Lubezine Magazine Vol. 3 Lubezine Magazine Vol. 3 | Page 17

Did you know... The country’s biggest lubricants distributors are to be found here. They include Sidona Spares, Atlantis Auto Spares, Jesmiras and Mau Summit 2 3 4 5 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Mr. Patel of Atlantis Auto spares outside his lube shop. Mr. Wambugu of Sidona Spares inside his lube shop. Vehicles awaiting service at the busy Kirinyaga Road. Kirinyaga Road mechanics service a car. Kirinyaga Road mechanics waiting for customers. Tucked at the other end of Kirinyaga Road is Jesmiras who has been in business since 2002 and has risen to be one of the main distributors of lubricants in the country. So successful has been this distributor that he has introduced his own brand, Ocenn Lubricants, to compliment those of the oil majors he stocks. Mr. Mwangi, a sales representative working for the company is emphatic that the quality customer service given to customers has been a major success factor, “We always advice customers on the right lubricants to use depending on the make and and on how modern the car is,” he adds. January-March 2012 | Lubezine Magazine Given the critical role the jua kali mechanics play in lubricants business, many oil companies have come up with comprehensive programs targeting this group. These include promotions, educational seminars and road shows. The mechanic is the final link between the oil company and the eventual end-users. Most of these end-users have no knowledge on lubricants and rely exclusively on the mechanic for advice on which product to use. Mr. Michael Munene, a mechanic in this area for the past 3 years, says that the regular seminars that these companies have been conducting in the area have played a big role in enhancing the level of service many jua kali mechanics offer to their customers. He adds that such seminars also help them in understanding any new products that have been introduced in the market. Business in Kirinyaga Road grows with each passing day; new spare parts shops and garages mushroom in every corner, new lube marketers try to introduce their products and existing major brands dig in to secure their market shares. For several years this area has been the capital of Kenya’s lubricants business, a title it is unlikely to lose any time soon. . 15