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MESSAGE FROM THE
GROUP CEO
Dear friends, colleagues and valued customers,
This is a special Brushstrokes edition for me. As we mark the 10th
edition, I am also marking ten years at Crown Paints Kenya Limited. It
has been an amazing journey this far, a humbling experience working
with the lovely teamand always an opportunity to learn something new.
This year, the paints and adhesives industry, just like all other
industries has faced a number of challenges. The main challenge has
been dealing with the weakening of the Kenyan shilling against the
dollar. This is a global challenge facing not only African economies,
but also European and Asian markets.
Nonetheless, I want to thank you for the support you have continually
shown Crown Paints. For the first six months of the financial year,
we attained double digit growth in our turnover. This is no mean feat
considering the prevailing fluctuating currency provisions.
At the end of the day, we are here for you; the customer. This is why
we will continue investing into making your experience with Crown
Paints even better. The launch of the Meru depot for instance is an
indication of our growing confidence in the Mt. Kenya and Upper
Eastern regions. We invested Ksh20 million in setting-up the depot
and we anticipate growing our sales volumes from the two regions
to one million litres per year, worth an estimated Ksh263 million
annually in value.
Our new products such as the Crown Permacote Ultra Guard
with Silicone Paint is proof that we are the game-changers in the
industry. This is a revolutionary product bearing in mind that we are
the only paint company providing this in Kenya. The water repellent
characteristic provided by silicone ensures that customers get a
stylish and fresh look for longer periods than convectional paints.
Achieving a rain-proof, breathable paint is the height of innovation
and we are proud to be the first to provide this solution.
As we strive to provide top-of-class products, we are not blind to
the fact that painters are crucial to ensuring that the customer gets
the best out of Crown Paints. We have now developed a programme
to appreciate the painters that work closely with Crown Paints by
providing incentives for every tin they purchase. The painters will
accumulate points for every Crown Paints purchase they make, and
upon attaining a certain number of points, they can redeem this
for shopping vouchers, school fee vouchers, and extra tins of paint
among others.
Last year, we received a positive response from our television
commercial that urged us to share our dreams. Be on the lookout for
more entertaining and educational advertising that will ensure awareness
and support by increasing demand of our products in the market.
Lastly, let me take this opportunity to thank you for being true to
Crown Paints as well as following our journey throughout the previous
nine Brushstrokes editions. I wish you and your family a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!