Enterprise

Ramco chairman Kirit bags business leadership award

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Ramco Group chairman Kirit Patel. He heads the family-owned business which is headquartered in Nairobi and with a presence in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda. PHOTO | COURTESY

The chairman of Ramco Group, Kirit Patel, has been recognised for his role in steering the multibillion shilling business from a small hardware into a regional business.

Mr Patel has been awarded the All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) — Lifetime Achievement Award for the East Africa Region, a recognition honouring business leaders who have made a considerable impact on their industry and community.

The family-owned business, which has an annual turnover of more than Sh23 billion, is headquartered in Nairobi and has a presence in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Ramco was launched in 1948 and has grown into a 40-subsidiary strong business with interests in sectors such as print and packaging, hardware, stationery and office supplies and ICT consulting, among others.

“I am honoured to win such a prestigious award. It is humbling to be recognised as a business leader in the region,” Mr Patel said in a statement.
AABLA is an annual award sponsored by CNBC Africa. The award, which is in its seventh year, honours remarkable leadership and game changers in business on the continent for their commitment to excellence.

This year’s finale will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Thursday.

Mr Patel will be competing for the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award for Africa with winners from West Africa and South Africa regions. Ramco Group was founded by the late Rambhai Patel, Kirit’s father.

READ: Ramco arm gets stable outlook rating on strong liquidity

Kirit started his entrepreneurial journey by joining his father’s hardware shop and is seen as an optimistic risk taker who has been active in driving growth and identifying new areas of investment for Ramco.

Ramco Printing recently entered into a deal with Barron, a South African-based corporate and promotional company.

“Winners of the awards exemplify the best in African leadership. They epitomise the core values of a successful leader, strength, innovation, ingenuity, knowledge and foresight,” AABLA notes on its website.