Modern tents trade replaces gunnysacks

By Njoki Chege

Until recently, tent manufacturing was a preserve of a few established companies. Then entered the ‘small fish’.

These are the small-scale manufacturers, who do not only offer stiff competition to big players, but also make cheaper tents of the same quality.

As it turns out, tent manufacturing is a lucrative and dynamic business. With stimulating factors such as the fast growing wedding planning and tent hire industries, the tent manufacturing industry has just began.

It is an industry with great potential, as the manufacturers are spoilt for choice when it comes to the types of tents to manufacture.

Tents and seats [PHOTO:STANDARD]

The fact that they could double up as tent-hire businesses, and reap huge profits from the same gives them more motivation.

At a glance, a tent looks like a simple, easy to make structure. It is on ground that the truth is unraveled; a lot of hard work goes into the business of making tents.

It takes a minimum of one week to manufacture a single tent, and the process is divided into two.

First is the metal framework, which takes about three or four days to prepare. It includes making detachable metal connectors used to support the tent.

The material is then cut up, stitched or bound using a special machine that uses heat (Lei star), according to the measurements of framework.

This process might take one or two days depending on the size and shape of the tent.

Matthew Njagi, owner of ‘Supreme Tentmakers’ situated confirms that tent manufacturing is indeed a tough but lucrative business.

"Tent manufacturing is a tough job, but it pays well. You can make a single tent in a short time and reap great profits," says Njagi.

Profit earned

"A 50-seater tent can fetch you up to Sh10,000 in profits, while a 100 seater can fetch you Sh20,000," he says.

To manufacture a good tent, you need heavy-duty fabric such as plastic PVC (Polyvinylchloride) and cotton canvas depending on the type of tent being manufactured.

Joel Ochieng Abade is the owner of ‘JOA Tentmakers and Repair’. He has been in this industry since 2004, after working for a major tent manufacturer in the country for two years

Ochieng concurs with Njagi that this work is indeed difficult, but very lucrative in the end.

Every tent, as Ochieng explains, is custom made to the needs, tastes and preferences of a client.

Offers Ochieng: "When a customer approaches me, we sit down and discuss what they want in a tent, and what material to use. The next step is to quote the cost — which usually factors in the price of materials, metal framework and labour."

The work then begins with measurements, depending on the number of seats the tent is expected to hold. Tents range from 50 seaters to 200 seaters or even smaller ones, which are known as Gazebos.

According to Ochieng, a single 50-seater tent could fetch up to Sh20,000. The profits increase with the size of the tent.

"Profits range from Sh10,000 to Sh20,00 for the small 50 seater tents. For the bigger 100 seater tents, the profits are much higher," he confirms.

Lucrative and rewarding as it may seem, a closer look into this business reveals more — the darker, not-so attractive side of the business. This industry is grappling with several challenges that business owners have to contend with.

The unavailability of the primary materials such as the canvas tops the list of major problems the industry faces.

This could be attributed to the fact that most of these materials are imported and the cost of importing is passed down to the manufacturer, which makes the business even harder.

But that is not the only reason that makes these materials difficult to access. The supply part of it is a huge challenge.

Says Njagi: "We get our materials from wholesalers in Gikomba market because major tent manufacturers will not sell their materials to retailers like us. However, these materials are not always available and this poses a great challenge."

According to Njagi, most wholesalers barely have enough materials needed for a particular job, which cause delay and worst of all, a hike in the prices.

"The materials come in rolls of 50 metres each. Say for instance you require 250 metres for a particular contract and the wholesalers don’t have enough materials. This could set you back a great deal," says Njagi. While PVC is readily available, the canvas material is scarce, and can rarely be bought in large quantities.

Marketing and finding clients is also a hard nut to crack. Maxton Apiyo, owner of ‘Accurate Tentmakers and Repair’ situated in Kariobangi Light Industries, can attest to this fact.

"This job is definitely not for the fainthearted," he says,

"You can stay for a while without getting clients since there are so many people with similar businesses. However, you need to be patient and persistent."

The biggest customers in this business are wedding planners, institutions, groups and some individuals who buy tents for hire.