Davis & Shirtliff Celebrates its 75th Anniversary

Davis & Shirtliff, the leading water and power gear supplier in East Africa is celebrating its 75th Anniversary, a major milestone in its company historical past. This is a most unusual achievement for any organisation, though particularly one that has the same household shareholding and basically the same market focus since its founding. There are few corporations wherever with this claim and D&S is therefore extraordinarily proud of the achievement with numerous occasions being held in celebration.
The company was based in 1946 by ex-soldiers Eddie Davis and Dick Shirtliff after leaving the army, initially being based mostly at Westlands, in Nairobi, their neighbour being Westlands Motors that rose to prominence with the Toyota franchise.
It grew quickly as the country recovered after the warfare focusing on boreholes, water provides and the espresso business. One notable early challenge included the water provide for Karen Estates, the whole preliminary water provide infrastructure being installed by the company in addition to for lots of different of the residential estates that were developed at that time.
D&S grew with the country and in the mid-1950s the bottom was moved to new larger premises at the moment Dundori Rd location within the industrial space. An added activity was swimming swimming pools, each residential and industrial and lots of had been built that are nonetheless in use at present. Water Treatment was another diversification, most of the KenGen Tana River stations having D&S designed and constructed equipment.
In 1970 associate Dick Shirtliff retired and after a interval with another associate, Devji Shingadia, the Davis household, then represented by Eddie’s son Alec assumed management. The 70’s and 80’s noticed slow however steady progress as the country grappled with numerous economic and political challenges, although there was a particular give attention to building the pump enterprise for which the company is so well known, notably via illustration of the Danish producer Grundfos.
1993 was a major yr for each Kenya and D&S due to financial liberalisation which was the catalyst for the company’s fast development since. It was also the 12 months 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 provide constraints had been 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 adopted by establishing actions on the Coast although the merger with partner Butech. The pump enterprise grew hugely with Pedrollo and the now well-established Solar and Power Generation actions have been then added.
Since the Millennium development has significantly accelerated, income increasing many occasions to KShs10 Billion today. Major initiatives have included a complete 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 department community, introduction of the successful Dayliff vary of own-brand products and a huge enlargement of the product range with Solar being particularly profitable as the company developed its give consideration to renewable power. More just lately a major development has been institution of a massive 10,000m2 Distribution Centre at Tatu City that gives the 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 dedicated staff operating from over 70 locations.
เกจวัดแรงลม is commonly stated that success is transitory and typically unsustainable, although D&S has managed to maintain up unbroken development for an distinctive time frame. This has been achieved by commercial focus, manageable ambition, steady physical and organisational investment 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 extensively recognised firm in the area and is pleased with the contribution it has made, summarised by its slogan ‘Improving Lives’ which is demonstrated both by the necessary nature of its activities and likewise by an active programme of neighborhood support that focuses on offering water to underprivileged communities, many hundreds of individuals having benefited.
Of course, the 75-year milestone is only a moment in a steady journey and the Group continues to develop with a quantity of ongoing initiatives and nice plans for the long run. Ably led by CEO David Gatende and supported by devoted and committed executives and staff driving this progress, the company is fortunate that the third era of Davis’s, Edward and Henry, have joined the business so continuity is assured. The Group continues to broaden in product and markets with a particular give attention to digital business and looks forward to keep serving the area with essential products that actually Improve Lives and in addition to reveal that an indigenous African company can compete internationally and be a world-class organisation.
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