REMINISCING ABOUT THE REVIVAL JOURNEY
The last four years have been some of the most challenging years experienced in the sugar Industry. Several sugar milling Companies almost closed doors, Nzoia Sugar Company was no exception.
A big percentage of public sugar factories were unable to operate optimally leading to a cash crunch that left workers without pay for months as farmers, suppliers and other third-party payments lagged behind leading to a pile up of arrears.
The ripple effect of this financial crisis was immediately felt by the economies that rely on these sugar factories directly and indirectly. There was a huge outcry in the regions that house these sugar factories.
Nzoia Sugar Company was at its worse and all hope of survival was lost as Company employees and stakeholders foresaw a bleak future for an economic giant that once supported millions of people directly and directly.
Business gurus will tell you that even the most successful businesses have failed at some point in time. However, if handled correctly, rock bottom could serve as the first stepping stone a company needs to begin climbing back up to the top.
Despite the challenges, all stakeholders kept their hope alive that the Company would one day rise up again.
Sometimes, in working towards our objectives, we need to make unusual choices that fly in the face of convention and short-term gain.
A glimmer of hope came in the form of a new visionary leader, our CEO CPA Cde Wanjala MAKOKHA who joined the Company at its worse and had the hardest task of convincing employees and other stakeholders that the together, they can begin a journey to revive the Company.
The company’s revival journey started with the Nucleus Estate farm which was in a dilapidated state. A Rapid Results Initiative program was initiated, which yielded into planting of over 400 acres of cane using volunteer labor. During the RRI programs, which were held every Thursday, staff left their offices, boda boda riders left their motorcycles, community members and their leaders left their businesses and headed to the farm to plant cane in the Company’s Nucleus Estate farm.
The revival journey of the Nucleus Estate is ongoing and Management has set aside a Nucleus Estate account where funds are channeled to support the operations of the farm.
This revival spirit moved to the Agricultural Services section where cane haulage machinery was revived in readiness for a robust cane-harvesting season.
Finally, the Company moved focus to the factory plant and conducted boiler repairs worth over Ksh. 50 million from internally generated funds and the factory plant roared back to life in February 2020.
For the first time in History, all employees walked out of their offices to witness the Factory roar back to life. The noise generated by the factory was music to the ears of employees who had stayed without salary for over 10 months. For a moment everything stopped as employees celebrated this great achievement.
Our sugar was well received by the market and we experienced our loyal customers celebrate as they found our products in various towns in the Country, a sure sign that we were back in business.
The revival journey continues and Management has laid down strategies that will see the continued sustainability of the Company.
The strategic goals are cost reduction, expansion of our market share, cane development in both the Nucleus Estate and the Out growers zone, expansion of our company cane transport fleet, factory rehabilitation, automation of our business processes and implementation of performance management plan.
Ultimately, success in any sphere of business or life is the result of the thought process that runs it. By extension therefore, studying and emulating the mindset of the successful and applying it to our own circumstances is one of the most assured routes to success.
