The managing director of Coleman Wires and Cables, Mr. George Onafowokan has attributed the achievements of the company over the years to the efforts put in by its workforce.
Onafowokan disclosed this at the 2023 Distributors Forum of the organisation held in Ogun State.
He added that the organisation attaches importance to the welfare of its staff, saying, “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 from their residential areas since the last four or five years.”
He added that “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.”
Onafowokan said the company would continue to improve the welfare of its staff as best as it can.
“The company started in 1975 in Lagos State and later moved to Ogun State. 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 trucks to Toyota Hilux and television sets.
Beneficiaries include; 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,” he noted.
On agenda for the new government, Onaforwokan however, asked them to focus on the challenges confronting the economy and most especially the manufacturing sector.
To him, “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.”
