Aston Lukoye
Little-known Kenyan millionaires make important decisions on when and how essential food commodities are supplied to the country’s approximately 48 million Kenyans.
Agnes Irungu and her husband got into food production after years of being interested in the sector and researching manufacturing options in the area. They realized that food manufacturing was a risk-free enterprise with a high chance of success.
Fitting in is a failure in a competitive marketplace, according to Seth Godwin, a renowned entrepreneur and author. In a crowded marketplace, failing to stand out is the same as being invisible.
“With food, you can never go wrong,” she explains. However, the decision to begin with maize milling was motivated by Kenyans’ fondness of ugali.
“Our family enjoys ugali as well. “We also wanted to begin with a product that is broadly liked and moves quickly,” Agnes admits.
Help from her Lover
Starting a mill, on the other hand, needs more than simply a passion for ugali. There was extensive consultation, particularly with milling industry professionals, to examine the sustainability of the firm and what was required to establish one.
Agnes revealed that her husband, Mr Jamleck Kamau, the Company’s Chairman, was a key contributor to the project’s development.
“He has a large network of friends and acquaintances who were able to provide us with a wealth of knowledge on the manufacturing business,” she explains.
Implementation of the idea
They were able to identify various equipment manufacturers based on this information, and they analyzed their offers before deciding on one to supply them with milling equipment.
In Kenya’s increasingly crowded market, their brand, CANNA, has managed to abide by this philosophy and risen to become its consumers’ favourite maize meal in just two years.
The secret behind her success
What is the secret? Producing premium maize flour that is sold as regular flour in order to pique the attention of all ugali enthusiasts in Kenya.
Read: Billionaires Who Own Top 5 Leading Maize Millers in Kenya
“We understood that marketing our brand as a luxury product would turn off a lot of potential customers,” explains Agnes Irungu, Managing Director of Giant Millers, the manufacturer of Canna Nutritious Maize Meal.
“So we offered it as a typical product, but when you open it up, you get a real luxury product.” She quickly adds that the product name CANNA is inspired by the stunning, brilliant, colourful family of Canna Lily Flowers.
Further Training
As newcomers to the food sector, the entrepreneurs were completely involved in the planning, design, building, and equipment installation processes.
Agnes stated that her knowledge in interior design came in help throughout the project’s building and machine design stages.
She did, however, need milling training in order to operate the firm successfully. “I went to Buhler’s African Milling School to study milling and what to look for,” she explains.
Source: Food Business Africa Magazine
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