Devolution drives Davis and Shirtliff expansion strategy

NAIROBI: Davis and Shirtliff has undertaken its biggest network expansion in over 60 years, opening new branches in Kiambu, Kakamega, Voi, Garissa, Naivasha and Machakos in a bid to meet the rising demand for its equipment in the counties.

According to the country's leading supplier of water and energy-related equipment, the share of business generated from outside Nairobi has grown immensely over the recent past, now accounting for 50 per cent of its total sales in Kenya.

"This has been a major driver of our expansion strategy, because as demand grows in the counties, so does the need to deliver after-sale services to our customers," said Edward Davis, the company's business development manager.

In order that service quality in the new branches matches that of existing branches, the equipment supplier says it is recruiting between five and 10 new employees per month to ensure there is adequate capacity to meet and exceed customers' expectations.

Davis and Shirtliff is also focused on building local capacity and expertise in the form of service providers who are trained by the company and then become free agents in the market, able to offer timely and cost-effective support for the equipment in the market.

Plans are also underway to further increase Davis and Shirtliff's presence in the counties as well as upgrade and enlarge the company's existing network of 40 branches.

Davis said the firm aims to differentiate itself through the support it can offer its customers. He said as opposed to merely selling equipment and moving on, the firm looks at its role more as an ongoing relationship with customers whereby it offers a solution to the problem being experienced.

"We realise that in order to succeed, we need to add value - making product available simple isn't enough, that product needs to be supported - and at the right price," he said in a statement.