‘Creating Together’ in Africa Ghana’s Bamson Company celebrates 30 years as a Sikkens partner In late 1983 Mr Kwame Ofosu Bamfo landed in the Netherlands from Ghana with his sights set on Sikkens. As both the Owner and Managing Director of the Bamson Company he wanted to know how his business could benefit from AkzoNobel’s innovative products and partnership approach. The meeting with Sikkens export manager for Africa was an historic step leading to the transformation of his father’s single shop, selling decorative paints in the center of Accra, into a major distributor in the Ghanaian vehicle repair market. And whilst the current market conditions are very challenging we are delighted to say ‘Creating Together’ continues to underpin the development of the Bamson Company; which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Developing the business with the General Manager, his brother Mr George Debrah, Mr Kwame Ofosu Bamfo explains that the Bamson Company now has eight branches of its own and 30 distributors serving the vehicle repair needs of Ghana. Back in 1984, when the initial shipment of five hundred litres of paint landed in Ghana, Bamson was breaking new ground. The vehicle repair market in Ghana remains very informal with 90% of repair activities still taking place from one-man style bodyshops. However, the products and processes they use have changed. They now have access to premium paint and application techniques driven, in large part, by the Bamson Company. By 1987 AkzoNobel was shipping 20 foot-long containers of paint into Ghana and Bamson started the process of appointing dealers nationwide. A move that proved popular given the high level of support from the Bamson partnership with AkzoNobel. The first dealers were based in larger towns like Kumasi and the port city of Tema, which today receives monthly consignments of Sikkens products to fulfill market demand. The relationship has helped to build skill and knowledge in the country’s automotive repair industry, as well as providing the flexibility to develop solutions which suit the local market. In 1992 Ghana opened Africa’s first Automotive Training Center and four years later Bamson welcomed customers into its new branch in Kumasi, which included a fully equipped training facility. Both the Kumasi and Accra facilities train painters in all the latest products, including waterborne. The company demonstrated its flexible thinking when it developed a vehicle spraying centre in Accra, offering access to spraybooths to rent. Mr Kwame Ofosu Bamfo who is now the Managing Director, explains, “We are planning to invite distributers and keys customers to AkzoNobel celebrate and Despite Ghana’s current a rewarding 30 years partnership with Sikkens. financial Kwame Ofosu Bamfo difficulties making business tough there is still progress, such as the increased investment from car importers in the last five years which has led to the development of smart showrooms linked to modern bodyshops. Bamson has survived and grown in challenging market conditions before and in partnership with AkzoNobel we look forward to playing an important role in the future of the vehicle repair industry in Ghana.” 22 Sikkens - Latest news Pagina 21
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