Milk firm woos hotels in business expansion strategy

Brookside staff clean up at Ruai Sewage Plant in Njiru during this year's World Environment Day celebrations. [Courtesy]

Milk processor Brookside Dairy seeks to expand its market base for dairy products through a partnership with the hospitality sector.

The firm has partnered with national hoteliers' lobby Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC), noting that it has made deeper investments in its product value chain to ensure sustained high-quality products to its customers.

Brookside general manager in charge of sales Joseph Muguongo said the processor plans to further increase the uptake of its products as it eyes a bigger slice of the local dairy market.

"The business partnership with hoteliers seeks further to enhance our market share in the dairy products category," he said in Diani, Kwale County during the KAHC annual symposium on Thursday.

"Hotels and catering outlets in the country constitute a core sales segment in our market consolidation strategy, and we will continue to prioritise supply orders from hoteliers countrywide."

The KAHC membership mainly comprises of star-rated hotels, restaurants, lodges, tented camps and residential cottages, all big consumers of dairy products.

The official, who presented a cash donation of Sh1 million and product samples and merchandise worth Sh700,000 to support this year's symposium, said Brookside had the largest dairy sales footprint in the region and was ready to serve markets in all corners of the country.

KAHC chief executive Mike Macharia commended the milk firm for supporting association members over the years.

He said members were keen on high quality products, which he said enhanced patronage of hotels and other catering outlets.

Tourism principal secretary John Ololtuaa and Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, who were present, said the government was committed to supporting the tourism sector as it was key to the country's foreign exchange inflows.

The annual hoteliers' symposium provides a forum for stakeholders in the hospitality industry to seek ways to market Kenya as a preferred tourist destination.

"We commend the government for fast-tracking the improvement of tourism roads across the country, which has led to easier access to hospitality facilities across the country," Macharia said.