 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 warfare focusing on boreholes, water supplies and the coffee trade. One notable early challenge included the water supply for Karen Estates, the entire initial water provide infrastructure being installed by the corporate as nicely as for a lot of different of the residential estates that were developed at that time.
D&S grew with the nation and in the mid-1950s the bottom was moved to new larger premises at the moment Dundori Rd location within the industrial area. An added activity was swimming pools, both residential and industrial and heaps of had been constructed which might be still in use right now. Water Treatment was one other diversification, many of the KenGen Tana River stations having D&S designed and built gear.
In 1970 partner Dick Shirtliff retired and after a period with one other partner, Devji Shingadia, the Davis household, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed control. The 70’s and 80’s saw slow however steady progress because the country grappled with numerous financial and political challenges, although there was a specific focus on constructing the pump enterprise for which the corporate is so well-known, notably by way of representation of the Danish producer Grundfos.
1993 was a significant 12 months for each Kenya and D&S as a result of financial liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s fast growth since. It was additionally the 12 months that Pedrollo pumps from Italy have been first introduced, now the Group’s largest provider. These two developments enabled a distribution strategy to be developed as provide constraints were removed and the department community was then established, initially with Kenya branches being opened in Westlands, Eldoret and Kisumu and subsidiaries in Uganda and Tanzania soon adopted by establishing actions at the Coast though the merger with partner Butech. The pump enterprise grew vastly with Pedrollo and the now well-established Solar and Power Generation activities had been then added.
Since pressure gauge ลม has tremendously accelerated, revenue rising many instances to KShs10 Billion at present. Major initiatives have included an entire redevelopment of the Dundori Rd web site with enlargement into adjoining plots, the opening of subsidiaries and affiliate corporations in Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and DRC, appreciable growth of the branch network, introduction of the profitable Dayliff range of own-brand merchandise and an enormous expansion of the product range with Solar being especially profitable as the corporate developed its give attention to renewable energy. More just lately a significant growth has been establishment of a large 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that provides the resource for elevated stockholding and has remodeled distribution efficiency all through the region, this facility being completed in 2020. Staffing has additionally grown correspondingly, the Group now employing over 1000 dedicated employees working from over 70 areas.
It is commonly mentioned that success is transitory and typically unsustainable, although D&S has managed to take care of unbroken growth for an exceptional time period. This has been achieved by business focus, manageable ambition, continuous bodily and organisational funding and, importantly, dwelling the values established by the founders of Quality, Integrity and ‘Altiora Peto’, which translates to embracing continuous change. D&S is now a broadly recognised company within the region and is proud of the contribution it has made, summarised by its slogan ‘Improving Lives’ which is demonstrated both by the necessary nature of its activities and also by an energetic programme of community assist that focuses on offering water to underprivileged communities, many hundreds of individuals having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is only a second in a steady journey and the Group continues to grow with a quantity of ongoing initiatives and great plans for the longer term. Ably led by CEO David Gatende and supported by devoted and dedicated executives and workers driving this development, the corporate 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 selected focus on digital enterprise and appears forward to keep serving the area with important products that actually Improve Lives and also to reveal that an indigenous African firm can compete internationally and be a world-class organisation.
Share