Macadamia nuts firm ventures into mattress manufacturing

What you need to know:

Jungle Nuts Limited is producing 600 mattresses and 300 pillows daily at its Thika plant, which has to date employed 300 workers.

Thika-based macadamia nuts processor Jungle Nuts Limited has ventured into manufacture of mattresses and pillows using plastic waste.
The firm is producing 600 mattresses and 300 pillows daily at its Thika plant, which has to date employed 300 workers.

Jungle Nuts chief executive Patrick Wainaina said the Jungle Foam brand is eco-friendly since it relies on recycled plastic as raw materials.

“We see the numbers going up based on the market penetration we have achieved so far. Locally this kind of investment is determined by price, comfort and accessibility, an issue we have already addressed,” said Mr Wainaina in an interview.

He said the venture unveiled two years ago aimed at responding to market demand and opportunities across the region.

Mr Wainaina put a capital investment of Sh100 million in the business venture targeting Kenyans and the wider east African region.

“We are also targeting over 50,000 loyal macadamia farmers who are under our programme and who may want to buy from us. Our distribution cuts across both major cities and even small towns across the country,” he said. The company is producing all the mattress densities.

Jungle Nuts has joined the list of mattress manufacturers competing for a share of the sector dominated by the giants Slumberland Kenya Limited, Bobmill Industries Limited, Foam Mattresses Limited, Vitafoam Products Limited and Superfoam.

Counterfeits challenge

Other emerging manufacturers include Rongai Mattresses Limited, Naivasha Mattresses Limited and Eastleigh Mattresses Limited.

Proliferation of counterfeits in the mattress sector has remained a challenge for many years, something that has eaten into profit margins of genuine brands.

Jungle Nuts Limited has been broadening its investments through its subsidiaries to boost its revenue.

It owns Jungle Housing that has interest in real estate, targeting low income earners, Jungle Energy that deals with the manufacturing of both wooden and concrete poles as well as Jungle Organic and Jungle Foundation.