NAIROBI, September 15 – Nyanza Petroleum, the sole distributor of Pirelli Tyres in Kenya, has announced plans to invest Sh200 million in the East African region.
Managing Director Sandeep Shah said that the company has already embarked on a Sh30 million re-branding exercise to jump start the regional growth process.
He said the re-branding would result in the auto accessories company adopting a new corporate identity, logo, and corporate colours.
“The last ten years is when we have embarked on what we call a strategic expansion plan. Ten years ago we signed an agreement with Pirelli as a distributor for Kenya, and from then on we decided to focus on our core business, which is tyres and related items for the same market,” he said.
“Since then, we opened our Nairobi branch in 1998, which is now our headquarters for our operation.”
Shah revealed that the process would see the company change its business name to AutoXpress after half a century of operation.
“Well clearly Nyanza Petroleum dealers had outlived its name because it’s no longer only in Nyanza and it no longer does any petroleum business. AutoXpress is now countrywide and even in Rwanda,” he said.
The MD stated that the new name was borne of a conviction that success in the company’s future would mainly be achieved through a strategic approach to the company’s operations and marketing policy.
He said as the company re-brands to adopt an ever-dynamic regional business environment, it’s also implementing new strategies that would ensure the re-branding project becomes relevant to dynamic business needs.
“The opening of our new Sh120 million flagship outlet on Mombasa Road not only celebrates our achievement, but also means that we are now able to provide a truly superior service.”
Nyanza petroleum dealers was established in 1958. Initially the company operated as an oil marketer based in western Kenya, with its headquarters in Kisumu.
However, in the last 10 years the firm has focused its attention on auto accessories, offering a broad range of products.
More recently, the company set up its own garage equipment division, importing and distributing equipment for fitment centres to cater for its own needs and those of over 50 dealers countrywide.
