“East African Packaging Industries LTD. are making magic. In one word, they exist for the sake of simplicity. They focus their efforts into taking on all the worries over packaging from their customers, leaving them to concentrate on their core activities. Their contribution to the business mix is brief, crisp, penetrating, perceptible and a creative insight into the minds of consumers. Memorable ideas, images and stories, where less is more and understanding triumphs over information”, I concluded as Mr Nick Barnes took us through the interview. In his narration from one department to the other, one statement kept on recurring, no compromise to quality.
Leading a company alongside a team of people who have some of the best managerial skills, with the best technology in the region and company culture is what makes the effort worthwhile. This is why you must speak to the team despite my general overview”, says Nick, in a 30 minute interview with Floriculture Editor, Masila Kanyingi.
EAPI Ltd has been accredited ISO 9000 Quality standard among many other standards. The quality system involves the setting of performance improvement standards and targets throughout the operations of a company, and reviews the performance rating of the supplier by its customers.
It is a customer oriented company and aims at customer satisfaction above everything else. No idea would be too radical for the company and it manufactures a whole range of standard sized flower. “Our expansion for the last four years has been both markets driven and technical. Our concentration has been on the market outside Kenya as well as Kenya’s growing sectors, mainly floriculture and horticulture, says Nick.
Back Ground
EAPI Ltd has been operating in Kenya since 1959, when a sack plant was opened in Mombasa. The corrugated container division was started in 1967 when EAPI took over Kenya Box.
EAPI Ltd is comprised of the sack division, located in Mombasa and the corrugated container division in Nairobi. In Nairobi operations are divided into two units, Administration under the Managing Director who also oversees the general running of the company and the Factory under the Operations Director.
EAPI Ltd. is the largest purchaser of paper in East Africa, and also the largest supplier of tea sacks, cement bags and corrugated packaging. The corrugated box division has a market share which fluctuates between 20% and 30%, depending on the season of the year. There is considerable over-capacity in the box market, and EAPI Ltd is capable of meeting sales requirements within 11hours shift for the most part of the year.