Davis & Shirtliff Celebrates its 75th Anniversary

Davis & Shirtliff, the main water and power tools 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, although particularly one that has the identical household shareholding and essentially the same market focus since its founding. There are few firms anywhere with this declare and D&S is subsequently extraordinarily proud of 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 military, initially being based at Westlands, in Nairobi, their neighbour being Westlands Motors that rose to prominence with the Toyota franchise.
pressure gauge หน้าปัด 2 นิ้ว grew rapidly because the country recovered after the struggle focusing on boreholes, water provides and the coffee trade. One notable early challenge included the water supply for Karen Estates, the complete preliminary water supply infrastructure being installed by the corporate in addition to for so much of different of the residential estates that were developed at the moment.
D&S grew with the nation and within the mid-1950s the base was moved to new bigger premises at the present Dundori Rd location in the industrial space. An added exercise was swimming pools, each residential and industrial and many have been constructed which are nonetheless in use at present. Water Treatment was one other diversification, most of the KenGen Tana River stations having D&S designed and built tools.
In 1970 partner Dick Shirtliff retired and after a period with one other companion, Devji Shingadia, the Davis family, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed control. The 70’s and 80’s saw gradual however steady progress as the nation grappled with various financial and political challenges, though there was a specific concentrate on constructing the pump enterprise for which the company is so well-known, notably via illustration of the Danish producer Grundfos.
1993 was a major 12 months for both Kenya and D&S as a outcome of economic liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s fast growth since. It was additionally the year that Pedrollo pumps from Italy were first launched, now the Group’s largest provider. These two developments enabled a distribution strategy to be developed as provide constraints had been eliminated and the branch network was then established, initially with Kenya branches being opened in Westlands, Eldoret and Kisumu and subsidiaries in Uganda and Tanzania quickly followed by establishing activities on the Coast though 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 progress has tremendously accelerated, income growing many occasions to KShs10 Billion today. Major initiatives have included a complete redevelopment of the Dundori Rd web site with growth into adjoining plots, the opening of subsidiaries and affiliate companies in Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe and DRC, considerable growth of the department network, introduction of the profitable Dayliff vary of own-brand products and an enormous enlargement of the product vary with Solar being particularly profitable as the company developed its give attention to renewable power. More lately a serious improvement has been establishment of an enormous 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that gives the useful resource for elevated stockholding and has reworked distribution effectivity all through the area, this facility being accomplished in 2020. Staffing has also grown correspondingly, the Group now employing over 1000 committed staff working from over 70 locations.
It is commonly mentioned that success is transitory and sometimes unsustainable, though D&S has managed to keep up unbroken development for an distinctive period of time. This has been achieved by industrial focus, manageable ambition, steady bodily and organisational funding and, importantly, living the values established by the founders of Quality, Integrity and ‘Altiora Peto’, which interprets to embracing continuous change. D&S is now a broadly recognised firm within the area and is proud of the contribution it has made, summarised by its slogan ‘Improving Lives’ which is demonstrated both by the important nature of its activities and in addition by an energetic programme of neighborhood help that focuses on providing water to underprivileged communities, many thousands of people having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is just a moment in a steady journey and the Group continues to grow with numerous ongoing initiatives and nice 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 lucky that the third generation of Davis’s, Edward and Henry, have joined the enterprise so continuity is assured. The Group continues to broaden in product and markets with a selected concentrate on digital enterprise and looks ahead to maintain serving the area with important merchandise that definitely Improve Lives and in addition to demonstrate that an indigenous African company can compete internationally and be a world-class organisation.
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