Uganda’s major paint maker, Sadolin has opened two more color centres-one in Ntinda and the other in Nakawa Industrial Area in a bid to bring its services and products nearer to clients.
According to Matia Ssebiranda, the Marketing Manager of AkzoNobel which owns the Sadolin brand, the color centres are being established through franchise agreements with local entrepreneurs and Sadolin.
The launch of the two color centres in Ntinda and Nakawa Industrial Area bring the number to three in Uganda and East Africa, Sadolin having launched the first one recently at Freedom City Shopping Mall in Makindye Division.
Speaking at the inauguration of the color centre in Nakawa Industrial Area, AkzoNobel’s planning and Execution Manager, Deon Nieuwoudt said the new concept of the color centres was the best option in the color business where clients are helped to buy the color of their choice, which can be obtained out of the mixture of the existing ones.
Nieuwoudt said AkzoNobel was committed to expanding the Sadolin footprint in Uganda through firming up franchise agreements with local entrepreneurs, a development, he said helps in job creation. He said Sadolin had trained color experts and placed them in color centres to attend to clients’ needs.
“The concept of the color centres aims to extend Sadolin product to customers through experiential shopping and to give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to expand their business frontiers by being part of the Sadolin chain while tapping into our expertise,” he said.
He said that the innovation of establishing color centres will enhance the company’s customer care, proximity of the Sadolin product as well as partnership with local entrepreneurs.
He said that the new innovation of color centres come with a business model where entrepreneurs can be helped by Sadolin to acquire bank loans for their business needs. Under the color centres’ model local investors can invest from Shs50m upwards but Nieuwoudt said even small business units would benefit in the near future.
James Kiwanuka, the proprietor of the Nakawa’s Sadolin Color Centre James Kiwanuka while speaking at the launch said the new innovation would boost the construction industry as it provided new shopping experiences but also that it boosts tax collections and employment.
The Chairman of the Construction and Hardware Dealers Association (CHADA), Hajji Abbas Mutyaba commended Sadolin for the new innovation in the local color/paint business saying: “This establishment signals growth and expansion in both the paint and construction industry.” He said new color centres would entice investors to expand as well as distribute products at competitive standards.
Sadolin produces emulsion products, gloss products, wood paint and custom-made paints in ranging from pack sizes of half a litre to 20 litres.
