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manufacturing ingredients,<br />
there is no manual<br />
intervention.<br />
“The cost of operation<br />
is lower compared to the<br />
Nairobi plant. We only<br />
need 20 to 30 people to<br />
produce one million tonnes<br />
of paint compared to a staff<br />
of over 100 at the Nairobi<br />
plant. Interestingly, we get<br />
the same quantity of paint<br />
within two to three hours<br />
compared to the six hours<br />
or more we could have<br />
used in the Nairobi factory.<br />
It takes 50 per cent less<br />
time to produce the same<br />
amount,” Mr Rao says.<br />
He adds that they<br />
intend to get more funds<br />
from <strong>KCB</strong> Bank for future<br />
expansion at the factory.<br />
“Currently, we are<br />
not holding any stocks.<br />
We produce and almost<br />
immediately sell the paint<br />
we make. We will need<br />
to build a showroom and<br />
hardware for storing the<br />
finished goods,” he says.<br />
The Kisumu factory has<br />
boosted the fortunes for the<br />
company.<br />
“In Rwanda, the<br />
business has grown by over<br />
100 per cent. In Tanzania,<br />
we have just broken even<br />
and despite some teething<br />
problems in Uganda, we<br />
are doing well,” Mr Rao<br />
says.<br />
For the past four<br />
decades, Crown Paints has<br />
maintained its reputation<br />
as a manufacturer of<br />
various paints and paint<br />
related products such<br />
as internal and external<br />
paints, specialized and<br />
textured paint finishes, roof<br />
paints, floor paints and<br />
wood varnishes.<br />
Currently, Crown Paints<br />
occupies more than 65<br />
per cent of the premium<br />
market share and about 44<br />
per cent of the premium<br />
and economy paints<br />
market.<br />
The company has a net<br />
worth of over Sh6 billion<br />
and now produces over 5<br />
million tonnes of paint in a<br />
month.<br />
In 2014, Mr Rao was<br />
honoured as the CEO of the<br />
Year and Crown Paints as<br />
the Company of the Year<br />
during the Company of the<br />
Year Awards (COYA).<br />
Do you have a dream?<br />
Contact : +254 (20) 3270199<br />
corporateservice@kcb.co.ke<br />
PROJECT FINANCE<br />
“We offer free advice on special<br />
finishes, various decorations<br />
and paints to use to the bank’s<br />
customers who take loans to<br />
build property”<br />
Rakesh Rao, CEO Crown Paints<br />
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