Sameer to Roll Out New Tyres

Sameer Africa’s first Kenyan branded and produced tyres have rolled of the production line. The firm’s marketing manager, Jeremiah Siage, said Sameer Africa has the capacity to produce its own brands. The tyres open a new chapter for a firm that had previously been associated with the Firestone brand.

“We have been working on strategies that will enable the company’s new brands to penetrate regional markets,” said Siage. He said that despite dropping the Firestone brand name, the new tyres will still be of the same high quality associated with the company in the past. “We will roll out tyres that cover the complete range of the market’s needs,” he added.

According to AllAfrica.com special interest will be paid to Tanzania and Uganda. The Democratic Republic of Congo and southern Sudan are other markets that are being looked at. Siage said that these countries have similar terrain to Kenya, making Kenyan made tyres preferable.

Manufacturers from the Far East and India have set their targets on Kenya as the entry point for both the East African Community and Comesa region.

The new Sameer brand will also have to compete with lower priced Chinese tyres that are said to be strong in certain segments. The company has a distribution network of seven branches and some 444 dealers in Kenya, on top of key accounts that are served directly.

In Uganda, its network includes some 50 dealers, while Tanzania has 100 dealers that are co-ordinated by three branches in Mwanza, Dar Es salaam and Arusha.