By Kiyapili Sibanda
Meprin Founders and Engineers are seeking a bigger industrial space to match their growing production levels and positive export demand.
The company began operations in 2000 as a small scale entity at Bulawayo’s Kelvin North industrial area.
It manufacturers different products that include mining equipment such as coco pan wheels, cannon boxes, tipping wheels, raw water/ sewer equipment and manhole covers.
It also makes clean water equipment such as saddles, bush pumps, short collar joints as well as domestic products that include three legged pots and baking pots – all made from scrap metal.
Technical director, Mr Prince Gobvu said the space in which they operate has become very small and now they wanted a bigger industrial space to boost their export market.
He told Business Chronicle that they had engaged the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to liaise with the City of Bulawayo to give them enough land to operate in.
“The exports are increasing as we have markets in Zambia and Democratic Republic of Congo. So Meprin needs a bigger space to operate in order to meet the requirements of the export market.
“We directed our grievance to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to engage with the city council to try and give us enough land to work on it because our business is growing,” said Mr Gobvu.
He said lack of space also affected other projects they want to venture in like steel manufacturing.
During her tour of Bulawayo industries recently, Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Chiratidzo Mabuwa, acknowledged the problem of lack of space and urged council to allocate land to all investors.
Mr Gobvu also appealed to Government to avail affordable capital for them grow their businesses to be able to boost their capacity to export.
He said the DRC market was responding very well and hoped to attract more clients in Zambia as well.
The company employs 36 people and has partnered with AfriBase, a South African company and Power Holdings of Zambia, which are the sole distributors of its products in the neighbouring countries. The Chronicle
