Gulu Colour Centre

Sadolin Paints opens new colour center in Gulu town

(Last Updated On: 7 December 2018)

Gulu – Sadolin Paints Uganda on Thursday opened a new colour center in the heart of Gulu town to expand market reach for customers in the northern region.

The Gulu colour center is located along Gulu Main Street next to Barclays Bank Gulu branch.

Through franchise agreement with local entrepreneurs, Sadolin Paints Uganda is to offer experiential shopping for high end customers with variety of Sadolin products including decorative paints, automotive paints and coatings, among others.

During the inauguration of the center, Mr. Deon Nieuwoudt, the AkzoNobel’s planning and executive manager based in South Africa, says the opening of the new colour center in Gulu town is one of the action points AkzoNobel is undertaking to expand Sadolin footprint and growth in Uganda through franchise businesses with local entrepreneurs.

AkzoNobel is the world leading producer of global paints [sadolin] and major producer of specialty chemicals based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It acquired Sadolin East Africa and its runs the company across multiple markets internationally.

“This concept of the colour centers aims to extend Sadolin product to customers through experiential shopping and to give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to expand their business frontiers by being part of the company’s chain while tapping into our expertise,” Mr Nieuwoudt said.

He added that: “The opening of the colour center is a stride in enhancing their customer care, proximity of Sadolin products as well as partnership with the local business community.”

Mr. Nieuwoudt noted that Sadolin also conducted three phases of training to painters across Uganda to orient and enable them overcome problems that they face during their daily work and make them professional employee of Sadolin who can add value to the paint consumers in the country.

Mr
Mr. Nieuwoudt, the AkzoNobel Planning and Executive Manager speaking at during the launch. Photo by David Okema.

Mr Niewoudt says Uganda is very unique because the painters are advocates for the company, adding that the Gulu colour center will by January 2019 begin their training on a monthly basis throughout the year.

The regional sale manager, Mr. David Okeyan said Gulu launch is a milestone in reaching out to customers with various products. He noted that this is a trend being set for Paints Companies to follow.

“We want to set a trend such that our competitors can follow or follow-off through colour center so that our customers learn about what they want from the center before buying,” Mr Okeyan said.

Next year, more painters in Gulu and Mbale districts are to be trained.

Mr. Alfred Oluba, the LC3 Chairperson for Layibi division in Gulu municipality Chairman lauded Sadolin Company for bringing closer to the customers real store where they can get paints.

“The inauguration is timely at the time Gulu is set for a city status with high population of potential customers and workers in the investment,” Oluba added.

He however cautions against recruiting only non-indigenous employee at the expense of the locals.

In his assertion he says employing local customers in a foreign investment helps bolster customers’ trust and confidence in the products.

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