Africa
the price per kilo of our products but
how their performance in manufactur-
ing processes can enable the customer
(the user) achieve productivity, perfor-
mance and quality improvements in
their production processes. If, for ex-
ample, I can supply a high performance
adhesive that will ensure the label on
a bottle of premium branded beer
stays in place for several hours under
refrigeration or ice water conditions,
typically that producer will prefer
that over a lower cost product which
breaks down after a only a few minutes
and peels away from the bottle in the
hands of a disappointed consumer. The
cost impact per a bottle produced of
a premium high performance adhesive
versus a commodity type, low perfor-
mance adhesive, is miniscule and does
not materially impact total unit cost
of the customer’s product. We are of
course in a competition yes, and price
is always a consideration but what
counts most is the quality and end-use
performance of our products rather
than the price per kilo.
CW: Please give us you final remarks on
the realization of the agreement to purchase Continental Products and your
hopes for the future of the company’s
growth in East and Central Africa.
SK: I am excited about establishing
a physical presence in Sub-Saharan
Africa and having responsibility for
such a large and diverse region which
extends from India to Turkey, Russia
to South Africa and of course the entire European continent; a rich mix of
mature economies with areas which are
now experiencing phenomenal growth.
It is an adventure and a bold step to ex-
pand our operations in the Sub-Saharan
region and especially in Kenya, which
is known for its political stability and
which has a well-earned reputation for
quality. The country is established as a
manufacturing hub in the East African
region and it works hard to sustain high
standards. The continent of Africa only
recently surpassed an historic milestone
as the total population exceeded the
one billion mark; the middle class is
now growing fast and so are levels of
disposable income in many economies
across the African continent and they
will soon rival the levels achieved by
South Africa in the more prosperous
countries. That means more purchasing
power, ever changing consumer tastes
and increasing levels of demand for
more and more sophisticated, higher
value consumer goods. This dynamic is
attracting a lot of foreign investment to
Africa and a significant number of those
companies investing in Africa require
high performance adhesives to manu-
facture their goods. We are fully com-
mitted to Africa and aspire to providing
manufacturers in the region with great
solutions to their manufacturing chal-
lenges and together we will create great
offerings for discerning consumers in
the continent. CW
