LafargeHolcim, the leading global building products & solutions company, which was born of the merger between Lafarge and Holcim in 2015, has begun the roll out of specialized one-stop building material stores in Kenya.
The Swiss multinational company has opened up four outlets in Nairobi, Machakos and Kiambu counties. The stores, which are to be operated under the brand name, Binastore, will serve the needs of end-consumers, self-builders, masons and small contractors selling a broad range of building materials including Bamburi Cement products and solutions as well as a variety of other construction materials from partner suppliers.
Some of the partner suppliers that the company is working with are Mabati Rolling Mills, Bamburi Cement, Union and Yale, Fosroc Kenya, Metsec, Plascon, East African Cables, Sika and Simba General Merchants.
The stores will cover all building materials such as electrical, cement, roofing, tools, locks, blocks and paving, paint, plumbing, safety equipment, flooring and tiling, doors and windows.
According to Eric Gitahi, network development manager at Binastore, the outlets will not only provide building and construction materials but also offer numerous differentiating and attractive services to clients such as credit, technical support and access to architects and building designs.
The company, which already has a presence in the country through its subsidiary, Bamburi Cement, has also set aside Sh24 million to open other outlets in other regions of the country such as Thika, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa and Kajiado by December this year. The company’s total investment this year is Sh40 million and it has an objective of opening over 200 stores in Kenya by the year 2020.
The Swiss firm recently rolled out specialized retail network for construction materials in Africa and Middle East under its new Binastore banner. So far, it has over 500 stores and a presence in over 12 countries in Africa and Middle East offering over 2000 building materials and products.
