Global fast moving consumer goods firm Unilever has commissioned a modern in-house warehouse in Kenya as part its East Africa growth bid.
The move is also aimed at reducing operation costs, and in turn cushion consumers from high product prices amid the soaring inflation, the firm says.
It further notes that the investment seeks to promote the manufacturing sector by providing players with a wider market base while increasing their revenue streams.
The facility is designed to handle high-mix, low-volume beauty and health products.
It comprises a total surface area of about 23,000 square metres having been established at a cost of Sh500 million.
The warehouse is also equipped with the latest automated storage and retrieval systems.
"Significantly, it has a greater pallet capacity, more than 10,000, which will help the company store, process and ship its products in a much more efficient way," said Luck Ochieng, Unilever EA’s general manager.
Ochieng said with the increasing demand Unilever products and limited warehousing capacity in the market,they aim to close the gap between higher demand and shortage of supply through this new facility.
Unilever’s head of supply chain in Africa Christian Byron commended the move as the right direction in infrastructure development as it provides avenue for growth and job creation opportunities.
“It says a lot when household names like Unilever repeatedly choose a certain location to do business. At Unilever, we continue to invest and strengthen our commitment to Kenya with the expansion of our facilities in the country," Byron said.
Byron said they strongly believe in the potential of Kenya and consumers, and are fully committed to participating and playing a role in their respective growth stories.
