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| Business |
| Mike’s Trading firm diversifies to trailers |
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by Aubrey Mchulu, 17 August 2004
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07:44:54
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Mike’s Trading and Welding Centre, a Malawian-owned medium-scale steel products manufacturing company, has diversified into the trailer market under the brand name Trailers-Direct.
Chairman and proprietor Mike Chilewe said in an interview on Thursday Trailers-Direct is targeting farm trailers, truck bodies, mini buses and saloons. He said the country will save forex because people will no longer be importing trailers from South Africa.
He said the response so far is has been encouraging in that his company has sold some of the new products to Nation Publications Limited, Clark Cotton (Malawi) Limited and has orders from several individuals and businesses.
“Mike’s Trading still exists but we have just branded the trailer business Trailers-Direct because people are now getting trailers directly from Malawi and assembled by a Malawian-owned business,” said Chilewe.
Chilewe, whose Mike’s Trading has over the years been associated with manufacturing steel door and window frames, advertising billboards and gates, among other products, said he believes long distance mini bus operators, for example, will maximise their revenue with the trailers because they will be able to carry luggage on the same fuel costs.
“Our trailers are being made with considerations of the engine capacity of the given vehicle and we have a six months guarantee on mechanical setup excluding wear and tear and accident damage,” he said.
During a visit to Trailers-Direct workshop at Chitawira in Blantyre, finished donkey trailers were seen. There were also chassis for bigger trailers being worked on.
But Chilewe snubbed the Ministry of Industry, Science and Technology for ignoring the small and medium scale manufacturers like his firm saying ministers only visit what he called “big manufacturers.”
“Government should also look at us and encourage us, the small local investors. Why should ministers only visit the same companies now and again?” Chilewe wondered.
Trailers-Direct is delivering its orders complete with certificate of fitness and registration from the Road Traffic Directorate.
Caption: One of trailers made by the company:—Pic: Joseph-Claude Simwaka
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