By Francis Ntow
Accra, June 02, GNA – Nestle Ghana Ltd, a leading daily household food manufacturing company, has provided trucks to five of its top national distributors to enable them to expand their reach.
The Company, which has been operating in the country since 1957, pledged not to exit the market, despite recent economic challenges.
Deborah Kwablah, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, who stated the Company’s commitment to stay in Ghana, expressed confidence about the country’s economic recovery.
“There are shocks, but as a sustainable business, we always look for efficient ways of mitigating these shocks… Nestle believes in Ghana, we continue to invest in this economy, and we’re not going anywhere,” she assured.
She said this in an interview with Ghana News Agency after a short ceremony in Accra to present vehicles, which can carry between 3.5 and six tonnes of Nestle’s products to some distributors.
The Company’s resolve not to leave the country comes in the wake of the recent exit of some companies amid the implementation of a three-year International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan-supported programme for economic recovery and resilience.
Lauding the contribution of distributors in keeping the Company in business, Mad Kwablah said, “We stay very close to our business partners, including distributors, discuss issues and look for solutions.”
She explained that the donation of the trucks was a way of mitigating the shocks of the distributors, adding that “the capital that they would have used to acquire this car, we’ve given it to you as an award, and it goes directly into the business”.
She noted that it was through the distributors that the various brand offerings of the Company reached warehouses, shops, communities, and houses, as such the gesture was a demonstration of the Company’s appreciation for them.
Mr Georgios Badaro, Managing Director, Nestle Ghana, said: “We see the devaluation of the currency, and other complications happening, but we will fight it as we have always done, and win again.”
He expressed confidence that by working collaboratively, a cycle that allowed for more investment into the economy would be created to support growth and sustainability while creating jobs for Ghanaians.
Describing the distributors as the engine for reaching more consumers, Mr Jacob Odoi, National Sales Manager, Nestle Coastal Cluster, encouraged the distributors to “continue to work to stay in the game”.
Mrs Maud Botwe, who received the top distributor award, expressed appreciation to Nestle Ghana, indicating that the truck would help them improve their business by distributing in bulk.
“This is a big truck compared with what we have, so the wholesalers who are buying more, we can put them in one car. Sometimes you have to take two or three trucks, and it’s expensive, this one you’ll spend less,” she noted.
The top five recipients of the 2023 national distributors’ awards are, Danmaud Company Ltd, Edcey Company Ltd, Ofram Company Ltd, Lesfam Company Ltd, and Awo Nyame Enterprise.
They were assessed using tools with many parameters, including profitability, human resources, warehouse management, and efficient distribution.
The five trucks were part of 69 different awards given to distributors for their performance for the year 2023.
GNA