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Delays in shipment of parts have affected the commissioning of Lobel’s second production line in Bulawayo which has the capacity to produce another 60 000 loaves of bread.
The equipment was expected in the country a few weeks ago.
“Due to shipment delays, we have now been informed that our equipment should arrive anytime this coming week.
“The consignment is arriving at a time when we continue to strategically position ourselves for the bigger capacity following the opening of one of our retail outlets in Bulawayo,” Lobel’s managing director Mr Ngoni Mazango said last week.
He said as part of the company’s growth strategy in line with increased production capacity to come as a result of the imminent commissioning of the second production line, Lobel’s would roll-out three more retail outlets in Bulawayo before the end of the year.
“Our seventh retail outlet in the city along Herbert Chitepo Street was opened on Monday this week,” he said.
“With increased production capacity, we also intend to open more retail outlets in other towns. In Bulawayo, we are not relocating like what other businesses have done.
“We are not crybabies; we value our customers and will continue giving them our best.”
He said the success of any business was about the management style adding that his organisation believed in human resources.
In the past few years, Lobel’s employed 280 people and at present the figure has grown to 450.
Mr Mazango said they were using the little resources they had to invest in expansion of their operations.
“We are one of those companies that applied and did not secure funds under the Distressed Industries and Marginalised Areas Fund (Dimaf).
“Had we secured Dimaf resources, we could be very far as a business because we could have used the resources from the facility to complement the little that we have,” he said.
He said Lobel’s was presently importing flour because of wheat shortage in the country.
“We are forced to import flour because there is no wheat in the country. And this winter season, the farmers have indicated that there is nothing on the ground due to challenges they are facing.
“Instead of promoting the Buy Zimbabwe concept, wheat shortage will continue compelling us to import flour,” he said.
Zimbabwe has a national demand of 450 000 tonnes of wheat annually and last year only 41 000 tonnes were produced.
This year Government has projected that 75 000 tonnes of wheat will be produced from 26 000 hectares farmers are expected to put under winter wheat.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter