By Dennis Ayemba
Started as a small entrepreneurial company, David Engineering Limited has grown to be one of the leading players in the steel construction industry known for its custom designs, competitive pricing, quality, personal touch with the clients and efficiency.
The Kenyan branch was incorporated in 1998 while the Uganda office has been operational since 1997. Both these companies have grown from a small entrepreneurial setting, to family managed organizations.
David engineering Limited core business includes: design, fabrication, supply and erection of various steel structures which include: bridges, go-downs, overhead crane structures, warehouses, petrol station canopies, aerial masts, conference halls, churches, supermarkets, pylons, and communication and transmission towers.
The company also has its foot in the erection of underground and vertical fuel tanks, infinite size pressed steel water tanks and towers; ventilation systems such as jack roofs, ridge ventilators and rotating vents (cool vents); and also pressure vessels. They also have plant and equipment such as: cranes, generators, compressors, and scaffoldings for hire; plus we do designing and detailing of structural steel work to BS Standards.
Their commitment to execute large, custom made and complex jobs efficiently has enabled the company to gradually grow and establish goodwill among several well known clients. Their current capacity is approximately 5,000 tons of steel annually; plus they have a workforce of about 250 people in Kenya and 200 people in Uganda, which are competent to ensure successful and efficient execution of jobs
David engineering’s culture encourages innovation and business process reengineering which leads to efficiency gains. They have several policies that include: health and safety, quality management, and environmental policy; that guide the operations and welfare of the employees. Furthermore, the company has acknowledged the importance of corporate social responsibility and is moving towards assisting in improving the social welfare of the less privileged.
Regional presence, durable products, custom made designs, quality conscious, cost effective designs, low turnaround times, and a well established in-house designing and drawing department; are some of the contributing factors behind the success of David Engineering in the construction industry. However, just like any other industry, they also have their own share of challenges which threaten to derail the progress they have made thus far.
While they uphold to offering standard sections, some of their competitors use imported, substandard, undersized sections which are not up to British standards without the client’s knowledge; hence big margins in pricing. These products lead to substandard end products for the clients, most of whom may not know immediately but after sometime when the product fails to meet their expectation.
David engineering Limited provides a clear quotation to their clients without hidden charges. In most cases, clients opt for cheaper quotations from dishonest contractors oblivious of the fact that there are a lot of hidden charges involved and they end up paying even more than the initial most expensive quotation. This leaves a bad taste in the client’s mouth, which in turn affect their confidence negatively in that particular line of products.
The company has a database of satisfied customers who can attest to their diligence and professionalism in the industry.
Some of these clients include: Landmark Holdings, Kwale international Sugar Company, Subukia Shrine Kenya, St. Gabriel Church Thome, Ernie Campbel Ltd, Achelis (K) Ltd, Sinohydro, Sichuan Huashi, China Jiangxi Ltd, Nanchang Foreign Engineering ltd, Oriental construction Ltd, Kenafric industries, Arusha International Conference Centre, UNHCR, Tononoka Steel Limited, MSF Belgium and France;, Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), Shell Uganda Limited, Petro Uganda Limited, Sterling International, Seyani Brothers (Uganda) Limited, Unilever (Kenya) Limited, and Del Monte (Kenya) Limited.
