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KENYA
Miqat to Expand in Nairobi
local agent. “That way we get a better product at a better price,” added Abdul Rahim.
Miqat now has plans to grow further with a new plant in Nairobi, which is planned to be operational by mid- 2017 with an initial production of 1,000 tyres per month. Rahim is well aware that Nairobi already has a number of retreaders, but his reasons for expanding to the capital go beyond simply supplying the Nairobi market. “Kenya is a big retread tyre market, and the Nairobi plant will not depend entirely on the local market but will also cater to the East and Central African market,” he said. Kenya, he pointed out, is surrounded by a number of landlocked countries,
and fleets from these countries moving with supplies to and from the port are serviced in the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa. Kenya, therefore, remains a big tyre market for the neighbouring countries of Rwanda, Uganda, North & South Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Commenting on the future of the retreading industry in Kenya, Abdul Rahim explained; “Despite the presence of Chinese tyres at a very competitive price, Kenyan fleets have to use retreads as transporters cannot use new tyres every time. Therefore, we strongly believe the Kenyan market has still lots of scope to grow.”
Abdul Rahim M Issak, Managing Director, Miqat Tyre Retreads Ltd
During the last 3-4 years, developments in the Kenyan retreading industry have begun to happen beyond the capital Nairobi, with viable retreading markets opening up in the major cities of Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret. Mombasa has emerged as a major business hub with proximity to its port on the Indian Ocean. The city is now home to a flourishing retreading industry with almost all the major companies having a presence in the city.
Mombasa based Miqat Tyre Retreads Ltd opened in December 2014 with production starting in early 2015. Last year the company retreaded around 1,200 tyres each month but according to Managing Director Abdul Rahim M Issak production has since dropped to 1,000 tyres per month due to the presence of low- price tyres in the Kenyan market. Miqat prefers to source tread rubber directly from the Malaysian manufacturer, Max Rubber, rather than buying an Indian brand from a
Aloona Industries Focuses on 24-hour Delivery to Beat Competition
With market conditions tough for retreaders in Kenya due to the presence of Chinese tyres, Nairobi based retreader Aloona Industries Kenya Ltd is focusing on quick deliveries to beat the competition. Quick and on-time delivery makes a difference in the highly competitive business environment in Nairobi.
Aloona retreads around 60 truck tyres each day with assured 24-hour delivery. It has 11 small pick-up trucks, including eight in-field vehicles and three on stand-by. The company currently has two new vehicles on order to replace older vehicles. Strong logistic support to the retreading operation helps
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