Business Briefs

By

Solomon Ibharuneafe & Chikodi Okereocha

Monday, June 14, 2004

Reward for Enterprise

Major distributors of NB PLC's products get awards for hardwork

By Solomon Ibharuneafe

Sixty-two distributors of Nigerian Breweries PLC smiled home recently with various awards for their loyalty and services to the company. The awards presented to them at the company's customer award 2003 came in the form of distribution vans, Pentium computers complete with UPS, 5KVA generators, Ice making machine, DSTV and cash.

Festus Odimegwu the company's managing director congratulated the award winners for their outstanding performance in 2003 and enjoined them to strive to make more sales in the coming years.

The categories of the awards include loyalty, national volume, regional volume, brand, retailers, exclusivity and induction into the millionaires club. The award for the highest national volume customer was retained by Goddy Worlu & Sons Ltd for the second year running. Ifeoma Chukwuka Nigeria Ltd and Magulf Nigeria Ltd won the first and second runners-up positions in this category. A new redistribution van was given to Goddy Worlu while the first and second runners-up got 16.5 KVA and 12.5 KVA generating sets, respectively.

The highest Heineken Volume Award was won by C.N. Anyaoha & Sons Ltd while the Legend Volume Award was won by VICDAM & Sons Nigeria Ltd. Eleven customers who emerged highest volume customers per region were given big ice making machine while eleven others were given small ice making machine for being exclusive customers of Nigerian Breweries PLC.

Two new members were inducted into the millionaires club for selling more than a million cartons of NB products in 2003. The two who join six others earlier inducted into the millionaires club in 2003 were each given N500,000 cash in addition to being entitled to all Nigerian Breweries recreational facilities.

Feted by Sona

By Chikodi Okereocha

Sona Breweries PLC feted its customers and key distributors recently to thank them for its increased earning last year. R.K. Malhotra, managing diretor, Sona Breweries PLC, said last year's good earnings resulted from strategic planning as well as effective and efficient execution by staff and distributors. He said that the Standards Organisation of Nigeria had certified all the company's brands for quality exellence.

The company has earmarked $6 million for the installation of a third bottling line and other key equipment at the Otta factory. This would raise the company's production capacity from750,000 hectolitres to 1.2 million hectolitres per annum.

Malhotra further informed the gathering that more than 95 percent of the company's sales vehicles had been replaced with brand new ones. A special truck ownership scheme has also been put in place for existing distributors. In addition, five new reputable transporters had been engaged to ensure an unimpeded flow of Sona Breweries brands to its customers nationwide.

Felix Aighobahi, general manager, sales and marketing said that Wilfort Dark Ale was the flagship brand of the company. It exceeded its sales target by more than 100 percent in the previous year.

The highpoint of the event was the award of special gifts to deserving staff and distributors. Two distributors, Florence Owolabi and Theo Akande, were the biggest beneficiaries. Both of them smiled home with one Wilfort-branded KIA Executive RIO car each. More than 100 other gift items were handed out at the event.

A.K Machandari, group chairman presented the car prizes to the lucky winners. He implored them to work even harder towards the realisation of the company's sales and marketing objectives.

Adekunle Salami, one of the distributors, thanked the management and staff of Sona Breweries and urged them to be steadfast in their mission to deliver world-class products to Nigerians. Tusk, Gold, Kronenbourg lager beer, Maltonic and Wilfort Dark Ale are the well-known products of the company.

Good Bye

Union Bank of Nigeria PLC has honoured nine of its retired deputy general managers. They were R.A. Bosomo, L.M. Lohor, V.O. Alo, L.O. Onye and T.O.O. Ayeni. - Others were M. D. Yusif, Lawal Sani, K.C.N. Okechukwu and Juliet Madubueze.

At a dinner party organised for them recently, Godwin Oboh, the group managing director, said that the reception was to show appreciation for their contributions towards the growth and development of the bank.

"I say to those of you, who have retired, you had enjoyed the best part," Oboh said.

Responding on behalf of members of general management pensioners association, G. B.O. Asiru thanked Oboh and his management for restoring the tradition of honouring retired DGMs in the bank.

Juliet Madubueze, who responded on behalf of the retired DGMs, thanked the management for the honour done to them and assured that they would continue to keep the bank's flag flying.