End of an era at Davis & Shirtliff

Alec Davis,who has handed over the Chief Executive Officer of Davis & Shirtliff opst to a Kenyan David Gatende as he takes the position of Chairman. Davis has been holding the position for more than 20 years after taking it over from his father and founder of the company Eddie Davis. (PHOTO: COURTESY/ DAVIS & SHIRTLIFF)

As you retire at the end of this month, will you hand over the firm’s management to your sons working in the company?

No, the new CEO David Gatende — a Kenyan — will drive this growth. Their time will come later to run the company. I do not intend to retire from work, rather change my focus and become involved in other activities while still retaining an involvement with Davis & Shirtliff. I am also the chairman of Gertrude Children Hospitals and want to look for new business opportunities for the company because as CEO one is absorbed with the day to day routines hence lacks time for such things.

How does it feel steering the company for the last 25 years?  

I feel proud having made a contribution since the business we are in has improved people’s lives for the past 70 years through provision of clean water. We have sold nearly one million water pumps so far. We lead the industry and have trained people in water technology not only those that work in our company but also in other private and public companies. It is true to say that most Kenyans regularly benefit from a Davis & Shirtliff product in the course of their daily activities.

Tell us the story behind formation of Davis & Shirtliff.

Davis &Shirtliff (D&S) was founded in 1946 by Eddie Davis and Dick Shirtliff. Mr Davis had just left the army with a gratuity which he spent buying a stake in a small plumbing business he had worked with as a contractor. Mr Shirtliff soon joined him and the initial expertise was provided by Italian ex-prisoners of war. The company was based at Westlands (now the Nyota Petrol Station site) and grew rapidly as the country recovered after the war focusing on boreholes, water supplies and the coffee industry. Notable early projects included water supply for Karen Estates, with the entire water supply infrastructure until the mid-60’s being installed by D&S.

How has the company changed over the years?

It grew with the country and in the mid-1950s the offices moved to larger new premises at the present location in the Industrial Area. In 1970 one partner, Dick Shirtliff, retired and his shareholding was purchased by a long serving staff member, Devji Shingadia. He and Eddie Davis then ran the company, I joined it in 1976. Eddie Davis passed away in 1982 at the age of 79 and I then assumed his shareholding, in 1990 I purchased Shingadia’s shareholding as well and became its CEO. 1993 was a significant year for both Kenya and D&S as economic liberalisation occurred and this was the catalyst for the company’s rapid growth since.

How has the diversification been since the 1970s to date?

The 70’s and 80’s saw slow but steady growth as the country grappled with various economic and political problems, although there was a particular focus on building the pump importation business, notably Grundfos and Davey that were introduced in the mid-1960’s. In the 1990s we started our solar and generator activities. Today, our group revenue stands at Sh7 billion per year.We now have subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and South Sudan and now looking to venture into DRC Congo. The whole group has 600 employees with 450 in Kenya spread across 28 branches all over the country. Recent branch openings include Narok, Kitui, Ongata Rongai and Mombasa downtown.

How has the growing fortunes of the real estate sector affected the company’s fortunes?

Real estate is symptomatic of the economy’s growth. Most homes in Nairobi have our products, either a swimming pool, water pump, generator or any other product.

Who is Alec Davis?

I am married and the father of two sons who both work in the business. I enjoy swimming for fitness and also have an interest in classic cars. I was born in Kenya in 1950 and went to St Mary’s School, Nairobi, and later to UK for secondary education. I then completed an engineering degree at Loughborough University followed by an MBA at Manchester Business School returning to settle in Kenya in 1976. My grandfather, also called Alec Davis, was among the few first Europeans to settle in Kenya well before World War 1. He was a journalist and owner of the Leader newspaper, which was based at the current Leader Building on Moi Avenue, Nairobi. The Leader became The East African Standard that later evolved into The Standard. He also owned the Theatre Royal, now Cameo Cinema on Kenyatta Avenue, Nairobi.