Baker's Inn installs additional $5 million plant

Published: 07 August 2017

LEADING baking firm, Baker's Inn has installed an additional $5 million plant at its Bulawayo factory as it moves to satisfy the demand of its bread in the southern parts of the country.

Regional engineering manager, Evans Mhepo, said the new production line started operating last week.

"All the components we were waiting for which we had procured overseas came. We started doing dry and wet test runs two weeks ago. We started producing bread from the new line into the market on Wednesday last week.

"We are expecting to have been officially opened on 18 August. We are currently producing mainly family loaves in the new line and a bit of superior loaves. In the long run we will phase out the superior loaf and remain with the family loaf," said Mhepo.

The installation of the new equipment has increased production capacity at the company's Bulawayo factory to 220 000 loaves a day from 120 000.

Prior to the installation of the additional plant, the bakery was forced to complement the demand of its bread in the southern region through supplies from its Harare factory.

Baker's Inn has six depots in the southern region namely Chiredzi, Masvingo, Zvishavane, Hwange, Gokwe and Gweru, which receive deliveries from the Bulawayo factory.

The Bulawayo market is split into three areas — the Central Business District covering the eastern suburbs and the Inyathi area, Area 1, which covers Tsholotsho going to Lupane while Area II covers the western areas of the city, Gwanda and Plumtree.

The company's southern region sales volumes have over the years experienced significant growth with an average of 110 000 loaves being sold per month in the period of 2014 to 2015, 130 000 in 2015 to 2016 and 150 000 in 2016 to 2017.

The company has projected to sell an average of 180 000 loaves per month for the period of 2017 to 2018.
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