Davis & Shirtliff, the leading water and energy equipment provider in East Africa is celebrating its seventy fifth Anniversary, a serious milestone in its corporate history. This is a most unusual achievement for any organisation, though particularly one that has the identical family shareholding and essentially the same market focus since its founding. There are few corporations wherever with this declare and D&S is therefore extremely proud of the achievement with varied events being held in celebration.
The firm was founded 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 quickly because the country recovered after the war focusing on boreholes, water provides and the coffee business. One notable early project included the water provide for Karen Estates, the complete initial water supply infrastructure being put in by the corporate as well as for so much of other of the residential estates that were developed at that time.
D&S grew with the country and within the mid-1950s the bottom was moved to new larger premises at this time Dundori Rd location within the industrial space. pressure gauge digital ราคา added exercise was swimming swimming pools, each residential and commercial and heaps of had been built that are nonetheless 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 companion Dick Shirtliff retired and after a period with one other associate, Devji Shingadia, the Davis family, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed control. The 70’s and 80’s noticed slow however steady growth because the country grappled with varied economic and political challenges, although there was a specific concentrate on building the pump business for which the company is so well-known, notably through illustration of the Danish producer Grundfos.
1993 was a big yr for both Kenya and D&S due to economic liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s fast progress since. It was additionally the 12 months that Pedrollo pumps from Italy have been first launched, now the Group’s largest supplier. These two developments enabled a distribution strategy to be developed as supply constraints have been removed and the branch 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 on the Coast though the merger with companion Butech. The pump business grew vastly with Pedrollo and the now well-established Solar and Power Generation activities have been then added.
Since the Millennium growth has tremendously accelerated, income growing many times to KShs10 Billion right now. Major initiatives have included a complete redevelopment of the Dundori Rd site with expansion into adjoining plots, the opening of subsidiaries and associate corporations in Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and DRC, considerable development of the department community, introduction of the profitable Dayliff vary of own-brand products and a huge enlargement of the product vary with Solar being especially successful as the corporate developed its focus on renewable power. More recently a significant improvement has been institution of a large 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that provides the resource for elevated stockholding and has reworked distribution effectivity all through the region, this facility being accomplished in 2020. Staffing has also grown correspondingly, the Group now using over 1000 dedicated workers operating from over 70 locations.
It is usually mentioned that success is transitory and generally unsustainable, though D&S has managed to maintain unbroken growth for an exceptional time frame. This has been achieved by industrial focus, manageable ambition, steady bodily and organisational investment and, importantly, dwelling the values established by the founders of Quality, Integrity and ‘Altiora Peto’, which interprets to embracing steady change. D&S is now a widely recognised firm in the region and is pleased with 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 energetic programme of neighborhood help that focuses on offering water to underprivileged communities, many 1000’s of people having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is only a second in a steady journey and the Group continues to develop with a quantity of ongoing initiatives and nice plans for the future. Ably led by CEO David Gatende and supported by dedicated and committed executives and employees driving this growth, the corporate is fortunate that the third era of Davis’s, Edward and Henry, have joined the enterprise so continuity is assured. The Group continues to increase in product and markets with a particular focus on digital enterprise and appears forward to keep serving the area with important products that actually Improve Lives and also to show that an indigenous African firm can compete internationally and be a world-class organisation.
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