Isuzu East Africa (EA) handed over 82 tracks purchased by Jumbo Steel Mills at a cost of Ksh.400 million to support in logistics with its new plant in Kisumu.
This follows the launch of Ksh.2 billion Jumbo Steel in the region, a new mattresses and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) water tanks factory.
“Logistics is an integral part of our business because of the timely deliveries of our products to our customers. We were keen to work with a reliable automotive partner to provide suitable vehicles that would meet this requirement,” said Jumbo Steel Mills Managing Director Harsh Patel.
Isuzu Sales Director Wanjohi Kangangi said the purchase of the vehicles by Jumbo Steel Mills reaffirmed Isuzu’s position as the leading vehicle brand in Kenya.
“I wish to thank Jumbo Steel Mills Management for this great demonstration of the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative that seeks to promote consumption of local products, hence building the economy,” he said.
Isuzu East Africa After Sales Director Julius Mwangi pledged maintenance and service support for the fleet through the 55 authorized Isuzu service centers across Kenya.
The brand has attained strong leadership in this market, selling over 100,000 units since the first Isuzu vehicle rolled out of its Nairobi assembly plant in 1977.
With over 15 models in its line-up, the Isuzu brand has dominated the new vehicle segment for ten years in a row since 2012, achieving a market share of 45.02 percent by end of 2021.
The multi-billion investment was informed by the strategic location of Kisumu city with the plant expected to serve the western region and neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
A 700 KW solar power system has been installed to help reduce electricity costs associated with the energy-intensive steel sector.
The factory will make use of the exiting Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) to distribute its products within the country and other neighbouring countries.
“The government has revamped the port and the rail structures which allows for the flow of goods within the country efficiently. The skilled labor within Kisumu County is easily available and I am proud to announce that we built our new facility using experts and engineers from within the county,” added Patel.
