The Kenya Vision 2030’s economic pillar identifies the manufacturing sector as one of the key building blocks for achieving the country’s national development agenda and raising the country’s growth rate. The contribution of SMEs to job creation, integration of social and market standards, poverty alleviation, and rural development is significant; they are the engines of our economy. In the age of globalization, this contribution can only be more pronounced in influencing significant economy-wide transformation. Techwin limited, a local stainless-steel manufacturing company, has been supporting SMEs in the milk value-chain sector for the last 15 years, journeying with dairy cooperatives to realize significant contributions to the Kenyan dairy sector. The company works with a team of both local and international research & development experts in order to manufacture technologically advanced products, so as to meet the needs of the dairy cooperatives.

The company has worked with over 500 dairy cooperatives by supplying them with dairy equipment that includes; pasteurizers, coolers, milk ATMs, milking systems, milk cans, transportation tanks, and yogurt processing & packaging line among other dairy solutions. One of the company’s 2022 goals is to double the number of cooperatives they work with.

Techwin Limited supports SMEs in different counties namely; Bomet, Meru, Bungoma, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu, Kiambu, Nakuru, and Nandi among others in the country, and wishes to expand its reach. This endeavor not only accelerates production in the targeted value chains but also delivers on expected targets set by the farmers.

Some of the cooperatives that Techwin has worked with include; Keringet Foods Limited, Kitise CBO, Sirikwa Dairy, Bukura Agricultural College, Lelan Highland cooperative, and Sabatia Farmers’ Cooperative. At Lelan Highland Dairies, Techwin Limited supplied the dairy with Pasteurizers, boilers, ATMs, and Compressors. “Techwin Limited has been a reliable partner; they supplied us with a pasteurizer, a boiler, and chillers which have contributed towards the success of our dairy. What impressed us the most was their reasonable prices and the quality of the equipment we received. We are grateful for the knowledge we received during our training and the continued after-sale services.” Mr. Nicholas Lomuket, the dairy’s General Manager reported.

Techwin Limited conducts site visits to advise their clients on the most suitable machinery to invest in so as to cater to their expanding and diverse client base. They also offer a wide range of services including; plant design, turnkey base project, equipment specification, design, and installation, commissioning, and training to ensure that the SMEs are running at optimum.

“Upon delivery of the purchased product to the client-approved location, our team of highly skilled technicians will facilitate the installation of the item and ensure efficient commissioning of the same,” Director of Projects, Mr. Wanjohi said. “To ensure that the installed products are handled and utilized well, we conduct need-specific training for the product operators.”

The training enables the clients to have a proper understanding of the equipment leading to an improvement of the work quality. The company also offers training during Farmers Expos which target different regions in the country. Some of the recent training was in Uasin Gishu, Kitale, Trans Nzoia, Nyandarua, and Nakuru. “We attend this Expos in different counties and set up booths to showcase our products,” Head of Marketing Executive Mrs. Queen L’ombaka said. “Once cooperative groups come to our booth, we educate them on the benefits of these milk value-addition equipment, how to use them, the prices, and the payment plans.”

Knowledge is often quoted as one of the main reasons why SMEs fail and with that in mind, it is essential that business owners are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to boost their chances of success. Apart from the after purchase training, Techwin Limited carries out training during Farmers Expos which target different regions in the country. Some of the recent Expos were in Uasin Gishu, Kitale, Trans Nzoia, Nyandarua, and Nakuru. “We attend this Expos in different counties and set up booths to inform farmers of our products,” Head of Marketing Executive Mrs. Queen L’ombaka said. “Once cooperative groups come to our booth, we educate them on the benefits of these milk value-addition equipment, how to use them and make profits from them.”