Ephiel Okoth, Elisabeth Njeri and Dennis Orono at the IFTEX in Nairobi, Kenya.
Although Deneph Handlers started out as a company that exclusively supplies flowers, it has recently ventured into exporting fresh fruits and vegetables. “Flowers are without a doubt our main commodity of trade. We supply them in rather huge volumes,” says Ephiel Okoth, the company’s managing director.
According to Okoth, Deneph’s focus on nurturing good and lasting relationships with clients has been one of their main strengths, and this has led to more clients knocking on their door. “I would say that our unique selling proposition has been how we handle our clients. We make frequent visits to the markets to enhance proper understanding of the respective market needs. Relationships with clients have now grown into partnerships and even friendships. We take it as our obligation to ensure our clients get the highest quality of produce,” explains Okoth.
The recent introduction of a logistics company (Cargotech Freight and Logistics Limited) is Deneph’s unique selling proposition, as this has enabled the company to offer its client a complete chain. “Some of our clients wanted something different from what’s already available in terms of logistics. This gave birth to Cargotech which is a Freight and Logistics Company. Cargotech has completed the chain for us, thereby making business even easier for the client as well on our side,” explains Okoth.
From Okoth’s point of view, establishing logistics companies is one of the trends that has shaped the growth of Kenya’s flower industry. “Many companies are seeking to offer their clients more than just the produce, even for the small players like Deneph, this is something you can’t run away from if you want to be on a par with the big boys,” explains Okoth.
One of the company’s biggest challenges is dealing with rogue clients who take goods on credit but end up breaching the agreement. “We have lost a lot of money through rogue clients who request credit facilities then end up dishonouring their part of agreement. We now prefer prepayments by new clients and not many new clients are comfortable with this proposition unfortunately,” adds Okoth.
Deneph exports flowers to Italy, Netherlands, Germany, United States, Mauritius, Kuwait and Jordan. The company has already acquired land to start growing its own flowers.
For more information
Deneph Handlers Ltd
Ephiel Okoth
Email: ephiel@denephhandlers.com
T: +254 786 811 642
www.denephhandlers.com