Guala Closures East Africa (GCEA) has opened a Ksh. 570 million factory in Nairobi as part of its expansion in Kenya and the East African region. The company is wholly owned subsidiary of the Guala Closures Group of companies.
The company aims at servicing manufacturers of alcohol brands in Kenya and the wider East African market with anti-counterfeiting closures incorporating the latest technology.
The Anti-Counterfeit Authority in Kenya estimates that about 1 in 5 products sold in major towns in Kenya are counterfeit. The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) estimates that the Kenyan government loses close to Ksh 200 billion annually due to counterfeits.
“GCEA closures will help fight counterfeit products in African alcohol markets which are posing a severe threat to public health, security, and the economy of the country”, stated Mr. Sadanand Hanagodimath, Managing Director, Guala Closures East Africa during the inauguration ceremony.
GCEA currently supplies leading spirits organizations in Kenya, including, among others, East African Breweries Limited (EABL), Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) and Patiala Distillers.
Guala Closures East Africa (GCEA) was incorporated in Kenya in November 2018. The Company is a wholly-owned member of the Guala Closures Group of companies, an Italian company. GCEA manufactures anti-counterfeiting closures for the alcohol industry and has been in operation from its premises located in Alpha Business Park, Nairobi, since early 2019. The Nairobi operation includes state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, most of which is Italian designed and manufactured.
Guala Closures Group has over 4,700 employees and 29 production facilities in five continents. It markets its products in more than 100 countries. The group sells more than 15 billion caps each year, with a turnover of 543 million euros in 2018. It is a leading manufacturer of aluminium caps for spirits, wines and beverages.