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The Managing Director of Coleman Wires and Cables, Mr. George Onafowokan has attributed the achievements of the company over the years to efforts put in by the workforce, adding that the organisation attaches importance to the welfare of its staff.
Onafowokan disclosed this while speaking at the 2023 Distributors Forum of the organisation, which held recently at its factory in Arepo area of Ogun State.
According to him, “the philosophy of developing our team catapulted us to where we are today as a company.
“Over the years, we have always looked at better ways to improve the lives of our workers which is fundamental to anybody’s business. We have buses transporting staff free of charge to and fro their residential areas since the last four or five years.”
Onafowokan maintained that the staff busses were not enough, which he said prompted the company to get new buses to ease the movement of the staff from home to work.
“The buses we had were not enough and the number of staff has grown from almost 600 to 1000 and we are always thinking of how to improve their welfare. So, investing in buses for staff is more important than changing the car of the company’s Managing Director.
“Coleman is not only couching the barriers of what we can do in cable making, but we are also couching the barrier of what we can give back to the staff. We are a successful company, not because of one person sitting at the top, it is because we embark on team works as one to achieve a common goal,” the Coleman MD added.
Onafowokan said the company would continue to improve the welfare of its staff as best as it can.
“The company started in 1975 at Ikotun-Egbe area of Lagos State and later moved to Arepo. By the end of the year 2023, we will be the biggest cable manufacturer in the African continent,” he said.
At the forum, distributors with exemplary performances went away with different gifts ranging from truck to Toyota Hilux and television sets.
Beneficiaries included Laurel Electrical Company, which got 20 tons truck, Suntec Electrical company, which went home with Toyota Hilux, Bosdec Electrical Jimbei Truck, Glorious Hallelujah, who got 85-inch smart TV each and Cable Network, which got 65-inch smart TV.
The MD said the importance of the forum is for the company to acknowledge the impact of its distributors, encourage them and appreciate them for their performances.
“This is a way of thanking them for their efforts. The forum also helps us to get market feedback and this will enable us to know what we are doing well and what we can do better,” he said.
The Coleman CEO stressed that the feedback received from the distributors was encouraging based on the company’s impact in the market and availability of its cables.
“We have issues of substandard cables in the market and adulteration, but the availability of Coleman wires with quality and affordable price gives us a hedge, but we will continue to work with all the agencies of the government to solve this problem.
Welcoming the new administration, Onafowokan also asked the the president Bola Tinubu and his vice, Kashim Shettima to focus on the challenges confronting the economy and most especially the manufacturing sector.
Congratulating the administration, the Coleman boss said: ”The administration has many challenges to put the economy in the right perspective, especially in the manufacturing sector taking advantage of the sector to create jobs.
“The new administration must look at FX and availability of foreign exchange to the manufacturers. If this is done, it would create stability for the market. High interest rate should also be looked into. This makes it impossible for some manufacturers to do business.
“The interest rate is not sustainable for the manufacturers. The government should also make available intervention funds to the manufacturers through the Bank of Industry BOI. The government should also ensure that the process of doing business gets better,” he said.
